ph question

[macawmagic]

Well I finally calibrated up my ph meter. It says my ph is at 7.89. I'm guessing thats not bad as it's pretty close to 8.3, but was wondering what steps I should take to bring it up to 8.3? I usually topoff kalkwasser, but with the week of setting up the frag tank have only used rodi. Maybe that's why my ph is a little low?

 

[bawla47]

yea, id go back with the kalk to bring it up, have you tested your alk lately? if its low, youll have a harder time keeping that number up and wont be buffered properly.

 

[Ding2daDong]

I would use some baking soda to raise pH. Make sure to check Alk before as not to raise that to much in a given period.

Get back to the old regiment of adding kalkwasser to the tank with ATO and the tank will probably start looking even better.

hth

-Matthew

 

[jeffbrig]

Lots of short term solutions being tossed around. The only long-term fix for pH problems is maintaining proper alkalinity. There is a direct fixed relationship between alkalinity and pH.

Other variables can push the pH one direction or the other. Baking soda increases alkalinity, but actually decreases pH in the short term. Baked baking soda also raises alkalinity, but also increases pH in the short term. The short term effects wear off after several hours, but the alkalinity increase can help raise overall pH over time. Kalkwasser also adds a small amount of alkalinity, but raises short-term pH.

High indoor CO2 levels are a common cause of low pH. If alkalinity is normal, this is the likely culprit. Opening a window might raise your pH by .2 over the course of a day (it does for me), but as soon as you close the windows, CO2 starts to accumulate again. Since keeping widows open in S. Florida isn't always possible, you might choose to run your alkalinity on the high side to help offset the low pH effect.

 

[macawmagic]

I'm planning on buying a calcium reactor in the near future. I'm assuming that a reactor will help keep alk and calcium up the their levels which would make ph stay up also...correct? In the meantime should I buy some ph 8.3 buffer to keep it up? Open windows at night? and baking soda? I'm deff still learning. As of now I ONLY use kalkwasser as all my topoff water. And then I feed the fish once a day. Any recommendations on what else I should be doing?

 

[macawmagic]

oh also, I made up kalkwasser and filled my auto top off. it dispensed some into the tank and now my ph is up to 8.13 sounds like a good thing!

 

[gasman059]

Keith I believe the long term solution is as stated by Jeff 4 sure.

The way I look at this is the holy trinity-alk/calcium/mag
All 3 need to be a ok for long term success.

 

[gasman059]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=#post target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macawmagic
I'm planning on buying a calcium reactor in the near future. I'm assuming that a reactor will help keep alk and calcium up the their levels which would make ph stay up also...correct? In the meantime should I buy some ph 8.3 buffer to keep it up? Open windows at night? and baking soda? I'm deff still learning. As of now I ONLY use kalkwasser as all my topoff water. And then I feed the fish once a day. Any recommendations on what else I should be doing?

your reactor will do d opposite drop your ph-thus many long term either run their fuge in reverse cycle or add kalk in a dispenser for top offs.

Is just so much fun !

 

[gasman059]

I would just dose two part period.

 

[coralfragger101]

If we know that excess CO2 in the house causes PH to fall then would it seem reasonable (and feasible) to simply run O2 into say a skimmer to offset things?

Kind of like opening the windows ??

 

[gasman059]

Next time u have people over tell them to breathe slowly LOL
even better have around ten plants to offset the excess CO2

 

[macawmagic]

for the lights...i've got a light on at all times. frag tank from 8-2. display from 2-10. fuge from 10-8. I'm going to monitor my ph (hence hooking up the ph monitor) and see how it does throughout the day and night. probably make a spreadsheet of time and ph.

I usually (except the past week) use kalkwasser as ALL my top off water. about 2 gallons per day. 5 gallon bucket of rodi. 5 teaspoons of kalkwasser. powerhead for like 10 min. dump into18 gallon rubbermaid. that is gravity fed to a float valve in the sump. I'm working on this DIY kalk reactor, but am having troubles sealing the top. the gasket i've got just isn't compressing enough to create a watertight seal. I've gotta find a new material to make a gasket out of. the i will run that inline between rubbermaid container and float valve. no clue how much kalk should go in it though once I do hook it up. whole canister? half? 2 canisters? no idea!!!

This is where I need a mentor! come over one night. I could go over my whole routine and the could tell me whats right...whats wrong...what I should do...what I shouldn't do. If anyone's willing to help me out with something like that I'd really appreciate it.

 

[gasman059]

Hey Keith hopefully I'll be over at Roger's one of this nights
BTW i'll take u to see a couple of tanks that will blow your mind.

 

[macawmagic]

Yea u deff gotta go see Rogger's tank! OHHHH MANNN!!! You'll be on the phone ordering your new tank while you're still looking at his! LOL. And I'd deff be interested in going to see some crazy tanks! Weekends would be the best for me. Our 2 schedules don't mix that good on the weekdays. LOL.

 

[gasman059]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=#post target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macawmagic
Yea u deff gotta go see Rogger's tank! OHHHH MANNN!!! You'll be on the phone ordering your new tank while you're still looking at his! LOL. And I'd deff be interested in going to see some crazy tanks! Weekends would be the best for me. Our 2 schedules don't mix that good on the weekdays. LOL.

its been ordered

 

[davester1]

I'm glad in addition to all the dosing that someone mentioned opening the windows!

Might i add have a fan blow air over the surface.

Jeffbrig, what do you consider the "high side" for alk? I am running 8.1 ph at 9.8 alk which i adjust using my calcium reactor. Luckily for me, the tank is in the garage.

 

[jeffbrig]

I try to maintain 10dKH to combat low pH, maybe as high as 11. I have heard of people running as high as 12.

 

[ReefWreak]

I've seen a lot of people on RC, some of the crazy SPS fanatics, who run their alk in the 12, and I believe some up to 18 if it's possible. The problem when you run above 10 or so is that you'll end up seeing more problems with corals when alk is that high. I know your tank is great Jeff and you get crazy growth, as do many other people with alk that high, all I'm saying is that you do see a lot of people with alk that high (50/50 shot IMO) where they have problems with SPS tips bleaching and things of that nature.

I've never paid any attention to pH in my tanks. Ever. But I get growth like nobody's business.

As with everything else in the hobby, there are a zillion ways to skin a cat.