I mean I know what level is the optimum level, but realistically what pH are you currently running in your tank? I've been hearing so much lately about the acidification of the oceans from 8.1 and it's dropping. So it has me staring at my pH and scratching my head. So what pH is everyone else running?
What are you running your pH at?
- Thread starter toddmau5
- Start date
janes_mw
Active member
I'll have to go look! I don't stress on pH too much. I have controller and monitor, but to be honest I haven't looked at in 2 months. I can tell you what my Alk, Ca, K, and Mag are although
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rogergolf66
im an addict lol
7.75 right now don't know why but it always runs low on me
don't know why but it always runs low on me
ChadRaay86
New member
I've had the same issue only after adding a calcium reactor. I have a big skimmer pulling a lot of air and still have issues from my effluent being high in CO2. I fixed it by dosing Kalk. I don't dose a ton but with a controller I can keep my Ph steady between 8.2-8.3. If you're not running a calcium reactor and are dosing 2 part, you can decrease your use of the alk supplement and start dosing Kalk to start bringing your Ph up.
pH is like locked at 7.7 windows open don't make a difference, skimmer doesn't make a difference. Alk 8.1 calcium 470 mag 1420. When the tank was first up and running it was 8.1 solid then dropped and has been holding 7.7 for weeks. Everything is happy. Just after hearing all this research on the ocean water, I would really like to get my pH up to at least 8. I know a few people who are running sub 8s just trying to see what the majority is doing
ChadRaay86
New member
7.7 is scary to me, especially if your 7.7 is during the day. First thing I'd do is check your equipment. Calibrate or replace your Ph probe, or try another test. If it's still low and you run a calcium reactor, reduce your effluent to give the CO2 more time to burn off. If you're not running a calcium reactor or reducing your effluent rate doesn't work, start dosing kalk in your top off. Or run a CO2 scrubber...
Yeah I thought maybe it was my probe, even tho its new, so I recalibrated it, and then tried a second pH meter which said the same thing. So I've been working on trying to get the pH up. The calcium reactor is all set up minutes the co2 line so its almost ready to go but its not operational yet.
ChadRaay86
New member
Pull back the two part and try to dose kalk. Don't try your calcium reactor yet if your levels are getting down to 7.7, you'll drop them even more and nuke the tank.
If your tank is enclosed (sump/canopy), you should try opening it up a bit and seeing if that helps, but you've also had some very odd problems with alk in the past, which makes me wonder if your Ph issue could have to do with that.
If your tank is enclosed (sump/canopy), you should try opening it up a bit and seeing if that helps, but you've also had some very odd problems with alk in the past, which makes me wonder if your Ph issue could have to do with that.
Based on normal chemistry I'm failing to see how kalkwasser would help any more then 2part. With the 2 part the alk side will also raise pH, but the alk will get to high, so you dose the calcium to bring the alk back down, but my alk and calcium are already on the higher end so I don't really want to go dosing anymore. I think i might look into a co2 scrubber and try the baking soda trick when I get home and see what happens
ChadRaay86
New member
Kalk depletes CO2 and raises (not as much as 2 part) alk. Your 2 part will raise your ph moderately only because you're raising your alk. To the best of my knowledge 2 part does not take care of excess CO2 like kalk.
Kalk is used as a Ph buffer in systems that have excess CO2. The only reason I dose it is to counter the excess CO2 in my tank due to my Calcium reactor. My alk values are fine, so the kalk is purely to help deplete excess CO2.
Kalk is used as a Ph buffer in systems that have excess CO2. The only reason I dose it is to counter the excess CO2 in my tank due to my Calcium reactor. My alk values are fine, so the kalk is purely to help deplete excess CO2.
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