How to Increase PH Levels?

[bryceandmichelle]

Hey guys, I have a 28g nano HQI and for the past 2 weeks I have been around 7.6 in my ph. Any ideas or suggestions to increase it? My nitrates and nitrites are all at 0.

 

Thanks

[Rocket]

What brand salt are you using. What time of day are you testing the ph at, as it drops at night when the lights are off.

[marinekeeper]

Some Arm and Hammer Baking Powder. Little at a time as this works wonders.

[Izzue]

1st...

 

 

2nd...

Lets talk...

Your Ph is probably off due to a nice bioload.

I recommend a 2 part additive to balance tank.

YOu need to test CA...Alk...PH(just for reference).

Mg...magnesium can also play a nice role in the equation.

 

So like stated above...KInda salt?

How Often Water changes?

You buy or mix Salt...Ro at least for reef tank...to many metals.

Izzue

[Waterproof]

Some Arm and Hammer Baking Powder. Little at a time as this works wonders.

I think you mean baking soda...not powder. Baking soda is really only intended for raising alk, with only a slight impact on pH. Try some Seachem Marine Buffer or Reef Buffer. This will kick it up to around 8.3. Dose it slowly so you don't shock your system. What's you salinity at? If it's low, you can have a hard time raising and maintaining a pH above 8.0.

[HankB]

Before you fix this pH problem, you need to know why it is dropping. Tell us about your management practices including:

- how old the tank is

- how long it has been stocked

- what brand salt are you are using

- what are the rest of your test values (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, KH or alkalinity, SG)

- water change practice

- water source

- test kit you are using

 

Anything else you can think of.

 

Tweaking pH by adding chemicals may not succeed if you don't know what is leading to low pH in the first place.

 

HTH,

hank

[totalimmortal363]

I've always been under the impression that Baking Soda was great at raising PH. It works great on my 55 gallon African Cichlid tank, along with Epsom salt and aquarium salt. My PH is a steady 8.2 with very alkaline water.

[Waterproof]

I've always been under the impression that Baking Soda was great at raising PH. It works great on my 55 gallon African Cichlid tank, along with Epsom salt and aquarium salt. My PH is a steady 8.2 with very alkaline water.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I use Reef Chemistry Calculator (recommended in a post I read) to determine my dose to bring the alk up, and it states the pH will actually drop a bit. I haven't seen my pH go up after using it, but my doses are typically pretty small. Here's the calc:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

 

Here's another site that states, One teaspoon of baking soda added to 50 liters of water can raise the kH of the water by approx 4 OdH without a major affect on pH.

 

http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

 

Either way, I'd still prefer to use something like Marine Buffer that I know will top out at 8.3.

[Pship]

Why has no one suggested Kalkwasser? This is the single best way to raise your pH and help stabilize you ALK.

[totalimmortal363]

Got it from here.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

 

It even touches on RO water. Maybe the effect is less in saltwater??

[MrAnderson]

omg don't just add powder. if your carbonate hardness is at or above 7dKH, then your low pH is the result of excess CO2. chasing a low pH with buffer is a typical noob mistake.

 

don't just take my word for it, work through the equilibrium equations yourself:

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

[scokill]

If you keep up with water changes, you shouldn't have to add anything. Probably not enough surface agitation/gas exchange causing C02 buld up. I had same problem initially, dKH 12, PH 7.8-7/9. Took lid off of AP, helped a little. Tested w/airstone in back chamber, PH rose. Aiming return wasn't solution, but when I added skimmer and fuge, PH is 8.3 on button all the time.