LOW PH - Please Help

[mannyp1313]

Folks,

 

I messed up.

 

For reference, I have a 12g nano cube dx that is about 3-4 months old. I also have an Eheim ECCO canister filter with some Chemi Pure (don't know if that makes a difference).

 

A while back I was battling some high PH and rather than do as everyone advised and perform a partial water change I bought some API "PH Down" and put a couple of drops in my tank. Everything was fine for about a week and now I cannot get my PH to ever go above 8.0. When the lights are off, it hovers around 7.8. I brough my alkalinity to 12 with some PH buffers and still, no change. PH stays around 7.9.

 

I did a 40% water change this weekend and the PH stayed at 8.3 for about one hour. Now its back down to 7.9 Does anyone have any advice as to how I fix this?

[reefdan]

Folks,

 

I messed up.

 

For reference, I have a 12g nano cube dx that is about 3-4 months old. I also have an Eheim ECCO canister filter with some Chemi Pure (don't know if that makes a difference).

 

A while back I was battling some high PH and rather than do as everyone advised and perform a partial water change I bought some API "PH Down" and put a couple of drops in my tank. Everything was fine for about a week and now I cannot get my PH to ever go above 8.0. When the lights are off, it hovers around 7.8. I brough my alkalinity to 12 with some PH buffers and still, no change. PH stays around 7.9.

 

I did a 40% water change this weekend and the PH stayed at 8.3 for about one hour. Now its back down to 7.9 Does anyone have any advice as to how I fix this?

 

ALK 12 is a bit high.

 

do you have adequate air circulation in your tank area? is your tank still cycling?

 

i am battling low pH/high Alk right now too. i can't seem to find the cause but it might be air circulation not allowing for CO2 exchange.

[bdare]

i am battling low pH/high Alk right now too. i can't seem to find the cause but it might be air circulation not allowing for CO2 exchange.

 

+1. If you open a window in the room with your tank overnight you'll see a big difference.

[The Propagator]

Ditto !

[Sexy Shrimp]

Also if your tank is still cycling the ammonia and nitrite make the pH lower anyway. Even after the cycle is finished according to the test kits you will still have unstable pH for a couple of months. Don't sweat it too much. As long as it stays 7.8 and above it should come up of its own accord over time.

[bdare]

Low pH: Causes and Cures

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

 

High pH: Causes and Cures

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.htm

[dilbert]

I have all marine tanks in the same room. And in that room it's definately not CO2 from the surrounding air.

 

The tanks were no food (or almost none) goes into have a stable ph and the tanks with food intake get the ph depleted. (As food builds eventually acids.)

I add kalkwasser and control the ph with digital meters where the probe is constantly in the tank.

 

The pico with Candy Canes stood stable for about three months and then I had to add kalkwaaser more often and now every night. The polyps of the frags got more and bigger but maybe the organic junk has been accumulated over the initial three months.

[bdare]

I have all marine tanks in the same room. And in that room it's definately not CO2 from the surrounding air.

 

The tanks were no food (or almost none) goes into have a stable ph and the tanks with food intake get the ph depleted. (As food builds eventually acids.)

I add kalkwasser and control the ph with digital meters where the probe is constantly in the tank.

 

The pico with Candy Canes stood stable for about three months and then I had to add kalkwaaser more often and now every night. The polyps of the frags got more and bigger but maybe the organic junk has been accumulated over the initial three months.

 

Ph is a function of 2 things. Alk and CO2 build up. Either the Alk is low or the CO2 is high unless the tank is cycling or something died.

 

The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/chem.htm