Can't get PH up

[Noobeef]

I am using Reef Buffer by Seachem to try and get my PH up. It had dropped to 7.5 because I was lazy with water changes. It caused a lovely red hair algae bloom.

 

But the Seachem stuff isnt working at all. Within one week I tried dosing the amount needed to raise it to 8.2 twice and it didn't even get it to 7.7. Im afraid to add anymore of the stuff.

 

Is the stuff a bad product? Should I keep adding it? Alk lvls are actually decent at 10. But I need to get this red algae bloom under control. Corals and fish arent being bothered by the drop in ph.

[skimlessinseattle]

Using a buffer to raise the pH is not going to work; you need a much stronger ionic solution like calcium hydroxide. To raise the pH, try using a saturated kalkwasser solution.

[cruiZe]

i wonder why your sand isn't buffering ?

[nibor]

Have you double checked against another test kit?

 

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/archive/i...hp/t-21968.html

[skimlessinseattle]

i wonder why your sand isn't buffering ?

Because it really doesn't work that way. If, and that's a big if, your pH in your sand bed was low enough to dissolve the aragonite, you could see some sort of buffering, but again, buffering and raising pH in this situation are two very different things.

 

Aragonite sand is not really a buffering agent that you can put any faith in. Stick with alkalinty supps.

 

Again, saturated kalk is the way to go.

[marinoob]

mine was always 7.8 and i was always told 8.2 is best so i tried everything and guess what works best.... pointing a powerhead at my water surface to agitate the water on the surface. apparently it helps with the gas exchange and raises my ph. on my digital ph monitor it stays pretty much at 8.18 all day now that i put a little korilia nano pointed up. i would suppose you could do that in your sump but i have it in my main tank. you should try it it was up in no time too.

[skimlessinseattle]

mine was always 7.8 and i was always told 8.2 is best so i tried everything and guess what works best.... pointing a powerhead at my water surface to agitate the water on the surface. apparently it helps with the gas exchange and raises my ph. on my digital ph monitor it stays pretty much at 8.18 all day now that i put a little korilia nano pointed up. i would suppose you could do that in your sump but i have it in my main tank. you should try it it was up in no time too.

While this is not a bad suggestion, it is limited by multiple factors: surface area of the water at the air/water interface, tank volume, water temperature, force of agitation, composotion of local atmosphere...

 

Oxygenating the water and driving off carbon dioxide is probably something we should be doing anyway, but at a pH of 7.5, a stronger approach may be required.

 

Changing the water is also a good option....

[matt12]

try dosing seachems balance. its part of the aqua vitro line. it'll raise your ph and not your alk. but first i would start with a waterchange

[marinoob]

yeah he might have a underlying problem i was just giving my fix that is still working 100% 7.5 is low i was told my 7.8 would be ok but was on the low side. a waterchange never hurt anything :-)

[lakshwadeep]

+1 to nibor. What's your test kit brand/model?

[wamb0010]

Little off subject but are alk/PH linked? If your PH is low is it a good chance alk is low. Then would dosing alk (Sodium Carbonate) to the appropriate levels make things good

[nibor]

Little off subject but are alk/PH linked? If your PH is low is it a good chance alk is low. Then would dosing alk (Sodium Carbonate) to the appropriate levels make things good

 

They are.

 

As OP says Alk is OK, the low pH suggests very high CO2 levels. Also he states that the fish and corals are fine. All of this points to a testing problem. I would double check the pH (and the Alk) using the same test kits again and another test kit, at the LFS for example.

[Noobeef]

They are.

 

As OP says Alk is OK, the low pH suggests very high CO2 levels. Also he states that the fish and corals are fine. All of this points to a testing problem. I would double check the pH (and the Alk) using the same test kits again and another test kit, at the LFS for example.

 

Srry it took so long to get back to me own thread. I dont think its a testing issue because I have a massive red hair algae bloom with no nitrate/ammonia/phos problems. It led me to believe ph was the culprit and sure enough, I checked it and it was low.

 

Skimless,

 

Where would I get the supplies for the saturated kalkwasser solution? How do you mix yours?

[Oceanus]

Calc, alk levels? If both are above normal, it isn't chemically possibly for the pH to rise.

[skimlessinseattle]

Srry it took so long to get back to me own thread. I dont think its a testing issue because I have a massive red hair algae bloom with no nitrate/ammonia/phos problems. It led me to believe ph was the culprit and sure enough, I checked it and it was low.

 

Skimless,

 

Where would I get the supplies for the saturated kalkwasser solution? How do you mix yours?

Any kalkwasser mix will do. I get mine from Bulk Reef Supply, but your LFS likely carries a name brand. Just add 1-2 teaspoons per gallon of RO/DI water, mix gently, then use the clear solution that results. Don't add any of the hard precipitate that forms at the bottom of the container to the aquarium. I mix mine in a 3 gallon water jug I bought from the grocery store. Just add the clear solution as top off water

 

Saturated kalk has a pH of 12.45, and is a very strong ionic solution that will quickly raise pH. Calcium hydroxide, which is the dry chemical, is very caustic, so use care when mixing the solution.

 

As another forum member pointed out, water changes are always the best bet when trying to correct chemical imbalances, and that should also be on your to do list.

[skimlessinseattle]

Also, when adding kalkwasser to your system, monitor the pH, as saturated kalk can raise pH very quickly. If you top off daily with it, you shouldn't run into a problem, but adding too much at one time (waiting several days to top off) can cause pH to easily go above a safe range for reef tanks. Be smart about it and you'll have no problems.

[bdare]

I can't believe I've only seen like 2 responses that even mention Alk. Alk is what will help buffer your ph. As long as your Alk is above 8dkh you don't need to dose anything else (including Kalk). If you're alk is in the correct range and your ph is still low then there are likely 2 factors causing the problem.

 

1) Something is dead / decaying in your tank. This will give off an acid which will lower Ph.

2) Gas excange. By driving off the CO2 in your tank your Ph will rise. Do you have a skimmer? During the winter / hot summer months it is not uncommon for the Ph in tanks to decline because our homes are closed up. If you can open a window in the room where the tank is for a few hours this will also help.

 

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

[MikeTR]

Sounds like a build up of CO2. Buffers will only temporarily raise the pH and should ONLY be used to maintain or raise alkalinity. Take a cup of tank water and aerate it outside, if it goes up, then the ONLY fix is to bring in outside air as you have excess CO2 in the house. You can either run an airline to your skimmer if you have one, or open a window. You can start a kalk drip which will actually bind up some of the CO2 and raise your pH but you'll really have to start slow monitoring alk, calc, and pH levels. ANY slipup will be disasterous.