Does everyone continually add buffer to keep Ph up...

[OARrocks]

or does your tank reach a certain Ph and then is maintained at this level by water changes?
My alk is at about 12 but my ph seems stuck at 7.8 (FOWLR, a little GSP) and will only raise with daily additions of buffer, but will then fall again. the stuffs expensive....is there a level where it will level off as it seems to drop to 7.8 and not go below if i stop adding buffer. Any insight guys and gals.

thanks

[Bebo77]

really? my ph is constant.. try lowering your alk to 8-10.. whats your Ca and mg levels?

[Hugeness]

If you want to raise your ph cheaply... do what I do... just use pure baking soda. It will temporarily lower your ph due to the bicarbonate but it will raise it shortly thereafter. Mine is consistently around 8.3-8.4. If you want to avoid the slight ph drop, then you can bake the baking soda to convert it from bicarbonate to just carbonate I believe.

[OARrocks]

thanks for the responses. now before i go dumping baking soda in my tank do you have any suggestions on how much i should add? how long after i add it should i wait to test?

[JotaDe]

I add nothing to affect the Ph.
My Ph has been ~8.2 for years.
Unfortunately I don't know why yours is varying so much.

[DrBDC]

Unless your alk level is down below 7, a low pH is the ALWAYS th result of excessive CO2. If the product has the word buffer on it stay away from it. Go over to the chemistry forum and at the top is a sticky of articles. Here's a couple for a good start:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

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

[Paintbug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8840546#post8840546 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
Unless your alk level is down below 7, a low pH is the ALWAYS th result of excessive CO2. If the product has the word buffer on it stay away from it. Go over to the chemistry forum and at the top is a sticky of articles. Here's a couple for a good start:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

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

exactly!! baking soda is an alk buffer. which if the alk is low it will eventually raise the pH. the reason un-baked baking soda first lowers the pH is it contains CO2. you need to bake it for 1 hour @ 300ºF to drive off the CO2 and moisture.

[LobsterOfJustice]

There is exess CO2 in the house driving the pH down. Open a window, get some fresh air to the tank.

[drummereef]

Totally agree with above posts. Keep the alk at an appropriate level and open some windows. Depressed pH is due to Co2 buildup in houses, especially over the winter/summer when we have our houses closed up.

[stormquest2112]

Does anyone use SeaLab 28 blocks?? It is supposed to help with pH and calcium. any thoughts??

[SDguy]

While I agree that excess CO2 is a common cause of depressed pH, it is not the only possibilty. A high fish load with nutrient rich water will have plent of acidic material in it to drive down pH.

[jbittner]

What kind of salt are you using?? Are you mixing it for 24 hrs before doing a waterchange? Both could drive down your pH.

[boviac]

Also depends on time of day you check pH. Mine cycles between 7.9 and 8.2. I have an ACII logging it at 10 min intervals. Currently I add some Ionic A&B every other day in the morning- that keeps Ca up. I buffer Mg with water changes. pH has a steady ramp up to 8.2 during the day and then the lights go off and its like a drop and 2x the rate it climbed to steady around 8.0 to 7.9 until morning. I agree it is worse when the house is closed up.

When I ran a Kalk drip make up it did seem to help. I have a heavy coral LPS loaded tank that tends to suck Ca and Alk out.

pH is definately the most difficult parameters to fully understand why it is what it is and what could be causing it to do what it does. There is lots of information out there. Good Luck.