High pH

[ptr13]

my ph at 8.75, Ca at 420, mg 1400, kH at 11. HELP, am I able to lower the pH, my gigs do not like the high pH.

[wcarterh]

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

This covers the reasons and fixes.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Unless you are adding limewater (kalkwasser), or have artificial rocks, it is almost certainly pH testing error.

[tmz]

What is a "gigs"?

[Mark9]

What is a "gigs"?

I'm guessing gigantea anemone's.

[tmz]

I thought that too but wanted to be clear about it. . Used to play in a band in my younger days ;so, it had a different meaning.

[ptr13]

yes gigantic anemones, I thought it was an error too but we tested manually but definitely over 8.5, did some water changes today so hope it will fix the problem and get it stabilized

[wcarterh]

A water change will certainly help, but unless the cause is found, you will run into it again.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What do you mean "tested it manually"?

As I said, pH doesn't just get high unless you are adding very high pH additives or are using artificial rock (or alkalinity is out of the recommended range).

If it is too high, aeration will always bring it down. You can try aerating a cup of tank water and see what that does to the pH. The link above describes that and other ways of reducing pH.

I've been through literally hundreds of such threads, and they are testing error. Maybe the calibration fluids are off. pH 10 fluid lowers in pH as it ages, resulting in false high pH readings.

[billsreef]

If by "manually" you're referring to the old drops and color comparison, those are at best ballpark measurements.

[ptr13]

Randy I tested with salifert and it was over 8.4 closer to 8.5, sorry with the missed info my probe is off reading it at 8.7. kH was at 9.6 and Ca at 420, mg at 1300, SG was at 1.025. so aerating the tank with air pump will really lower pH, can i place it in my sump to aerate? thought I have to start using co2

[wcarterh]

Depending on the tank size, that'd have to be one big air pump. There are multiple means of aerating the water more. Skimmer being one.

[bertoni]

Making sure the water surface in the display is rippling nicely might be enough. I agree that a skimmer can provide a lot of aeration, too.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy I tested with salifert and it was over 8.4 closer to 8.5, sorry with the missed info my probe is off reading it at 8.7. kH was at 9.6 and Ca at 420, mg at 1300, SG was at 1.025. so aerating the tank with air pump will really lower pH, can i place it in my sump to aerate? thought I have to start using co2

If the pH is between 8.4 and 8.5, there's no need to do anything. I kept my tank for many years between 8.35 and 8.55. But yes, more aeration will lower it when it is at pH 8.5.

Definatiely don't start using CO2. I doubt anything will be helped by that and the lower pH might cause other issues to arise, such as more algae.

IMO, giganteas are not bothered by pH up to 8.5. :)