Ph 7.8!

[popal]

hi all i have a problem...

my Ph is 7.8!!!

how do i raise this? is it this low because i tested it at 10am in the morning?

please reply asap!!!

Michael

[boxfishpooalot]

As the day progresses(light) the plant life start to photosythesize. When they do this they take out Co2 from the water wich raises the ph. When the lights go out, they reverse and release Co2, wich lowers ph.

Also just simple breathing can lower you ph in the house if its air tight. You may want to open a window. You can also try the cup test. Take some tank water in a cup. Let it sit outside for about 3 hours. Test the ph, it should rise. This indicates low ph due to indoor high Co2.

What is your alkalinity? This is whats most important. If the Ph is low this can mean that the alkalinity is low also. Your alkalinity should be at 2.5meq/l or 7dkh, wich is equivelent to typical seawater levels.

If your alkalintiy is low you can raise it by adding baking soda. Or to get it to raise the ph at time of addition, bake it in the oven for 1 hour at 300f. To find out the dosage needed, use this handy calculator.

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

[bertoni]

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

That article goes into details.

7.8 is low, but it's not a disaster, so you have some time to work on a solution. As indicated, some alkalinity numbers would be important. When did the lights on the tank turn on?

[popal]

HI THELIGHTS IN THE TANK WAS TURNED ON AT ABOUT 8.30AM

[TekCat]

7.8 is not ideal but too bad. As previously stated I'd look into Alk levels and provide better aeration of the tank. If you have tight lid on tank - remove it. Increase surface agitation by directing powerhead flow slightly upward.

Just a few Qs: how old is your tank? Do you run calcium reactor? Do you dose anything?

[bertoni]

Hmm, I think we need an alkalinity test result. Also, are you sure the pH test kit is accurate? Always worth being careful, IMO.

[popal]

well i do not test 4 alk, never have...

my tank is 6 months old and i dose kent chomaplex 3 times a week.

[jgoodrich71]

Another question...

What is your salinity and what are you using to test this with?

Low salinity could be causing the low pH.

[bertoni]

Good point about SG.

Not having an alkalinity test is pretty risky, IMO. How big is this tank? You could try a series of large, say 25%, water changes if anything is looking unhealthy.

One experiment would be to mix up some saltwater in a pail, with a little pump, and let it sit overnight, and measure the pH in the pail.

[Grandfinale03]

One big thing I noticed with my water was that I wasn't using an RO/DI filter. In the beginning my water seemed fine, but it did not stay consistant in the type of water it spit out. I highly reccomend that. Then I buffered it as needed. Also what helped my neighbor does is he had lights on in a refugium to offset when the lights were off in the main display. Of a 24 hour cycle I think he had lights on in the main for 10 hours, then both off for 2, then on in the refugium for 10, then both off for 2. This aided in a consistant higher ph overall.