How to lower PH

[blk822822]

Ok I have a 180 gal tank with a few SPS and 4 crocea clams,and some softies. I'd like to get a few more clams and a bunch more SPS but am working on getting my CA and Mag up. Ca is at 370 and mag is at 1350 ,Alk is at 8 and PH is at 8.8 or higher. That's as high as my API test goes. Can I add some thing to lower the PH? Or are water changes it?

 

[returnofsid]

I would HIGHLY suspect the accuracy of your pH test kit. Having a ph, that high, is nearly impossible, without purposely dosing baking soda, several times, every day.

 

[blk822822]

I havnt been using baking soda. I'm also finding it hard to get the mag and cal up. May be just due to the size of the tank.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I havnt been using baking soda. I'm also finding it hard to get the mag and cal up. May be just due to the size of the tank.

Has nothing to do without the size of your tank. That Ph is impossible without a doser or Kalkwaser unit on overdrive.
Me thinks your testing is suspect

 

[blk822822]

Well I had a pulsing hand xenia basicaly melt away?

 

[NWDiver]

+to both Sid and Fishy.
I would try a different test kit, or bring a sample to the LFS.
What (if anything) are you dosing?
Ca would likely precip at that pH...

 

[jrgilles]

I think your Mg is great at that level, no?

Ca is on the low end of good. Could raise that a bit, but parameters don't look too bad.

pH has to be an error... pH is log 10 scale, so a pH of 9 is 10 times more OH- than a pH of 8. I don't believe its real

 

[blk822822]

Yea I think it could be a bad test kit. I'm just dosing Brightwell Magnesion and then using pickling lime to make a kalk mix for Ca. I have some seachem 2 part stuff coming. All corals besides the xenia that died and my GSP not opening all the way are doing great. Clams are awsome and SPS are growing like weeds. I need to just get it tested some where else.

 

[thatguy559]

the kalk mix is whats probably causing your ph to go up that high. how are you dosing it

 

[blk822822]

I just mixed up a batch of 32 gal RO/DI from my new filter and mixed with Tunze salt to 1.025 and thested the PH. Same results as my tank water, PH at 8.8.....bad API test .

 

[lvsuckerfish]

so are you mixing kalk with new saltwater?

 

[blk822822]

No didn't mix anything but salt and rodi water.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

it is your test kit then

 

[lvsuckerfish]

take some tank water outside let it sit for a good hour then test it see what is reads.

 

[blk822822]

Yup retested and still at 8.8

 

[Aquanaut]

Are you allowing enough aging time on new mix?

I just mixed up a batch of 32 gal RO/DI from my new filter and mixed with Tunze salt to 1.025 and thested the PH. Same results as my tank water, PH at 8.8.....bad API test .

Different Salts blend/balance out better if processing 48hrs minimum prior to use. Also, Calcium seams to be better attained at 1.026. For kicks, run Mag/Cal/Dkh/Ph tests on new mix to determine if you need to ammend it for anything lacking. Oh! Temperature can also skew a test. Let me know when you want to try Xenia again and I give you some, I just can't seem kill mine LOL.

 

[blk822822]

I'd love some. I also need to get anothe r blue tort from you but have to wait to get some money together. The Monti and GSP I got from you are just awsome colors very bright still. I wish my daughter didn't kill off the tort when we moved.

 

[Boomer]

blk

You are getting what is called initial pH form mixing a fresh batch of salt and then testing it. Almost all salts have a pH this high when first mixed, if tested right away. Add that to the use of Kalk and that is why your pH is that high. If you aerate and circulate that new salt for 12- 24 hrs it will not read 8.8 but more like 8.2. STOP adding any buffer or Kalk till it comes down.

 

[jeffro]

soda water, vinegar, baking soda, added aeration seem to be ways to lower ph levels... some of these methods lower alk at well... some raise alk dramatically... some rollercoaster alk... saw a great site reef magazine... bing search lowering ph... my ph is now 8.5 I plan to retest at lfs... then I will shy away from my superfuffer dkh for my alk increasing and go to a baking soda... this should increase my alkalinity while lowering my ph levels without the carbonate bicarbonate in my buffer.

 

[Boomer]

soda water, vinegar, baking soda, added aeration seem to be ways to lower ph levels... some of these methods lower alk at well... some raise alk dramatically

soda water = lowers pH only and has no effect on Alk

vinegar = Lowers pH but will end up raising Alk

baking soda = raises Alk and lowers pH initially and them will raise the pH it back up a tad after the CO2 is blown off/expelled.

aeration = raises the pH only form expelling CO2 and has no effect on ALk

baking soda ....this should increase my alkalinity while lowering my ph levels without the carbonate bicarbonate in my buffer.

Baking soda is bicarbonate. How much bicarbonate and carbonate there is in a system is a pure function pH. The pH will only initially lower then go back up. As pH rise there is a conversion from bicarbonate to carbonate and as the pH lowers there is a conversion of carbonate to bicarbonate.

Level of CO2 vs Bicarbonate vs Carbonate, as a Function pH. (the higher on the graph the more there is)