Low PH

[DonW]

Since the switch to oceanic salt I have not been able to keep ph above 8.1 but usually stays at 7.8.
Its up to 8.3 if I drip kalk. The problem is my calcium is way to high so I cannot use kalk.
Should I use a buffer?

Don

 

[big t]

Hey Don what is your dkh?

I have not checked my ph in a while, maybe I will!

 

[DonW]

Its also low about 7. Ive been doing 5g water changes nightly to get my calcium down.

Don

 

[big t]

Well once you get your calcium back down, and you start using the reactor again it should actually come up.

I just checked my ph and it was 8.4 and I have been using the oceanic salt since the feb meeting. I recently did a rather large waterchange of probably 30% or more when I took out the dsb 3 or 4 weeks ago. I havn't done any since tho.

 

[mattseattle]

yeah i checked my pH as well after reading the post. I've been using the Oceanic salt for a few months now. My pH is 8.3

 

[DonW]

Matt and Tom,
Are you using kalk or is it staying up on its own. I would like to figure ou if its the mix. I just tested some fresh heated to 79 sg at 1.025, Its at 7.5ph 4dkh with both probe and test kit.

Don

 

[mattseattle]

i'm not dripping kalk. i am only using a 2 part additive right now.

i just did a water change and when i tested the Oceanic mix and RO water I got a pH of 8.1 and an alk of 3.0, calcium was at 450.

guess there are some flucuations in the batches.

 

[big t]

Hey Don, I use kalk for all my top off water out of my nurce style top off

 

[Illusion]

Don,

I have been using Oceanic salt since It came out.. I never had any issues with my pH until I added my reactor and then I still really dont have an issue with the pH.. As for the DkH I usually add about 2tbps of 6:1 baking soda - Washing soda to a 30g bucket of fresh mixed SW.. It brings my dkh right inline with the Ca.. I use my Ca reactor to maintain my levels.. Usually when raising it up the amount I do it brings the Ca down a bit.. My ph is 7.9? during the night and 8.1 during the day... I havent seen any ill effects on any of the corals ect and from what I have read 7.9? is still in the safe range... I dont drip Kalk at all since adding the reactor.. I am still trying to dial in this Ca reactor (korralin) slowly but surely its getting there.. Alk is 3.66meq/l and ca about 450

HTH<
James

 

[DonW]

James,
I'm trying to get me calcium down. Right now its up to 600. If Im not mistaken your dkh needs to be up to about 10. I just dont want my ph to fall low enough to kill off my corals and fish, while I'm dropping my ca levels.

I did do a 10g waterchange with IO last night ph is now 8.3 and ca dropped to 580. I think the oceanic is great stuff, but if your ca to high its to good. My mix is testing at 450, pretty hard to bring it down when its near perfect to begin with.

Don

 

[Illusion]

What I relied on Is if you raise DKH fash enough that alone will bring the Ca levels down due to the ways they interact with each other.. You cannot raise nor lower without having an effect on the other.. My Dkh at 3.66Meq/l is right around 10.6 I believe without doing the math LOL.. I defunked my Ca reactor again trying to Set it up grrr. Effluent dkh was like 18 LOL I went ahead and started the reactor settings over again LOL...

James

 

[DonW]

Am I understanding you correctly. If my reactor was putting out effluent at about 14. That in turn would raise my overall dkh and lower my calcium levels??

Don

 

[Illusion]

I dont think your reactor could raise the DKh fast enough.. I was talking about using an additive like Super Dkh or in my case 6:1 mix of baking soda/washing soda. When i add enough to raise it 1meq/l it drops my Ca by about 40 or so.. If either CA od Buffer is add fast it will drop the opposite.. Ie alk will drop CA, Ca will drop Alk...

HTH<
James

 

[Stircrazy]

Since the switch to oceanic salt I have not been able to keep ph above 8.1 but usually stays at 7.8.
Its up to 8.3 if I drip kalk. The problem is my calcium is way to high so I cannot use kalk.
Should I use a buffer?

Don

 

[DonW]

James
Thanks, you got it working again. Two days of using super dkh buffer my ph is up to 8.3, alk is 10 and calcium fell 50. My sps are now extenting their polyps and my cup is fully extended.
When my calcium comes down I turn the reactor back on and go from there.

Thanks again

Don

 

[reewik]

James
Thanks, you got it working again. Two days of using super dkh buffer my ph is up to 8.3, alk is 10 and calcium fell 50. My sps are now extenting their polyps and my cup is fully extended.
When my calcium comes down I turn the reactor back on and go from there.

Thanks again

Don

Ok mine is a little low too. I have a PH of 8.0 and polyps are not all extended. I need it to go back up to 8.2 - 8.3. Help me ,What is super dkh buffer ?

 

[wrightme43]

Super buffer DKH is a kent marine product that raises DKH. DKH in my understanding is what allows ph to resist shifts due to acid products made by living critters. I have always heard that if you are having trouble maintaining ph at 8.3 check magnisium level. How, I dont know, never found a test kit. I just add mag at 1/2 recomended dose (because the reccomended dose is by people selling mag) and my ph stays a steady 8.4-8.1 on test kit. Maybe I am unclear about this but my understanding is that when calcium gets over 500 ppm it starts to precipate with buffer around your sand grains and in the pores of live rock where ph is more variable because of diffusion time lag. Supposedly it also starts to precip in pumps and power heads when they cavitate. My Salifert test tonight says dkh 11.2 or alkalinity in meq/L 4.00 it says natural seawater is at 8 dkh or 2.9 meq/L. it says calcium is at 420 ppm and natural has 425-450 ppm. ph is 8.2 right now but its night time. Super buffer DKH contains carbonate, bicarbonate and borate salts. It also says on the package to check levels of magnesium. I know coraline algae eat that stuff up fast. Hope that helps Steve