Lowering pH

[iworkforanLFS]

Besides doing water changes is there a way I can lower the pH?

I have a purple tang and an eel currently in week three of hypo. Yesterday I set up what I thought was a very slow drip of distilled water with Sodium carbonate in it. I obviously put in to much Sodium cabonate and the drip was too fast as today when I came home from work the pH was about 8.49(pin point meter). My RO unit is messed up and spitting out water with over 110 TDS and I have no distilled water left.

The purple tang has shown no ill effects and is still swimming around happily eating like always, but the eel seems to be a bit lazier then normal. Hard to tell though since during the day all he usually does is chill in his PVC home. I may just be looking to hard at things.

Thanks,
JG

 

[leebca]

JG,

I moved this post into its own thread. Although we talk about fish health, care and maintenance in this Forum, controlling pH is often the subject of a Reef Forum.

However, for the sake of the fish, change the pH very slowly. You don't want t do anything fast. So, I would stick with water changes -- after you straighten out the source water conditions.

Quite often RO/DI water is slightly acidic and that should help. Keep control of alkalinity, calcium and magnesium to keep them in balance, and the pH should return to a normal range.

The pH you have reported is not life threatening to most fishes, BUT to change it quickly is life threatening. Lower the pH no more than about 0.05 pH units per day.

Keep those components in balance according to the info given under the section of BALANCE in this post:
What is Water Quality

 

[Boomer]

JG

I just happen to see this post on the main FF page. I would not worry about the pH as Lee has sated. Just leave it. It will come down fast enough on its own. Our upper pH limit, that we feel is safe to run at reef tank at 24/7, is 8.5. The first thing I would do now is check to see what the Alk is. It could be high. As long as it is no higher than say ~ 4meq/ l you are OK or even a little higher, like 5 Meq/L, as long as you don't make it higher and let it come down on its own to ~ 3 meq / l or so.

Finally, why are you dripping Sodium Carbonate, for what reasons ? This should only be used if you have both a low pH and Alk issue. It is not to be used to raise the pH. You do not add buffers to raise pH.

Also, is this a reef or a FOT or FOWLR ?

 

[iworkforanLFS]

Thanks Lee, the pH settled back down on it's own just about all the way and then with a water change or two it is not back to normal.

Sorry Boomer I would have given more info if I would have known this thread was going to be detached from where I posted originally. It is a FO bare bottom hypo salinity hospital tank where the pH is naturally difficult to stabilize. Have to admit I do need to get a better alk test kit, though.