PH LOW ... Help!

[OakRaid]

Hi .. Haveing a problem with low PH. Could really use some help!
Let me give you some info on the tank. Relitively new .. running for about 5 or 6 months. 50 gallon, with aprox 60 lb of live rock, 50 lb live sand, Critters 2 fire fish, and a small Algae Blenny, 6 hermits, 10 snails.
Some soft corals consisting of Xenia, frogspawn, Kenya tree, purple mushrooms.
The problem is my PH is 7.9 - 7.8 used Instant Ocean, and coralife salt mix, with no differance. I am using a Ro/DI system for the water. Tank spec's have been..
Ph 7.9 KH 8 DKH Alk 2.84 Ca 500 (or more,was unreadable on the Salifert test (didn't change color)

Was told I should use some buffer, which I did yesterday, today PH is still 7.9
The rest of the spec's after buffer are...
PH 7.9 KH 11 DKH Alk 3.94 Ca 470

I don't think I should use any more buffer with the Alk that high..right?
So any thought, solutions to my low PH problem?? I would really appreciate any insight you guys/gals could provide!! Really frustrated here!!

Dave

 

[OakRaid]

I should add, before anyone asks ... the PH probe has been calibrated a couple times, and is working fine. I figuared that would be the first question

 

[DonW]

I should add, before anyone asks ... the PH probe has been calibrated a couple times, and is working fine. I figuared that would be the first question

Your ph is fine and like you stated stop using the buffer. Open some windows and see if the ph goes up. If it does you have excess co2. I would'nt worry about it.

Don

 

[Jan]

Are you using a calcium reactor? Does the room that the tank is in get enough fresh air (oxygen), and ability to get the CO2 out of room? I've read some accounts where people who keep their rooms closed up all the time have low ph problems until they open a window.

 

[chris&barb]

Your ph is fine and like you stated stop using the buffer. Open some windows and see if the ph goes up. If it does you have excess co2. I would'nt worry about it.

Don

i agree with Don.

PH isn't controlled by buffers. CO2 is the most likely cause, 7.8-7.9 PH is fine.

 

[Jim Hart]

Eat more beans, americas way of saying for gods sake open a window.

The solution for your problem is to eat more beans.
I must be drunk, oh no keeps your hands out of the tank!

 

[angelfish]

i would introduce a lot of flow near water surface to help on air change

 

[mmkeeper]

If you have a sump and it is co2 you could use an air stone and pump to move the co2.

 

[OakRaid]

The PH is 7.8 after mixing and running a air stone for a day out in my garage .. plenty of air circulation. I did do an experiment and ran a couple air stones in the tank, see if it would drive out some co2 .. it did change the PH, but in the wrong dirrection, went from 7.8 to 7.6.
Sure would like to know why it is going so low?? The salt mix's say 8.3, would think with pure Ro/DI water it would do that.
It has been sujested that I add some Kalk to my top off water to bring it up, I may try that..not sure how much to dose, but guess I will experiment.

 

[plack]

Having had several bad test kits and ph probes its worth a run to the local store. Just for them to veryify that your test kits read right.

I have had bad magnesium & calcium test kits form different manufactures and a bad ph probe that alway seemed good.

It calibrated but it took a long time to settle to 7.0 and 10.0 and always always read low. It drove me knuts.

I finally added my calcium reactor effluent into to a cup in my sump wich I added an airstone into it would fill the cup get airated then go into the sump and it seems to help a bit.

I tried venting to the outside and leaving windows wide open for a couple of months and that did not make much difference. I would have a store double check your CA/ALK and especially I am curious about Magnesium which if the CA went high and the buffer bounced it back down... Maybe,Maybe it changed your magnesium level ! It's just my thoughts .

Normally kalk done properly wont hurt. But I would head to a store first !!!

good luck



Paul

 

[mmkeeper]

I have been running my tank at 7.9 for two years and it is very healthy. Lately with adding a Ca reactor I have been dripping kalk for my makeup water and it wants to stay around 8.0 I can get it higher with stronger kalk drip. However if I stop down it goes. I gave up on moving it any higher. Since everything seems healthy and is growing..

 

[Reeferdude]

How many water changes have you done in that 5 to 6 month period?

 

[DonW]

The only real way for the ph to drop is co2 wether it be trapped in the home or is being produced inside a dirty tank.

Don

 

[Skeptic9962]

ive also been having problems from day 1 with this tank i bought it about 3 months ago as an established tank for over a year and just seems that the PH has bounced from perfect to 7.8 back up to 8.3 just dont understand...

as of right now PH is at 7.8
Amonia is 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
calc. around 390


is there anything i should be testing that also would make the PH go down or is it most likly the CO2? fairly new to reefing never had problems with any levels with fish only lol

 

[Mrktplayer]

The Ph swings are normal, but ideally you want the swings to be as little as possible. Less oxygen is being produced since the lights are off, so PH readings will be low. Towards the end of the light cycle (do have your lights on a timer) you will have a high PH reading since the lights were on all day. For PH readings you will have a low reading, and a high reading.

What people do to make the swings smaller is they use reverse light cycle in the refugium. When the lights go off in the display tank, lights turn on in the refugium. The refugium will produce oxygen during the night time so the PH stays the same.

Btw, check for alkalinity as well. I'm bad about this one, but checking phosphate is good too.

 

[Skeptic9962]

ill try doing that thought the fuge lights were supposed to stay on 24/7? getting a fuge tomorrow so havnt ever had one but that was my understanding about them is that they should have alot of light for growth.

 

[Mrktplayer]

they don't exactly need a lot of light.... I don't have a fuge either, but my sump is in process right now. Deciding, fuge or no fuge.

I'm not 100% on this, but I think regular house hold bulbs will do (that is if you're having only algae and live rock and sand in there). The reverse light cycle I mentioned is 12 hrs on and 12 hrs off. Just reverse of the display lights. But I think we are getting off topic here... probably best to start a new thread and get better help. I only have limited knowledge. Still learning

 

[Ed Hahn]

When people say low ph, I think of salt that is not mixed properly with powerhead or long enough. I think of a aquarium that is air tight not letting gas exchange happen.
I agree with Don. PH is affected by CO2. CO2 is usually the culprit.

 

[Mrktplayer]

When people say low ph, I think of salt that is not mixed properly with powerhead or long enough. I think of a aquarium that is air tight not letting gas exchange happen.
I agree with Don. PH is affected by CO2. CO2 is usually the culprit.

what is the recommended time to mix new salt water? I've read somewhere that said a week. I just do it the day before.

 

[DonW]

what is the recommended time to mix new salt water? I've read somewhere that said a week. I just do it the day before.

Overnight is fine. There is really only one reason for low ph and that is co2 wether its caused by a dirty tank or trapped co2 in the home. Either way it will only go so low and probably will never drop to a level of concern. It takes alot of co2 to get to that point. People worry about ph because they can. The ph meter is the worst thing for new reefer to own. The quickest safest fix for low ph is to take the battery out of your ph meter.

Don