PH outa whack. Suggestions Needed

nano7joy · #1 12/14/2007, 11:45 PM

Ok so I haven't been keeping up with anything the way a good owner should I know this I admit it and am trying to go about slowly rectifying it as possible so that this system little of several years so that it can once again thrive. I recently scraped three side of the glass free of coralline algae. And Started with two gallon and then to one gallon water changes. Five gallon mixed days in advance use one add one storage water changes every two days in hopes of lowering nitrates and cleaning up some appearing cayno issues. Nitrates are less than 20 now and cayno is loosing the fight but correcting PH with the alkalinity the way it is has me stumped.

Ph is 7.7 while Alk is 15.2 KH/dkh with a calcium Level of 370ppm.
Salt is reef crystals using distilled water at sg of 1.025.

7 gallon Nano tank volume of about five or so gallons after displacement.

All these have been confirmed by several testing methods/ kits and I believe them to be proven accurate. So my question is?

How would you raise the PH.

Help is appreciated and Needed. Hopefully I wont need to many lectures.

bertoni · #2 12/14/2007, 11:54 PM

I would let the alkalinty drop to at least 11 dKH. The low pH problem is likely due to high CO₂. This article describes an aeration test that would help:

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

nano7joy · #3 12/15/2007, 01:26 AM

Ill try/test it out thank you Jonathan.

I have read It before good article .You mention letting the Alk drop in this tank It's mostly softies and as high as it is. Im thinking this would take a very long time naturally, but Maybe it should take along time to lower for the inhabitants sake?

I was leaning towards the Kalkwasser my self. Slowly raise the Ph via drip maybe might start to lower the Alk while slowly raising the PH also that way.

But that is hopefully just one option would really like to here other opinions and ideas before for I act.

Thanks again,

JJ

lancer99 · #4 12/15/2007, 10:48 AM

Nano7,

If you add Kalk, it will raise the pH, but also add both carbonate (Alk) and Ca....and for every 20 ppm of Ca, your Alk will go up by 1 meq (2.8 dKH), which I don't think you want.

Since it's a softie tank, 370 ppm Ca is fine, nothing to worry about.

I wish I had better advice....dripping Kalk is *easy*, but I don't think it's the right solution to your problem.

HTH,
-R

----
SOFTIES RULE!

gh0st · #5 12/15/2007, 12:51 PM

Lowering the Alk, possibly through water changes should let things balance out if your Salt Mix water has a lower Alk than your tank.

Otherwise, strong aeration through water flow directed at the surface or air pumps should help.

nano7joy · #6 12/15/2007, 01:59 PM

Well took the mini jet mounted in the upper corner and repositioned it for a little surface air extraction last night and it seems to have helped.

Reading 8.0 and slightly lowered Alk still on the high side tho.

Guess I will add some other form of Aeration.

Thanks all

bertoni · #7 12/15/2007, 07:21 PM

You're welcome! Good luck!

capn_hylinur · #8 12/15/2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nano7joy
Well took the mini jet mounted in the upper corner and repositioned it for a little surface air extraction last night and it seems to have helped. Reading 8.0 and slightly lowered Alk still on the high side tho.

Guess I will add some other form of Aeration.

Thanks all

cranking up the skimmer, aerating to the outside if possible and opening a window over night all help with raising the pH.

I would be happy with pH 8.0 ---------cause it is the great white north here opening a window now is not possible--my pH has stabilized out from 7.98 to 8.08 for the last 3 months. In the summer I can have it between 8.1 and 8.2

What I am trying to say is that it might be an impossiblity to get any more out of your pH because of the co2 in the house and dosing might put other readings out of whack