Please help me control my PH

[banzai75x]

I have a 58 gallon tank. Paramaters are as follows:

NH4: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 15-20
Calcium: 390
Alk: 2.8
pH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 80.1

I'm using Salifert kits with a PH Pinpoint Monitor that has recently been calibrated.

PH starts at 8.3 in the morning with lights off. I then dose 10ml of B-ionic, and PH rises to 8.35. Lights go on and PH slowly rises to to 8.6 by the end of the day.

I'm dripping Kalk 24/7 as my topoff water. 10 gallon topoff using RO water and 20 tsp. I also added 1/2 cup of vinegar (approx 100ml) to this solution.

Should I be using a buffer to control the rise in PH during the day? Is there anything I can do to help control the ph swing?

Should I be dosing more B-Ionic to raise the Alk levels? If so, do I just use more of part 1?

My tank is mainly LPS and some softies with one clam and one monti-cap.

Thanks!

[pogodzib]

First off, I would drip your kalk only at night. The kalk has a pH of around 12 and the tank's pH will naturally drift higher during the day with the lights on without the addition of kalk. By dripping the kalk at night, you will minimize the downward pH shift.

[gtrestoration]

You might try skipping one morning dose of the 2 part additive the and see what the pH tops out at without it. I wouldn't add more B-ionic if it is the one which clouds the water when added to the system. That one as I understand is Washing Soda and will raise the pH. You might just mix some of Randy's 2 part version using baking soda which has less of an immediate impact on pH and will raise your alk.

Also as pogodzib suggested maybe dose limewater only at night and see the difference. I dose all three 24/7 (limewater and 2-part) without a problem but I do keep my alk somewhat higher which might be helping.

You might want to read the Borax article which Randy refers to regularly and check your probe with the solution.
http://web.archive.org/web/20021015005420/www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/2000/feb/bio/default.asp
I suspect it may be giving you a false high reading even if it has been calibrated recently. If mine reads any higher than 8.45 I find it is either wrong or I just added something to the area around the probe which just has not mixed in yet.

Steve U

[thackray]

Josh,

What are the units for alkalinity. Meq/l or dkh?

Phil Thackray

[banzai75x]

My alk reading is 2.8 meq/L which is equilavalent to 8.0 dKh.

Before I dosed with B-Ionic, I did notice that my PH would hover at 8.3 and rise to 8.55. So I believe the dosing is added about .05 to my PH. I will read the borax article and see if that helps.

BTW I am using the soln that does turn the water clody when added.

[lovekills]

Just curious what salt are you using?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree that switching to a lower pH two part additive would help. So would dosing the limewater only at night.

More aeration will keep the pH from rising also. This is a good option, IMO.

You could boost the alkalinity a bit with unbaked baking soda (preferable to a "buffer"). The resulting higher alkallinity will reduce the pH rise a bit, but this is not a long term correction. Using a two part additive employing baking soda could be a long term solution.

[banzai75x]

I am using Instant Ocean, but am switching to Oceanic for my next water change.

I don't have a sump, so I don't know where I could put an airstone. I really dont want to put it in the main display tank.

My plan of attack is as follows:

1. Stop dripping kalk altogether. I will just drip topoff water throughout the day. The reason is, if my topoff pump stops, it won't have enough prime to start again.

2. Perform 20% water change with Oceanic salt.

Monitor progress. See if this helps PH and if so, I will continue to use the b-ionic. If not, I will switch to the two-part using baking soda. Do you have instructions on how to use this homemade 2 part?

[banzai75x]

BTW-Before I do this, do you think fluctuations in salinity because of evaporation are more detrimental than changes in PH? Using normal RO topoff will prevent changes in salinity but my PH swings will be more constant.

If I use Kalk at night, my salinity will vary more but the PH should in theory be more stable.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Most folks evaporate on the order of 1-2% of the tank volume daily. So the salinity change is quite small unless you wait several days to replace evaporated water.

Adding top off only at night is no salinity concern.

[lovekills]

I had a feeling thats the salt you used. The store I use to work for had least 20 complaints that people used Instant Oceans had PH drops. There was a bad batch, this was awhile ago but you never know.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There may, of course, be bad batches of any product, but most folks use IO (myself included) with no low pH problems caused by it.

[banzai75x]

After I stopped dripping kalk, my ph is dropping to 7.95 at night now, and during the day caps out at 8.3.

I added some more B-ionic to raise my Alk and it is now at 3.5 with calcium levels at 380. Is there something I can do now to help control the PH from such a large swing downward?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

[B] Is there something I can do now to help control the PH from such a large swing downward?[?B]

Drip limewater (or B-ionic alk part) only at night.

Aerate more.

Have a refugium on a reverse lit cycle.