dumb ro question...

[tankaholic]

just in the final stages of cycling my 40gal breeder tank.
So my question is when you add ro to the tank do you ph the ro water before you add it to tank?
or do you ph tank after you top off with ro water?

 

[jay0705]

Ph is one of the lesser issues with sw. The salt mix itself should help with this,unless your water is really out of whack

 

[lmforbis]

No need to adjust pH. RO is not buffered and will go up or down depending on what it is mixed with. Pure water is pH 7. You shouldn't adjust the pH of the tank either. If your calcium and alkalinity are good the tank pH will be good. You can dose calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity to bring them into optimal ranges but don't add anything sold specifically to adjust pH. If alkalinity is good pH will be fine. To adjust calcium, mag, and alk stick with something like bulk reef supply two part. That way you know exactly what is going into your tank. You will need good test kits for those 3 elements. There are also online calculators to help you figure out how much to add. I use Reef Crystals and since I don't have a ton of coral my tank it doesn't drop very fast and water changes are enough to maintain my levels.

 

[bang guy]

Just to add a little -
If Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium are where they should be and PH is still low then you have a problem. Adjusting the PH with a "buffer" isn't going to fix the problem, it's going to mask it for a day or two and then PH will drop again.

If you have the above scenario, find the problem and fix it, don't just cover it up with a PH buffer.