Increase PH question

l.i. geo

Member
besides the ph buffer, Is there anything i can do to raise my ph besides putting supplements in, my alkalinity of course is also low.
 

teresaq

Active Member
try adding or moving one powerhead to the top of your tank. get the surface really moving. Do you have a sump/refuge. if so, run your light opposite of your display tank.
 

albfishin'

Member
Originally Posted by L.I. GEO
besides the ph buffer, Is there anything i can do to raise my ph besides putting supplements in, my alkalinity of course is also low.
Baking soda????? I heard some arm and hammer will raise ph.
 

fender

Active Member
Google:
CHEMISTRY AND THE AQUARIUM by RANDY HOLMES-FARLEY Solutions to pH Problems
Buffering only works if you Alk is low (really low). If it isn't you are only creating other problems....
 

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by L.I. GEO
besides the ph buffer, Is there anything i can do to raise my ph besides putting supplements in, my alkalinity of course is also low.
If your alkalinity and pH are low, then why are you afraid of adding a buffer to the system? This sounds like exactly what it needs..
 

hatessushi

Active Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
If your alkalinity and pH are low, then why are you afraid of adding a buffer to the system? This sounds like exactly what it needs..

agree!
 

scsinet

Active Member
A good line of thinking... the less is more theory is a good thing... :thinking:
However, when you are dealing with a closed system, you need to somehow replace the things that are automatically replenished in nature, so supplementing is unavoidable in certain situations, and this is one of them.
You can do the suggestions that others have posted here, but all that is going to do is delay things. Even if they work, it's only going to work until things continue to degenerate to the point of where they are no longer sufficient.
The powerheads idea, for example, will help some because increasing surface agitation decreases the dissolved Co2, which results in less carbonic acid production and higher pH. However, if you depend on that (or any similar means) as a solution and they stop working or suffer a power loss, your pH is going to crash catastrophically, since none of these solution affects your alkalinity.
You are going to need to add buffer to your system. I can't think of any other way. Dripping kalk is my favorite way of doing it... it keeps the alkalinity up and replenishes calcium in one swipe.
 

craig7220

Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
Dripping kalk is my favorite way of doing it... it keeps the alkalinity up and replenishes calcium in one swipe.
I agree.. Dripping kalk or Mrs Wages pickling lime is what I use to keep alkalinity, calcium and PH in check.
 
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