My tank is done cycling but ph is still 7.8?

[daltrey]

Here is my readings,
ph 7.8
water temp 80
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate .5
gravity 1.023
also i have two maxi-jet 1200 in my 55 gallon for circulation.
my problem is my ph is only 7.8. i was afraid of having high carbon dioxide levels in the house so i made up a couple of gallons of fresh salt water (oceanic) using RO water and let a cup set outside and a cup set inside and after about an hour i tested both and they were the same 7.8. can anyone please let me know how to fix this low ph problem? thanks everyone i have learned so much from reading the posts on this board.

 

[dmc888]

They have ph buffer.
Ph up, down, and 8.2.
Just about any lfs should have it.

 

[daltrey]

i did the test again and aerated the water this time. the water outside shot up to 8.4 and the water inside stayed 7.8. so i have high CO2 levels inside. what can i do about this and does anyone here have this problem. thanks

 

[wax32]

Open a window.

 

[usinkit]

Point a powerhead at the water surface to get a good water oxygen exchange and see if that helps.

 

[daltrey]

its 55 degrees outside

 

[wax32]

55 degrees it's a good air conditioning setting IMO. I like cool weather! But yeah, use your PH's to get some good water movement especially at the surface. I had the same problem as you, 7.8 pH.

 

[daltrey]

i aerated the cup of water outside and i aerated the cup of water inside. the outside cup rose to 8.4 but the inside cup of water stayed at 7.8. so aerating the water inside isn't going to help. someone please help me, i've put alot of time and effort into this tank but i don't know what to do about this low ph problem.

 

[michelle l]

Use a pH buffer. They make varieties that you can't overdose the tank with because no matter how much is put in, the pH only rises to 8.3. It works.

 

[daltrey]

i put two ounces of kent marine pro ph buffer in there a few days ago and its still at 7.8. i just put an airstone in two gallons of freshly made tank water and let it aerate for two hours inside my house and the ph rose to 8.0

. so now my question is how do i get it to raise in my tank without having to put an airstone in it?

 

[daltrey]

Originally posted by usinkit
Point a powerhead at the water surface to get a good water oxygen exchange and see if that helps.
i have a 1200 powerhead on each end of the tank halfway down pointing toward the middle and aiming slightly up and also i have a aqua tech 30/60 power filter hanging on the back. should this not be enough for a 55 gallon tank?
thanks

 

[usinkit]

How does your surface water look? Does it got a film on it or is it nice and clear and rippling a little bit?

 

[daltrey]

thanks everyone, i pointed two powerhead at the water surface and i added one to stir up the bottom of the tank. also i removed the cheap tops that were covering the aquarium and now my ph is 8.2

 

[kdfrosty]

Thanks for this post, and your detailed descriptions!!! I think I need a different top! I have tried nearly everything that you have mentioned. I did notice a slight increase when I used Kent pH buffer, but the increase was only temporary. What kind of top were you using before, and what did you change it to? Just curious...

 

[daltrey]

hey, i was using the cheapo hood that came on it from wally world that covers the whole top and doesn't let any fresh air in the tank. i'm ordering the 260 watt aqualight from that popular auction site. i went to lowes and got eggcrate (its a cover for lights) to cover the tank top so i can leave it open and not worry about any fish jumping out. also try to aim for 15-20x turnover with your powerheads. for my 55 gal. that would be at least 825 gph. i have 2 maxi-jet 1200's and a rio 600 (that will be replaced, this thing is really noisy) with another maxi-jet 1200. point a couple of the powerheads toward the water surface (not straight up , but enough to get really good surface movement) that will help get plenty of oxygen circulating. then wait a few hours and re-test your ph and hopefully you will be set. later

 

[kdfrosty]

Right now I've got 27x turnover throughout the tank, including 3 Maxijet 1200 PHs (one is for my skimmer). I have both PHs in the back corners of the tank about 3/4 of the way to the top. They are pointed towards the center of the front glass, with a slight upward angle that stirs the surface nicely.
How much were the egg crates from Lowes? Did you have to cut them to size? Are they taller than the top rim of the tank (in height, when situated on top of tank), or are they flush with the top of the tank? Any detailed pics would be golden!

 

[daltrey]

hey kdfrosty,
the eggcrate was $10 at lowes. it was in the back where they keep the windows and doors. it fits flush with the top of my tank, you can't even see it when your looking at the front of the tank. do a search on eggcrate and you will see what they look like. its just to keep the fish from carpet surfing. i used a pair of snips to cut it to size, took me about 10 minutes to do.
you have plenty of turnover in your tank. thats exactly how i have my powerheads too. i used to use instant ocean salt and this time i decided to try oceanic. the ph readings in the oceanic were about 7.8. i went and bought some more instant ocean yesterday and my ph readings were alot higher. i have the instant ocean circulating for 24 hours right now and then im going to test ph again and i'll let you know how it goes. just a thought, it could be the salt your using, maybe try a different brand and see how it goes.