new problem... more bad luck

[rotarygeek]

Well now i check my water parameters and my ph is down to 7.9, i added 40 pounds of base rock yesterday, but after looking through my record book i see the ph has steadily been dropping since about the 24th last month. i only use distilled water for my top offs and water changes. the only thing i did differently is started leaving the hood open. now i dont have a hood so i dont know what to do to get my ph up higher. Any tips or tricks i may need to know?

 

[yukon]

I would do a water change since the salt mix should have PH buffer in it. Or you could just add some buffer. Just disolve it in some top off water and add it to your tank. It should raise your PH by .1 every day that you add it. Keep adding every day till you get up to normal. The buffer also won't raise it to much. Then with bi-weekly water changes you should be good.

 

[rotarygeek]

i would really rather be chemical free. i have used a buffer once, but it was a small dose and only when i started up my tank. i have done weekly water changes and its not helping.

 

[yukon]

Not sure what else to do then if you want chemical free but I think its the same stuff thats in the saltmix.
Anybody else have any suggestions?

 

[fishy7]

I would not consider this bad luck but more like typical SW tank stuff. I understand chemical free but your tank needs to be buffered.

 

[rotarygeek]

So i should buffer it? Is there any negative effects to using the buffers?

 

[fishy7]

Personally speaking yes, buffer your tank. The only bad thing I can see, is if you dose to much.
A quick questions. Do you mix your own water?

 

[ameno]

I would not buffer to raise from 7.9, this is not that bad of a ph reading, Is the reading in the morning or evening before lights out, your ph will be highest right before lights out and lowest in the morning, before lights on. if that is your reading in the morning then your fine, but if it's before lights out and then you drop .3 over night then you are getting to low. do you have a glass top on the tank? you should keep the top open and have a PH moving water across the top this helps oxidate the water and helps keep a stable ph.

 

[rotarygeek]

Originally Posted by ameno
http:///forum/post/2545299
I would not buffer to raise from 7.9, this is not that bad of a ph reading, Is the reading in the morning or evening before lights out, your ph will be highest right before lights out and lowest in the morning, before lights on. if that is your reading in the morning then your fine, but if it's before lights out and then you drop .3 over night then you are getting to low. do you have a glass top on the tank? you should keep the top open and have a PH moving water across the top this helps oxidate the water and helps keep a stable ph.
No, this was the middle of the day. And actually the ph reading didnt start to drop till i started leaving the hood on my tank open all the time. Now that i upgraded to t5s and dont have a hood at all, it only got worse. Ialready buffered it, i pulled out 2 gallons and put it in my bucket, then dosed enough for ten gallons, then slowly added it back in to the aquarium till it was gone. I tested the water about ten minutes later to give it time to circulate and it was spot on 8.2 so i guess it worked. I just dont like the idea of adding chemicals to my tank. The brand of salt i am using is red sea salt becuase it is what i could afford at the time. I plan on using a different brand next time so i dont have to dose again, i dont like that.

 

[ameno]

taking the hood off should have actually helped raise your ph, I think something else is causing it to be lower, I don't like the idea of the quick fix, But rather find the problem and fix it. a ph of 7.9 is not that bad it is actually worst to have large swings in the ph. have you checked your alk. usually that plays alone with your ph. also cal. Good oxidation is usually all that's needed. I would try putting a power head up top to agitate the water surface and see if that helps. you can do a google for Randy Holmes Farley, he has some good info on all this and ways to deal with it.
Hope this has been some help
Also when you mix up your salt do you agitate it for around 24 hours before adding it to the tank, if not you should.