raising pH

[liz50138]

What is the best way to raise the pH in a tank. I've heard that it should be done slowly, but how slow is slow. Right now it is at 7.6 and i would like to get it to 8.2ish.
Thanks in advance
Liz

 

[bdhough]

.1 a day would be fine i think.... Or you could get the ph regulator that seachem makes. It slowly raises ph up to 8.3 and keeps it stable.
Try and also figure out why your ph got there in the first place. Could be problematic signs in that reading.

 

[bang guy]

First you need to determine your average PH. Take several reading throughout the day and average them. Be sure to include a reading from just before the lights come on and just before they go out.
Do you have a skimmer? Do you smoke? Is the tank in an enclosed room? How long has the tank been setup? Do you use a Calcium Reactor?

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by Liz50138
What is the best way to raise the pH in a tank. I've heard that it should be done slowly, but how slow is slow. Right now it is at 7.6 and i would like to get it to 8.2ish.
Thanks in advance
Liz
Slow is best. My ph fell about 2-3 months after starting my 55g. I did use baking soda for awhile, but basically just letting the tank run and mature allowed the ph to now be stable at 8.2-8.4. So maybe doing nothing will work also.

 

[liz50138]

Where can i buy this seachem thing at and how much does it cost. Also, what do you mean by using baking soda? How much do i mix into the water. I am not sure why the pH is so low. Only recently got a pH test kit for SW and this is what it has always been. Could it be the water i am using (distilled) No one in the household smokes. The skimmer we had broke down, and I'm not sure what a calcium reactor is so i guess i don't have one. have a emporer 400 and power whisper filter for a 30 gal tank. Tank has been set up since june.

 

[bang guy]

Before using chemicals that may cause an imbalance you should try fixing your skimmer.
You should also test your water levels for the stuff you want to add. Test your ALK level (or kH) before adding anything to raise PH, you could actually make it worse. Very high Calcium levels can cause problems too.

 

[liz50138]

I think i may have a bad test kit. I just now noticed that on the bottle, it says freshwater, but i swear on the package it said for both saltwater and freshwater
Anyways here are the results
Nitrates - 30 (it was 20 last time i checked it and have since done a 25% water change
Nitrites- .5 (same as last time)
Total hardness - 425 (last time was 250, how do i change this and exactly what does it mean?)
Total alkalinity - about 210 - ( i think it was 180 last time, but don't quote me
pH - looks like about 8.2 or 8.3 (ok, now i know this test is whacked. There is no way it could have gone up that fast in a couple of days without doing anything.
What brand of test kits do you guys use?

 

[bang guy]

Hi Liz: First - 0.5 Nitrite can effect the PH wildly.
Second - PH on a wild reef can vary a LOT just from sunup to sundown. I've seen 7.6 in the morning to 8.5 in the evening in the shallows of the Carribean.
Your tank could easily go from 7.8 in the morning to 8.2 in the evening. That's why I suggested a series of test to determine your average PH. It's the average that's important.

 

[bdhough]

Bang, won't a stable or kh (8-12) range keep the ph stable? Or does it just help resist drastic changes?

 

[bang guy]

Yep, a good kH level will tend to resist PH changes. The problem is that if you raise Carbonate too high it will precipitate out along with Calcium and Magnesium. This will cause the PH to drop rapidly. It's the rapid PH swings that we want to avoid.