10 gal nano low PH

[TheMetalReefs]

Hi all and Happy thanksgiving!

Ive started keeping a log when i do my water testing and ive noticed my PH is on the low end, 7.8 maybe sometimes 7.4 (using API saltwater test kit). Alk is 10.2 (using salifert test kit). what can i do to get my ph higher?

 

[T-J]

Do you run a skimmer? Do you have your house closed up, or is there fresh air coming in?
Best thing you can do is aerate the tank (skimmer, stone, etc.) and have a window open to allow fresh air into your home.
You can also run a CO2 scrubber if opening a window isn't an option.

 

[TheMetalReefs]

no skimmer, just a regular HOB filter. leaving a window open isnt much of an option. to run a co2 scrubber i would need a skimmer, correct? if i run a skimmer could that replace my current filter or should i run them both?

 

[T-J]

no skimmer, just a regular HOB filter. leaving a window open isnt much of an option. to run a co2 scrubber i would need a skimmer, correct? if i run a skimmer could that replace my current filter or should i run them both?

Depends on what you have in the tank. What's the livestock in your tank?
Another option is to run an airstone into the tank and placing the airpump outside the house. With high levels of CO2 inside your home (due to all the windows being closed), you're creating carbonic acid in the tank. This is what drives your pH lower.
One final option: waterchanges. I'm not a waterchange person, but with such a small system, that may be the best and easiest way of keeping things like pH in balance.

 

[TheMetalReefs]

Depends on what you have in the tank. What's the livestock in your tank?
Another option is to run an airstone into the tank and placing the airpump outside the house. With high levels of CO2 inside your home (due to all the windows being closed), you're creating carbonic acid in the tank. This is what drives your pH lower.
One final option: waterchanges. I'm not a waterchange person, but with such a small system, that may be the best and easiest way of keeping things like pH in balance.

i have 1 royal gramma, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 trochus snail, 2 astrea snails, and 5 coral frags. i do 20% waterchanges weekly. i was looking at nano skimmers but i dont think i could connect a scrubber, as far as i could tell at least.
Are buffers not a good option or is it lile a waste of time?

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

buffers are only temporary and rises your alk. adding a skimmer will help with the gas exchange. Surface agitations via powerheads also helps.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

pH 7.4 sounds like an inaccurate test result, but is a concern if real. I'm not a fan of pH test kits since they are not readily checked for accuracy.

 

[TheMetalReefs]

pH 7.4 sounds like an inaccurate test result, but is a concern if real. I'm not a fan of pH test kits since they are not readily checked for accuracy.

id like for it to be an error but i think it might be right. it usually sits at 7.8 but i have more people in my apartment for the past couple of days. i took a water sample and aerated it outside for a couple of minutes and got a much more better reading.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

id like for it to be an error but i think it might be right. it usually sits at 7.8 but i have more people in my apartment for the past couple of days. i took a water sample and aerated it outside for a couple of minutes and got a much more better reading.

Ok, with a lot of extra people it may be real.