7.5 pH all day long

A.Percula · Oct 26, 2018

hey!

I think I have issues with my pH and i am trying to solve it. Ive been reading a lot, incliding articles that suggest to not chase it. Also read that some corals dissolve at 7.5 pH, which worries me.

I have no luck keeping acros and hermits die less than a month in my tank. I’ve tested for everything, including copper and nothing. So pH is the only parameter that is off.

I bought a hanna pH tester (pHep®+ Pocket pH Tester ) calibrated with two point calibration solution (7.1 and 10.1). The pH in my aquarium is in the 7.5-7.8 range.

I started using seachem kalkwasser to keep Alk stable while increasing the pH. No luck, pH still low with Alkalinity of 8.8dkh. I did way less the recommended amount of kalk to make sure Indo not make things worse. It is impossible to open windows, so I am not sure what else I should try. Maybe a co2 scrubber?

Larry L · Oct 26, 2018

I generally don't worry too much about chasing pH, but 7.5 does seem low. There's good info about low pH in Randy Holmes-Farley's article here: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/

In particular I'd try "The Aeration Test" in that article to give you an idea whether or not the low pH is due to high indoor CO2, which will then give you an idea of how to go about dealing with it. Mine was low due to indoor CO2 and I ended up adding a CO2 scrubber to my system, which keeps it above 8.0 for the most part, some details at: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/why-add-water-to-diy-co2-scrubber.452396/#post-5119560

GoVols · Oct 26, 2018

A.Percula said:
hey!

I think I have issues with my pH and i am trying to solve it. Ive been reading a lot, incliding articles that suggest to not chase it. Also read that some corals dissolve at 7.5 pH, which worries me.

I have no luck keeping acros and hermits die less than a month in my tank. I’ve tested for everything, including copper and nothing. So pH is the only parameter that is off.

I bought a hanna pH tester (pHep®+ Pocket pH Tester ) calibrated with two point calibration solution (7.1 and 10.1). The pH in my aquarium is in the 7.5-7.8 range.

I started using seachem kalkwasser to keep Alk stable while increasing the pH. No luck, pH still low with Alkalinity of 8.8dkh. I did way less the recommended amount of kalk to make sure Indo not make things worse. It is impossible to open windows, so I am not sure what else I should try. Maybe a co2 scrubber?

I piped my skimmer out to the garage along time ago and we raise our window's to get out the trapped in Co2 at least once a week.

7.5 is low and I'd want to hit at least 7.7 - 7.8

Looks like a Co2 scrubber maybe a good call.

Stay away from Seachem ph buffer. It's just an cover up that raises your alk and it also contains Borate.

Have you tried Randy's cup test?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/

"Remove a cup of tank water and measure the pH. Then aerate it for an hour with an airstone using outside air. The pH should rise if the pH is unusually low for the measured alkalinity, as in Figure 3 (if it does not rise, most likely one of the measurements (pH or alkalinity) is in error). Then repeat the same experiment on a new cup of water using inside air. If the pH rises there too, then the aquarium pH will rise with more aeration because it is only the aquarium that contains excess carbon dioxide. If the pH does not rise inside (or rises very little), then the inside air contains excess CO2, and more aeration with that same air will not solve the low pH problem (although aeration with fresher air should)."

GoVols · Oct 26, 2018

Larry L said:
I generally don't worry too much about chasing pH, but 7.5 does seem low. There's good info about low pH in Randy Holmes-Farley's article here: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/

A.Percula · Oct 27, 2018

I have not tried the aeration test well because Its just too cold outside. I did opened the window near my pods culture and pH went from 7.53 to 7.66 in 15 mins. Tank went up .06.

I measured the pH a few mins ago and got a reading of 7.39 (accuracy is more or less .10).

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 27, 2018

A.Percula said:
hey!

I think I have issues with my pH and i am trying to solve it. Ive been reading a lot, incliding articles that suggest to not chase it. Also read that some corals dissolve at 7.5 pH, which worries me.

I have no luck keeping acros and hermits die less than a month in my tank. I’ve tested for everything, including copper and nothing. So pH is the only parameter that is off.

I bought a hanna pH tester (pHep®+ Pocket pH Tester ) calibrated with two point calibration solution (7.1 and 10.1). The pH in my aquarium is in the 7.5-7.8 range.

I started using seachem kalkwasser to keep Alk stable while increasing the pH. No luck, pH still low with Alkalinity of 8.8dkh. I did way less the recommended amount of kalk to make sure Indo not make things worse. It is impossible to open windows, so I am not sure what else I should try. Maybe a co2 scrubber?

How did you test for copper? A test kit is not adequate. It cannot read low enough. They are intended for medicating fish, not ensuring reef tank levels are adequately low. Do you use tap water?

A CO2 scrubber, algae growth in a refugium, and bringing in outside air to a skimmer inlet are options. DO you supplement alk in any other way besides the kalkwasser?

While I certainly would raise pH taht hit a bottom of 7.5, I don't think it is likely to kill hermit crabs. Thus the answer may lie elsewhere.

A.Percula · Oct 27, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
How did you test for copper? A test kit is not adequate. It cannot read low enough. They are intended for medicating fish, not ensuring reef tank levels are adequately low. Do you use tap water?

A CO2 scrubber, algae growth in a refugium, and bringing in outside air to a skimmer inlet are options. DO you supplement alk in any other way besides the kalkwasser?

While I certainly would raise pH taht hit a bottom of 7.5, I don't think it is likely to kill hermit crabs. Thus the answer may lie elsewhere.

Hi Randy,

I used a test kit, and you are right, it does not test for low levels (I believe they can measure .15+). I've considered sending water sample for ICP test, but I've been trying to resolve the hermit mystery.

This is my current set up, I have an IM Fusion 40 in my bedroom, way far from windows. Ghost skimmer, 2 Prime HD, and ATO system to keep salinity on point. I perform WC every two weeks (RODI water TDS - 0ppm). I was able to keep Alk between 8.1-9.1 with water changes. WCs help bring Alkalinity high up (around 9.1), which usually dropped to 8.1 by the time of the water change. (because I test a lot, I usually add new mixed water in every week to compensate), which helps bring Alk too. I use IO RC which is pretty high in Alk and low in Mg.

Parameters:
Alk 8.8 (yesterday) (Hanna)
Calc 440 (last week) (Salifert)
Mg 1350 (Salifert)
Phosphate .05 (Hanna Phosphorous)
Nitrate .20ppm (Salifert)

I just started using Seachem Kalk, but instead of seeing an improvement in pH, it's backwards, now it's the lower ever measured in my tank (maybe because heater/winter/ don't know..).

I have a mixed reef, softies, LPS, and 2-3 SPSs. I have no luck with some SPS such Acros, they get Rapid Tissue Necrosis after 3-4 days of putting them into the tank. I do want to mention that I use black sand, which the next item to be changed in this hunt...

A.Percula · Nov 3, 2018

@Randy Holmes-Farley i added the scrubber, but have not seen improvement. pH still at 7.5 overnight with a high of 7.70 during the day. Alkalinity is 9.2.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 3, 2018

A.Percula said:
@Randy Holmes-Farley i added the scrubber, but have not seen improvement. pH still at 7.5 overnight with a high of 7.70 during the day. Alkalinity is 9.2.

Have you verified that the pH measurement is accurate? Measured pH in a cup away from the tank? New calibration buffers?

Is your home newer and especially well sealed from outside air?

A.Percula · Nov 3, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Have you verified that the pH measurement is accurate? Measured pH in a cup away from the tank? New calibration buffers?

Is your home newer and especially well sealed from outside air?

@Randy Holmes-Farley I just did the cup test and found interesting results. I used two point calibration last week amd just did again in case with buffers 7.01 and 10.01. Tank pH measured 7.66 at the time of the test. I live in an apt building built in 2015 so ots very insulated and AC is on 99% of the time.

Took two cups from the tank, placed one beside the tank with an airpump and the other one taking air from the outside.

The cup that I placed next to the tank actually dropped pH a bit. The cup pH was 7.63.

The other cup with air from outside went up to 7.90 in 45 mins. Temperature dropped since temp outside is 50°.

Tank’s pH is still around 7.66.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 3, 2018

A.Percula said:
@Randy Holmes-Farley I just did the cup test and found interesting results. I used two point calibration last week amd just did again in case with buffers 7.01 and 10.01. Tank pH measured 7.66 at the time of the test. I live in an apt building built in 2015 so ots very insulated and AC is on 99% of the time.

Took two cups from the tank, placed one beside the tank with an airpump and the other one taking air from the outside.

The cup that I placed next to the tank actually dropped pH a bit. The cup pH was 7.63.

The other cup with air from outside went up to 7.90 in 45 mins. Temperature dropped since temp outside is 50°.

Tank’s pH is still around 7.66.