Alkalinity vs pH issue

[dccanvas]

Greetings all! I have a Biocube32 and I'm finding it very difficult to keep my alkalinity and pH stable. It seems like the alkalinity keeps rising while the pH keeps dropping. How can I do the other way around (raising pH while lowering alkalinity) and lock them in at a sweet spot? Thanks in advance.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are you adding something to boost alkalinity or pH?

 

[dccanvas]

Are you adding something to boost alkalinity or pH?

Nothing after i tried Aquavitro OH Balance and it raised alkalinity too which it claims it doesn't.

 

[nereefpat]

What are the values for pH and alk, and how are you measuring them?
How have they changed, and over what amount of time?

Alk can only rise from dosing something with alk in it or from nitrate being converted to N2.

 

[dccanvas]

What are the values for pH and alk, and how are you measuring them?
How have they changed, and over what amount of time?

Alk can only rise from dosing something with alk in it or from nitrate being converted to N2.

Alkalinity went from 10 dkh to 12 and pH from 8.3 to 7.8 in just 1 month. Tested using salifert for alkalinity and API for pH. I don't dose anything but seachem Stability (2 days per week), Prime (1 day per week) and Pristine (2 days per week) as part of the weekly maintenance.

 

[Troylee]

Alkalinity went from 10 dkh to 12 and pH from 8.3 to 7.8 in just 1 month. Tested using salifert for alkalinity and API for pH. I don't dose anything but seachem Stability (2 days per week), Prime (1 day per week) and Pristine (2 days per week) as part of the weekly maintenance.

You don’t need to dose any of those things.. do you have the stock bio cube hood on? Any kinda skimmer or anything to help increase 02 levels? Not sure what your coral load is but I’d do a water change to drop the alk and just let the ph settle and not chase high numbers.. my tank runs 7.8-8.1 depending on the time of the year and growth is not a issue.

 

[nereefpat]

You don’t need to dose any of those things..

I agree.

Alkalinity went from 10 dkh to 12 and pH from 8.3 to 7.8 in just 1 month. Tested using salifert for alkalinity and API for pH. I don't dose anything but seachem Stability (2 days per week), Prime (1 day per week) and Pristine (2 days per week) as part of the weekly maintenance.

Some salt mixes will be in the 10-12 dKH range for alk. Reef Crystals, for example. In that case, water changes could be bringing it up.

You aren't topping off with saltwater or tapwater, correct?

 

[dccanvas]

You don’t need to dose any of those things.. do you have the stock bio cube hood on? Any kinda skimmer or anything to help increase 02 levels? Not sure what your coral load is but I’d do a water change to drop the alk and just let the ph settle and not chase high numbers.. my tank runs 7.8-8.1 depending on the time of the year and growth is not a issue.

It has the stock hood with fan. It has a protein skimmer too. I have macroalgae in the back-middle chamber to combat nitrate and phosphate and they're under control. I used to have a lot of corals but they all eventually died off due to the alkalinity swing in the last few months.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Nothing after i tried Aquavitro OH Balance and it raised alkalinity too which it claims it doesn't.

True, it’s a bogus product.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Alkalinity went from 10 dkh to 12 and pH from 8.3 to 7.8 in just 1 month. Tested using salifert for alkalinity and API for pH. I don't dose anything but seachem Stability (2 days per week), Prime (1 day per week) and Pristine (2 days per week) as part of the weekly maintenance.

You dose Prime as routine maintenance?

 

[dccanvas]

I agree.

Some salt mixes will be in the 10-12 dKH range for alk. Reef Crystals, for example. In that case, water changes could be bringing it up.

You aren't topping off with saltwater or tapwater, correct?

I use a salt with alkalinity of 8 dKH when I do water change to lower the Alkalinity, then it starts going up again for an unknown reason. I top off with distilled water.