Ato and low ph

[Jdgreef24]

Wanted some input. My nano has been running for almost 2 months with a 5 gallon bucket of RODI that I top off with water from the LFS every two weeks (very good people, trust them). I do a 15 percent water change every week. My ph has been in the 7.4-7.6 range since set up and my Dkh has been stable so I don't want to add buffer...but this may be my issue.

My ATO bucket has this tiny hole to run the lines out of and this is the first time with an ATO. There's a small build up of what I think is dust in the bottom of the bucket over the weeks. Probably just dust.

This is a cheap color test of the ATO.

Am I ruining my tank water with this sitting water? Does the ATO need turbulence? Bubble stone? An air tight seal? I want to get my ph at least into the low range.

Thanks as always. You guys always answer my stupid questions.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

There should not be dust in your ATO water.

 

[Ty Hamatake]

1. Nice socks

2. What is your stocking level in the tank? If you aren't relying on water changes so much for nutrient export, you could consider reducing them then making up the difference in ca and alk by using kalkwasser in the ATO. It's not for everyone, but it is an easy way to maintain alk and ca and it has an added benefit of raising pH.

Also, if you are concerned about stuff getting into your water you could always make a flap out of a plastic bag or something to cover the opening. As for sediment in the bottom... that shouldn't be there...

 

[GoVols]

Wanted some input. My nano has been running for almost 2 months with a 5 gallon bucket of RODI that I top off with water from the LFS every two weeks (very good people, trust them). I do a 15 percent water change every week. My ph has been in the 7.4-7.6 range since set up and my Dkh has been stable so I don't want to add buffer...but this may be my issue.

My ATO bucket has this tiny hole to run the lines out of and this is the first time with an ATO. There's a small build up of what I think is dust in the bottom of the bucket over the weeks. Probably just dust.

This is a cheap color test of the ATO.

Am I ruining my tank water with this sitting water? Does the ATO need turbulence? Bubble stone? An air tight seal? I want to get my ph at least into the low range.

Thanks as always. You guys always answer my stupid questions.

Put a small amount of your display tank water in a small bowl and let it sit outside for and hour.
Then re-test your ph that's in that bowl after an hour.
Then tell us if the ph rose up in that bowl after you re-tested it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wanted some input. My nano has been running for almost 2 months with a 5 gallon bucket of RODI that I top off with water from the LFS every two weeks (very good people, trust them). I do a 15 percent water change every week. My ph has been in the 7.4-7.6 range since set up and my Dkh has been stable so I don't want to add buffer...but this may be my issue.
Am I ruining my tank water with this sitting water? Does the ATO need turbulence? Bubble stone? An air tight seal? I want to get my ph at least into the low range.

Thanks as always. You guys always answer my stupid questions.

Nope, the top off is not contributing to low pH.

I also expect the pH values you report in the tank (7.4-7.6) are testing error.

 

[Jdgreef24]

Only 1 clown. A small trumpet frag and zoa frag. We're talking a small cube.

(Socks are Starwars) wore them to work

Agreed dust shouldn't be in the bucket. I'm building a stand to get it away from a window.

@ty- I thought of adding kalk to buff it but with such low consumption I though maybe I'd shoot my calc and alk through the roof.

Should my ATO be acidic. I thought because of the purity it would be a neutral 7.

 

[Jdgreef24]

Water is outside in a cup [emoji108]

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Only 1 clown. A small trumpet frag and zoa frag. We're talking a small cube.

(Socks are Starwars) wore them to work

Agreed dust shouldn't be in the bucket. I'm building a stand to get it away from a window.

@ty- I thought of adding kalk to buff it but with such low consumption I though maybe I'd shoot my calc and alk through the roof.

Should my ATO be acidic. I thought because of the purity it would be a neutral 7.

If there is sediment in the reservoir, that is not pure water. Either the local fish store is running on old filters or there is some sort of contaminate in your bucket. First, I'd clean it out really well and maybe get water from another source. Second, you're right about not using the kalk. I wasnt sure what your setup was and in your case I dont think it is necessary.

 

[GoVols]

Water is outside in a cup [emoji108]

It's not the ATO water.
And not a fan of those all in one test strips.

 

[Jdgreef24]

No I hate them too. Red Sea Alk/DKH/Calcium is coming next month. Running on a budget. It's like putting your own boogers on a perfume stick and trying to figure out if you're sick.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

It's like putting your own boogers on a perfume stick and trying to figure out if you're sick.

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] I'm dying!

Grab a API high range pH kit.

Pure water will turn slightly acidic from CO2 in the air forming carbonic acid, H2CO3... Bunch of complicated chemistry crap. It won't hurt the pH in your tank unless you add a bunch of it, then you'll have more problems with salinity than you will pH. How is the air flow in your house, inside to outside? Older leaky house or one of those new sealed up houses? Do you run a skimmer? You might have excess CO2 inside and it's getting into the tank that way. Run an air line outside on the air intake on your skimmer.

 

[Jdgreef24]

It is a very small apartment that is old but well sealed. The three of us and a cat probably soak it with CO2. Once the stand is built I want to try and convert to a nano external overflow to run it down to a 5.5g with a skimmer. I like the idea of small tanks but I miss real builds.

 

[GoVols]

I don't trust that kit but have you re-tested your display water that's outside?

 

[Jdgreef24]

I just did. It wasn't a large jump but noticeable enough for color pads. Thanks all. I've got some updates to make to the baby tank.

 

[GoVols]

I just did. It wasn't a large jump but noticeable enough for color pads. Thanks all. I've got some updates to make to the baby tank.

Get a better test kit and get the trapped in Co2 out of your apartment.
Open the windows and get some fans blowing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Only 1 clown. A small trumpet frag and zoa frag. We're talking a small cube.

(Socks are Starwars) wore them to work

Agreed dust shouldn't be in the bucket. I'm building a stand to get it away from a window.

@ty- I thought of adding kalk to buff it but with such low consumption I though maybe I'd shoot my calc and alk through the roof.

Should my ATO be acidic. I thought because of the purity it would be a neutral 7.

CO2 from the air can tend to lower the pH of pure fresh water into the 5-7 range. Top off water is never a cause of low pH in the aquarium. You also cannot accurately measure the pH of pure fresh water without special equipment.

 

[FlyinBryan]

Have you tried running kalk? It's the in keeping my ph good and steady along with the benefit of adding alk and Ca. I ran it on my 29 bio cube ato. It totally turned my tanks around for the better. I personally would never run a tank without it.

 

[GoVols]

CO2 from the air can tend to lower the pH of pure fresh water into the 5-7 range. It is never a cause of low pH in the aquarium.

Randy,
Are you saying that trapped in C02 in a home or basement never holds down the ph in an aquarium?

"Some of the possibilities listed above require some effort to diagnose. Problems 3 and 4 are quite common, and here is a way to distinguish them. 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)."

Regards, GoVols

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy,
Are you saying that trapped in C02 in a home or basement never holds down the ph in an aquarium?

"Some of the possibilities listed above require some effort to diagnose. Problems 3 and 4 are quite common, and here is a way to distinguish them. 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)."

Regards, GoVols

No, I'm saying the the fresh top off water is not the cause of low pH, no matter what pH it reads (assuming it is pure with or without ambient CO2 in it).

I changed "It" to "top off water" to make it clearer what I meant

 

[GoVols]

No, I'm saying the the fresh top off water is not the cause of low pH, no matter what pH it reads (assuming it is pure with or without ambient CO2 in it).

I changed "It" to "top off water" to make it clearer what I meant

Sorry for mis-understanding your post... and thanks for changing the wording.

Please forgive my "Pea" brain.

Your article helped me so much years ago with my low ph and it was the trapped in Co2 in my town home.
But... I'm not saying that it's Op's problem and a ph buffer just covers up a root problem.

Regards, GoVols