Bringing PH levels up?

[Lenny_S]

going to be testing them again this week, and what do you mean by a "Buffer" >??? where do i buy that

I mean something like this...
http://www.continuumaquatics.com/marine_ph/boratefree_khbuffer_d.php
That is a borate free KH buffer and pH stabilizer.
If you get something like that then please make the adjustment very slowly over a whole week or even like 10 days.

 

[SaltMan]

Can you post how many gallons your system is, what brand/type test kit and salt you're using and are you using RO/DI water to mix your salt with?

 

[jaws789832]

If it were me, I would slow down a little bit until you get your water under control. Buying good test kits would be a good start. Also what salt do you use and how do you mix it? You should mix it in a separate container and make sure its heated and aerated before you put it in your tank. this will get the ph up also. Its just unusual that your ph would be that low with live rock and fresh saltwater in the tank. What kind of substrate are you using? Also if you are showing a nitrite reading it could mean you are cycling. There could be a lot of ammonia in there and its just now turning to nitrite. The test kits you need right now are PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as well as a good refractometer to measure the salinity. Your PH will fluctuate, durring the daylight, when algae and other things are producing oxygen it will go up and at night when things are producing CO2 it will go down but it should remain in the high 7's (7.9) to mid 8's (8.3). Alkalinity isn't all that important right now, unless you have a bunch or corals, if you are using a good salt as that will be part of the salt. Just to reiterate, Water changes you use mixed saltwater, top off you use dechlorinated preferably RO/DI water.

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Im using purple live rock, Black live sand, and Premium black sand (forget the brand but its quite expensive and can be mixed in the tank) but i mix it in a seperate container, my salinity levels are perfect right inbetween reef and marine fish levels..

yes im investing in a better water testing kit this week with ammonia etc included so i can check the levels, the tank is currently cycling diatoms one day gone the next, cloudy water then clear.. its doing good tho so is my fish

 

[Nicknackzz13]

i also use to keep my lights on all night (moon lights at night, bright during the day)

25lbs of live rock 20gallon tank (16gallons of water to the rim ) penguin biowheel, powerhead, heater at 78F (around that area) Cleaned my filter tonight and every few days (the foam padding gets washed) i use tap water with liquids to make it safe and reduce stress for the Chromish fish, and he hasnt failed yet! (had him for 3-4days now i think)

tank was bought second hand and was running with 2 maroon clownfish in it, clownfish got donated and the tank got drained and i bought it (had water in it for the live rock) gave it to me and i set it up (just refilled water in it and off it went) so probably doesnt need much of a cycle i would imagine ? cleaned out the old filter foam pad he had in it thought it was filthy (probably good bacteria i shouldve kept?) but wasnt sure so threw it out and replaced it the tank went a few changes


very cloudy the night i had bought it and refilled it, put the live rock in (was out of water maybe an hr max, but was damp) cleared over a period of about two days and was crystal clear, done a small water change, and used instant cycle a few days ago to help speed up the cycling process but i was confused if the tank wasnt already cycled? anyways the live black sand im sure has all the stuff he had his clownfish in? but anyways, i got two chromish fish one died and vanished in the tank? cause he just vanished one time, the other is however doing fantastic, was shy at first now he comes out every day and hides away at night, hes up from early morning and feeds, pellets and bloodworms... anyways my water was tested before i bought the fish and it was fine, salinity levels are perfect,and so i got the chromish that day to help cycle so (Live rock live sand fish etc all to help cycle quicker including cycling liquids) so now ill be buying a better water testing kit someday this week and testing the waters again and see where im at then maybe a week later to see if theres any changes... the guy did say my PH is a little LOW but it should raise up etc etc..

so i hoping itll be alright when i try it!
and thats my set up so far guys n girls!, ik the water testing kits ill be buying arent exactly high dollar ones but theyll be okay for now (they do work and thats what matters) im trying to get the tank cycled etc and to stabilize it all while on a budget! which i know isnt an excuse but i want the best for my future inhabitants and also my small growing family i got!

 

[Taposh Mallick]

raise your pH with the help of a powerhead connected with an airline from outside window... let fresh air flow into a sump area... oxygenation of water is required... also...your alk is too low... you need to increase it slowly...

 

[chris124]

Your dkh is low. Try to get it between 8 and 12 dkh. Now my ph problem was due to excess co2 in the room. So I put a air pump in another room and put a air stone in the sump and fixed the problem. Once you get your dkh up if the ph is still low try opening a window and see if it comes up. If it dose its co2. As for top off use fresh RODI water.

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Well i got a better water testing kit today and test the water since about 3-4days ago or so, and my readings are as follows:
and my PH went up.

PH: 8.2
Ammonia: 1.0ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

and my Chromish is still doing fine, the other completely vanished the other day and is gone but the Green Chromish is alive and well and today ate Brine shrimp i gave him and he loved it! not as shy anymore neither and staying active, i notice he likes the powerhead when i turn it on or off (feedings etc) but yeah thats my readings as of today around 4pm evening time

 

[Lenny_S]

1.0 ppm of ammonia is high for a tank with livestock. Your missing fish might be decaying somewhere and/or your tank is still cycling. You might want to get ahold of some SeaChem Prime to help neutralize the toxic effects of the ammonia.

 

[SaltMan]

Awesome, I hope your Green Chromis survives and your Ammonia comes back down to 0.