How to bring up PH in tank

CamKole · Jan 9, 2020

Hi guys,

Please help me out here. I have had this tank set up for almost a month now and since i started it my PH has read at 7.3. I've introduced livestock and corals but the PH remains the same.
I buy my RO and RedSea salt water from my LFS. My Nitrites and Nitrates remain 0 and my gravity is 1.023. No amonia, etc.

Question is, how do i get my PH to rise?

I have two clowns that i'm pretty sure need a PH closer to 8.

Thanks in advance!

S.Pepper · Jan 9, 2020

CamKole said:
Hi guys,

Please help me out here. I have had this tank set up for almost a month now and since i started it my PH has read at 7.3. I've introduced livestock and corals but the PH remains the same.
I buy my RO and RedSea salt water from my LFS. My Nitrites and Nitrates remain 0 and my gravity is 1.023. No amonia, etc.

Question is, how do i get my PH to rise?

I have two clowns that i'm pretty sure need a PH closer to 8.

Thanks in advance!

Fresh air. I open my window(s) at various times throughout the day. Additionally, if u have a skimmer, some people will add a hose to the silencer and stick it out the window.

Rollman · Jan 9, 2020

How is your alk ?

Dempsey941 · Jan 9, 2020

I would test your big three parameters (alk, calc, and mag) just to make sure everything is good there.

However ph isn't something you should be chasing. It is better to let the ph be what it is is than to go messing with it unless something is wrong.

lapin · Jan 9, 2020

Dempsey941 said:
I would test your big three parameters (alk, calc, and mag) just to make sure everything is good there.

However ph isn't something you should be chasing. It is better to let the ph be what it is is than to go messing with it unless something is wrong.

^ This ^

Radman73 · Jan 9, 2020

Pluses to what's above. Fresh air helps but you need to know alk, calc, and mag too.

If you have a newer home, they can be very tight, too tight in our case. I have a remote fuge in the garage for that reason and even have a tube run to hook up to my skimmer if I feel the need.

gtrider · Jan 9, 2020

I agree with not chasing PH. Keep the big 3 in check and the rest will follow. Even in the summer/warm months with my door open, my PH doesn't rise that much.

CamKole · Jan 9, 2020

I will test the big three and report back.

Thanks everyone!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2020

I would strongly assert that the problem is likely to be pH measurement, not anything else. pH 7.3 is not happening in seawater with calcium carbonate in it. It will be disoslving.

CamKole · Jan 13, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I would strongly assert that the problem is likely to be pH measurement, not anything else. pH 7.3 is not happening in seawater with calcium carbonate in it. It will be disoslving.

My partner who is a Water Treatment Chemist is who tests my water. I trust his instruments and they are reading 7.3 ~ 7.5 and so are my test strips. I did get the water tested at my LFS and they said i needed to add some Calcium to my tank as those levels were low. I'll be dosing calcium and reporting back.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 13, 2020

CamKole said:
My partner who is a Water Treatment Chemist is who tests my water. I trust his instruments and they are reading 7.3 ~ 7.5 and so are my test strips. I did get the water tested at my LFS and they said i needed to add some Calcium to my tank as those levels were low. I'll be dosing calcium and reporting back.

calcium has no effect on pH.

if they tested alkalinity and it is ok (6 dKH or higher) then either the pH measurement is way, way off, or the water has incredible levels of CO2.

you might suggest to your partner that another expert water chemist strongly suspects a calibration problem or electrical interference in the tank pH measurement.

If you aerate that tank water with outside air, the pH should rise a lot if it had excess CO2.

this article has more. Take a look at Figure 2 and see where you are in that graph. In fact, you are way off scale if accurate

pH and the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

by Randy Holmes-Farley For many aquarists, pH is not something that they have much experience with aside from their aquarium. For many, pH is almost a black box measurement: something to be considered, but whose physical meaning makes little sense to them. This article will Read more here...

www.reefedition.com

LegendaryCG · Jan 13, 2020

I appreciate reading expert responses! Ty @Randy Holmes-Farley

CamKole · Jan 14, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
calcium has no effect on pH.

if they tested alkalinity and it is ok (6 dKH or higher) then either the pH measurement is way, way off, or the water has incredible levels of CO2.

you might suggest to your partner that another expert water chemist strongly suspects a calibration problem or electrical interference in the tank pH measurement.

If you aerate that tank water with outside air, the pH should rise a lot if it had excess CO2.

this article has more. Take a look at Figure 2 and see where you are in that graph. In fact, you are way off scale if accurate

pH and the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

by Randy Holmes-Farley For many aquarists, pH is not something that they have much experience with aside from their aquarium. For many, pH is almost a black box measurement: something to be considered, but whose physical meaning makes little sense to them. This article will Read more here...

www.reefedition.com

Makes sense, i'll discuss with him and take a look at getting a more accurate reading. Thank you for the very useful information and help!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 14, 2020

You’re welcome.

Happy Reefing

Currdawg12 · Jan 14, 2020

S.Pepper said:
Fresh air. I open my window(s) at various times throughout the day. Additionally, if u have a skimmer, some people will add a hose to the silencer and stick it out the window.

I would like to know if anyone has done this cause I'm thinking about trying it