How To Raise pH?

[cccharliecc]

So I installed my CO2 scrubber and my ph has not dropped below 8 since. I installed it late Thursday and am pretty happy thus far with the results.
Last piece to my ph puzzle will be to change out my Alk to Randy's new solution, but that will be a little ways out because I want to use up the rest of my current stock.

 

[cccharliecc]

That big dip yesterday morning was me taking the ph probe out to calibrate it.

 

[mitch91175]

So I installed my CO2 scrubber and my ph has not dropped below 8 since. I installed it late Thursday and am pretty happy thus far with the results.
Last piece to my ph puzzle will be to change out my Alk to Randy's new solution, but that will be a little ways out because I want to use up the rest of my current stock.

So I installed my CO2 scrubber and my ph has not dropped below 8 since. I installed it late Thursday and am pretty happy thus far with the results.
Last piece to my ph puzzle will be to change out my Alk to Randy's new solution, but that will be a little ways out because I want to use up the rest of my current stock.

It you want the media to last longer, get the solenoid that BRS mentions in their video. I haven't replaced my media yet on my frag tank since 4/13 and it still has some like remaining. Also my pH has been consistently between 8.05-8.2 since installing the solenoid. I am happy with that range. Without the scrubber, my pH drops to 7.8 at night. Also without the solenoid, it would get to 8.4 without any issue, but I do not need it that high (use up too much media that way).

Overall, I am happy with using the solenoid and scrubber to keep my pH higher as well.

Here is the link just in case you are interested in it: https://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/124/496/=1clwm63

NOTE: If getting this, you will need to get a power cable for it. I just bought an extension cord from HomeDepot, cut off the female end, and used 2 prongs on the end that can slid onto the solenoid (all from the Depot).

 

[Neptune1707]

Thanks Randy Holmes Farley for info....finally got all my water params dialed in. My pH is usually 7.8 in the am and maybe closer to 8 come late afternoon. The tank is doing well but I often wondered if being between 8.1-8.3 would be better. I’m not one to chase numbers but I was glad to hear you say a lot of great tanks are at 7.8. Below are my parameters. Been following a combo of your parameter reco and Red Sea Mix Reef params...see good color perhaps slower growth of sps but that’s ok. Softies seem to be thriving. Have one cauliflower coral that is sulking and not fully expanded (could be a flow issue), otherwise all good. Any suggestions?

Red Sea Max-500 135g
Temp 78.3
Salinity 1.024
Nitrate 5ppm
Phosphate .03ppm
CA 450
All 8.2
Mg 1350

Alk - 30ml daily
CA - 20ml daily
Mg - 10ml daily
Sea Reef Color ABCD 2ml of each daily
Red Sea NoPoX - 5ml daily
Red Sea Reef Energy - 10ml of A & B

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The numbers all look very good to me!

 

[SteadyC]

Thanks Randy Holmes Farley for info....finally got all my water params dialed in. My pH is usually 7.8 in the am and maybe closer to 8 come late afternoon. The tank is doing well but I often wondered if being between 8.1-8.3 would be better. I’m not one to chase numbers but I was glad to hear you say a lot of great tanks are at 7.8. Below are my parameters. Been following a combo of your parameter reco and Red Sea Mix Reef params...see good color perhaps slower growth of sps but that’s ok. Softies seem to be thriving. Have one cauliflower coral that is sulking and not fully expanded (could be a flow issue), otherwise all good. Any suggestions?

Red Sea Max-500 135g
Temp 78.3
Salinity 1.024
Nitrate 5ppm
Phosphate .03ppm
CA 450
All 8.2
Mg 1350

Alk - 30ml daily
CA - 20ml daily
Mg - 10ml daily
Sea Reef Color ABCD 2ml of each daily
Red Sea NoPoX - 5ml daily
Red Sea Reef Energy - 10ml of A & B

Water chemistry wise, we do chase numbers, like dosing carbonate, calcium, magnesium, trace elements, etc. which you are doing already. There’s no downside to doing the same with PH, well except for maybe cost, and as long as you do it right. But we spend a lot on corals, why not spend some to increase PH? I struggled for years with PH, and I chased the numbers. I found the process and the outcome rewarding in doing so.

 

[Lowefx]

I have a Kessil h80 that runs 24/7 and a cheap panel growlight from ebay that shines in the side of my trigger 20c sump

PM me you review on this. Im conciderimg buying it, but i want to know your personal feedback.

 

[lbacha]

PM me you review on this. Im conciderimg buying it, but i want to know your personal feedback.

Pm sent

 

[OriginalUserName]

Question guys. My PH struggles to get anywhere close to 8. I'm usually in the 7.5 - 7.8 range most of the time, I run my fuge light at night so the swings are constant 24/7 at least. I keep my dkh in the low-mid 8s.

I ordered a BRS PH scrubber and installed it yesterday but it doesn't seem to be doing much. I might be seeing a slight increase, but I expected a bit more. The tank has a full open top with a large fan that runs if temp creeps up so I have plenty of ventilation and surface agitation. I'm in a 2 bedroom apartment currently with just me half the time, the other half of the time me and 2 small kids. It's not the best insulated so I should have a fair amount of air exchange.

For the scrubber, I'm wondering if my small aquaclear skimmer just doesn't pull enough air to make a difference on the 29 cube? The skimmer is still skimming well and it is drawing air through the canister because if I close off the input I see a drop in bubble formation very quickly. Thoughts? I wish I knew why my PH was so low to begin with. It's mostly reef saver rock (years old now) with a couple life rock pieces, a good sized amount of chaeto in the fuge, a large gracilliera in the tank, 5 fish, a pistol shrimp, CuC, and a good amount of zoas and LPS/SPS.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Question guys. My PH struggles to get anywhere close to 8. I'm usually in the 7.5 - 7.8 range most of the time, I run my fuge light at night so the swings are constant 24/7 at least. I keep my dkh in the low-mid 8s.

I ordered a BRS PH scrubber and installed it yesterday but it doesn't seem to be doing much. I might be seeing a slight increase, but I expected a bit more. The tank has a full open top with a large fan that runs if temp creeps up so I have plenty of ventilation and surface agitation. I'm in a 2 bedroom apartment currently with just me half the time, the other half of the time me and 2 small kids. It's not the best insulated so I should have a fair amount of air exchange.

For the scrubber, I'm wondering if my small aquaclear skimmer just doesn't pull enough air to make a difference on the 29 cube? The skimmer is still skimming well and it is drawing air through the canister because if I close off the input I see a drop in bubble formation very quickly. Thoughts? I wish I knew why my PH was so low to begin with. It's mostly reef saver rock (years old now) with a couple life rock pieces, a good sized amount of chaeto in the fuge, a large gracilliera in the tank, 5 fish, a pistol shrimp, CuC, and a good amount of zoas and LPS/SPS.

When did you last recalibrate?

pH is determined mathematically by CO2 and alkalinity. If alk is OK, and pH is low, the ONLY explanation is excess CO2, and the only question is why: your home air has high CO2 or the tank is poorly aerated (or both).

This has more:

pH And The Reef Aquarium
http://www.reefedition.com/ph-and-the-reef-aquarium/

from it:

The Aeration Test

Some of the possible causes of low pH listed above require an 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 its pH. Then aerate it for an hour with an airstone using outside air. Its pH should rise if it is unusually low for the measured alkalinity (Figure 2). Then repeat the same experiment on a new cup of water using inside air. If its pH also rises, then the aquarium’s pH will rise simply with more aeration because it is only the aquarium that contains excess carbon dioxide. If the pH does not rise in the cup (or rises very little) when aerating with indoor air, then that air likely contains excess CO2, and more aeration with that same air will not solve the low pH problem (although aeration with fresher air should). Be careful implementing this test if the outside aeration test results in a large temperaturechange (more than 5°C or 10°F), because such changes alone impact pH measurements.

 

[OriginalUserName]

When did you last recalibrate?

pH is determined mathematically by CO2 and alkalinity. If alk is OK, and pH is low, the ONLY explanation is excess CO2, and the only question is why: your home air has high CO2 or the tank is poorly aerated (or both).

This has more:

pH And The Reef Aquarium
http://www.reefedition.com/ph-and-the-reef-aquarium/

from it:

The Aeration Test

Some of the possible causes of low pH listed above require an 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 its pH. Then aerate it for an hour with an airstone using outside air. Its pH should rise if it is unusually low for the measured alkalinity (Figure 2). Then repeat the same experiment on a new cup of water using inside air. If its pH also rises, then the aquarium’s pH will rise simply with more aeration because it is only the aquarium that contains excess carbon dioxide. If the pH does not rise in the cup (or rises very little) when aerating with indoor air, then that air likely contains excess CO2, and more aeration with that same air will not solve the low pH problem (although aeration with fresher air should). Be careful implementing this test if the outside aeration test results in a large temperaturechange (more than 5°C or 10°F), because such changes alone impact pH measurements.

I calibrated just the other day with my new apex. The numbers are supported by my reefkeeper as well. I had previously had ph reporting too low via the probe on my rkl which seemed resolved by adding a grounding probe. Perhaps stray voltage is an issue. I will validate with a reagent test.

I'm pretty confident in my dkh parms based on my newish hanna checker reading similar to my salifert tests. I recently stopped dosing in an attempt to lower my dkh a little. I wonder I'd the gain of the scrubber is being offset by that. I will try the air test as well, thanks.

 

[SteadyC]

For me, PH took a few things to get up. First, is your house closed up, running the AC? Or can you open doors and windows for fresh air? I live in a higher elevation in Colorado, don’t even have AC on the house. Doors and windows are open 24/7 right now, I use kalk as my major element addition, I have a huge area of chaeto with light offset, CO2 scrubber which the input is piped outside the house, and I use sodium carbonate for a little extra alk boost (kalk doesn’t keep up alone). All this and my PH is sitting at 8.28 right now, lights have been on for 4 hours on the tank. It took a number of things for me to get PH up, but I’m glad I did.

It will be interesting to hear how your aeration test goes.

 

[OriginalUserName]

Ok, well now I'm thoroughly confused. I am reading 7.8 on the apex now which is higher than it has been. My api ph test is showing 8.2 or 8.3. My reefkeeper probe is showing 8.3, and 7 when placed in a 7 calibration solution.

The apex probe showed 7.8 in a cup of my tank water, but also showed an accurate measurement of 7 in the calibration solution. I'm inclined to the the 10.0 ph calibration did not work, but the 7 did? Odd. I'll have my lfs test also.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok, well now I'm thoroughly confused. I am reading 7.8 on the apex now which is higher than it has been. My api ph test is showing 8.2 or 8.3. My reefkeeper probe is showing 8.3, and 7 when placed in a 7 calibration solution.

The apex probe showed 7.8 in a cup of my tank water, but also showed an accurate measurement of 7 in the calibration solution. I'm inclined to the the 10.0 ph calibration did not work, but the 7 did? Odd. I'll have my lfs test also.

Some people have issues with the Apex and pH that I do not understand.

Does it read the pH 10 correctly?

 

[OriginalUserName]

Some people have issues with the Apex and pH that I do not understand.

Does it read the pH 10 correctly?

I'm going to test in a bit. I have to assume it won't.

 

[OriginalUserName]

Apex recorded the 10 ph solution pretty accurately at 9.8. My new seneye shows at about 7.5 also (no idea if it needs calibration). Apex is consistent in and out of the tank so stray voltage shouldn't be the issue.

I have a salifert ph kit on the way. Hopefully that will help me sort it out