I’m so confused..

[BestMomEver]

I have a pH problem. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get it above 7.7 or so. The only time it’s been to 8.2 was when I dosed kalk but, unfortunately, when I was dosing, the dkh went to 12.1 and calcium was close to 500. Granted, my corals looked great, but I was a little worried about those readings. I dosed 2 part and magnesium yesterday afternoon. This morning I tested... this is what I got...

Calcium 420
Dkh 8.8
Magnesium 1200
PH 7.6

This tank is heavy on SPS frags and also has a few big Acans and brains. Please help me with this someone. It’s very distressing.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I have a pH problem. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get it above 7.7 or so. The only time it’s been to 8.2 was when I dosed kalk but, unfortunately, when I was dosing, the dkh went to 12.1 and calcium was close to 500. Granted, my corals looked great, but I was a little worried about those readings. I dosed 2 part and magnesium yesterday afternoon. This morning I tested... this is what I got...

Calcium 420
Dkh 8.8
Magnesium 1200
PH 7.6

This tank is heavy on SPS frags and also has a few big Acans and brains. Please help me with this someone. It’s very distressing.

Where is your tank located in the house? Is it in a room that gets enough air from outside?

 

[BestMomEver]

Well, here’s the thing... I live in south Alabama. Leaving a door or window open is out of the question. It’s just too hot. I have a skimmer running. Should I add an air stone to the sump or something? Or maybe increase the air in the skimmer?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Well, here’s the thing... I live in south Alabama. Leaving a door or window open is out of the question. It’s just too hot. I have a skimmer running. Should I add an air stone to the sump or something? Or maybe increase the air in the skimmer?

If all the windows are closed, adding an airstone won't help a whole lot. If you have a build up of CO2 in your home, an airstone is just going to pump that CO2 rich air into your water. Best bet would be either a CO2 scrubber on the intake of your skimmer, or run an airline outside so your skimmer pulls in fresh air from outside

 

[BestMomEver]

Looks like I'll have to look into a CO2 scruber. No way to run airline to outside. You have any suggestions for something small. Cabinet space is limited. Thanks for the info. Is there another way to do the same thing? Like maybe a refug with green stuff maybe? I think that would be harder than a scrubber. NVM!

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Well, here’s the thing... I live in south Alabama. Leaving a door or window open is out of the question. It’s just too hot. I have a skimmer running. Should I add an air stone to the sump or something? Or maybe increase the air in the skimmer?

Have you considered adding a CO2 scrubber? Very easy to setup, and has a huge impact. it can cost some money to run as the soda lime isn't cheap, and can get used up quickly, but there are some great modifications that can help with that issue too. My PH went from 7.8 at night to as high as 8.5 (I had to start disconnecting the scrubber during the day or it got too high so I'm installing an electrical valve to automate it with my Apex).

 

[dangros]

My tank is in the living room in a fairly large house. If we have guests over, I can see the pH drop due to the extra CO2 being spewed out. Opening windows helps when there's a breeze but that's not much of an option in August so I feel your pain. Initially, I was very happy w/a C02 scrubber but the pain of changing the toxic media out every 2 weeks was not for me. I decided having a slightly lower pH wasnt that big a deal as long as the corals looked good.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I've seen this one used with much success. You can always put it somewhere outside the cabinet if need be, comes with a roll of air line

 

[Brew12]

I have a pH problem. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get it above 7.7 or so. The only time it’s been to 8.2 was when I dosed kalk but, unfortunately, when I was dosing, the dkh went to 12.1 and calcium was close to 500. Granted, my corals looked great, but I was a little worried about those readings. I dosed 2 part and magnesium yesterday afternoon. This morning I tested... this is what I got...

Calcium 420
Dkh 8.8
Magnesium 1200
PH 7.6

This tank is heavy on SPS frags and also has a few big Acans and brains. Please help me with this someone. It’s very distressing.

I would try taking a small water sample outside and aerate the tar out of it. Then grab a pH on it. It's a good way to make sure your pH measurement is accurate.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Well, here’s the thing... I live in south Alabama. Leaving a door or window open is out of the question. It’s just too hot. I have a skimmer running. Should I add an air stone to the sump or something? Or maybe increase the air in the skimmer?

If the air around your tank has very low CO2 and your tank has very high CO2, then the interventions mentioned above might help. But, it is unlikely your home meets the criteria mentioned above, especially if you keep it closed up most of the time. In a vast majority of cases, the air around the tank has relatively high CO2. Pumping more CO2-rich air into the tank will do nothing for pH and actually may decrease it during the day.

A CO2 scrubber is a good option, but keep in mind that you will likely go through a lot of soda lime media. It sounds like your home has pretty high CO2. You'll see best results if you us a CO2 scrubber fed from outside air. Better yet, pair the scrubber with outside air and calcium hydroxide, or Randy's new two-part with the pH boost.

 

[BestMomEver]

Thank you so much everyone! There are 4 adults, a two year old and three dogs in my house. The way the house is designed means that we are all in the family room most of the time and that’s where our three tanks are. I’ve considered turning off the AC so I could open the doors but hav you guys ever seen southern bugs? I don’t want those nasty things coming inside... and they will. I’m thinking CO2 scrubber is the way to go. I’ll try it... it’s a relatively cheap fix.