moulton1853
Active Member
I have just finished the initial cycle on a 55 g. Nothing in the tank yet. The ph is a little low at 7.7. I have read that baking soda will raise it. Is there any long term harm to doing this?
Low ph issue
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RareEarthCorals
Well-Known Member
What time of day are you testing? It matters as usually mid afternoon is best. Where is your tank located? Believe it or not low oxygen levels like basements or tightly sealed homes can effect PH. Open a window, run a skimmer or bubble stone, and test mid day and let us know if that gets you back where you need to be.
Stay away from adding anything to your tank at the moment until your tank is well established. Changing your water 30% will also help if need be. Check with the above first though.
Stay away from adding anything to your tank at the moment until your tank is well established. Changing your water 30% will also help if need be. Check with the above first though.
Myka
Valuable Member
Leave it alone. pH is often low in new tanks. pH is the result of many factors, and trying to adjust it unnaturally will cause you more problems than good. If you're using a drop test kit, throw it out (they're terrible). One day down the road when you think you might have some issues caused by low pH, buy a digital pH meter and calibrate it often. Honestly, pH is the most poorly messed with parameter we (sometimes) pay attention to. Even people that know nothing about fish keeping will often say, "So you have to test lots of things in the reef, like pH, right?" 
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moulton1853
Active Member
The tank is by an inside wall in a 3 yr old house. Unfortunately the weather isn't allowing me to open windows recently. I have been testing it every other day at 11 as time of day may effect that. I understand pH isn't a main concern and I don't want to be the type of reef keeper that is continuously adding a bottle of something to make it better. Just want it to be good enough to add a fish or 2 without harming it. Like I said nothing is in it yet. Will be adding snails and crabs this week or next.
Myka
Valuable Member
The pH is fine. It will go up as the tank ages. The CUC and fish will not care. If you're using a drop test kit your reading is probably not accurate anyway.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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FWIW, unbaked baking soda won't raise pH. It will actually lower it a bit, but it will boost alkalinity. Don't dose anything based specifically on pH values.
When you need to raise pH AND alkalinity, use an alkalinity supplement that boosts pH and alkalintiy a=such as baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) or limewater (kalkwasser).
This has more:
Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm
and
The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners Part 3: pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php
When you need to raise pH AND alkalinity, use an alkalinity supplement that boosts pH and alkalintiy a=such as baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) or limewater (kalkwasser).
This has more:
Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm
and
The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners Part 3: pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php
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moulton1853
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Thank you! I do not need to raise both. Alk has been reading on the high side so I figure that will drop as things get added. Calcium is also on the high side. Maybe it's just inadequate test kit. I'm thinking just let it be for a while and see.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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moulton1853
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Last night was the first night since before I set up the tank that I was able to leave the window open. I increased aeration through the air line on the power head and got a much better reading. Yesterday 7.9 - today 8.1
Myka
Valuable Member
Last night was the first night since before I set up the tank that I was able to leave the window open. I increased aeration through the air line on the power head and got a much better reading. Yesterday 7.9 - today 8.1
You aren't running a skimmer?
Myka
Valuable Member
What's your reason? Can you achieve the same result with a different method and leave the skimmer on 24/7? You could pull the plug on the skimmer cup overnight instead for example.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Last night was the first night since before I set up the tank that I was able to leave the window open. I increased aeration through the air line on the power head and got a much better reading. Yesterday 7.9 - today 8.1
Sounds good.
Happy Reefing.
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moulton1853
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I turn it off so the noise doesn't keep me awake and so I can hear my kids in the night if they wake up. Has nothing to do with tank parameters, but with daily life here.
Myka
Valuable Member
Wow, your skimmer must be noisy. Or in your bedroom?
I was just thinking you could figure out a better way since an airstone makes such a mess.
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moulton1853
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yes, it's in my bedroom and there is no airstone. The air tube goes right to the power head. It is turned off most of the time. Just opened it to see if aeration would help and it did. Did not open it last night but still had the window open and it rose up slightly again to 8.2.
Myka
Valuable Member
With it being in the bedroom where you have (I assume) two breathing people in a relatively small room probably isn't help you out at all.
Are you actually seeing any issues that you're associating with pH? pH is probably the most worried about parameter, and relatively the least consequential.
