Low pH solution not yet discussed!

[Diesel]

In the morning its at 7.55 and in the evenings its at 79.2 i monitor it through my Neptune Apex

Not bad for the late afternoon.
Mornings are low
If you monitor through the apex it will also tell you what your avg is on the Ph.
So can you tell us what that is?
Also what time you have the fastest increase during the day?
Say for exsapmle at 7am it is 7.55 and at noon it is 7.61 but at 3 it is 7.92.
I do advice to calibrate your Ph probe again.
Must tell you that I replace my Ph monitor every year and re-calibrate it every 4 months.

After that is all worked out and Ph is still low we can work with more air through your overflow or dose some kalk in the ATO as that will remove a lot of Co2 from your water, more so than the two part.

 

[Drex]

Not bad for the late afternoon.
Mornings are low
If you monitor through the apex it will also tell you what your avg is on the Ph.
So can you tell us what that is?
Also what time you have the fastest increase during the day?
Say for exsapmle at 7am it is 7.55 and at noon it is 7.61 but at 3 it is 7.92.
I do advice to calibrate your Ph probe again.
Must tell you that I replace my Ph monitor every year and re-calibrate it every 4 months.

After that is all worked out and Ph is still low we can work with more air through your overflow or dose some kalk in the ATO as that will remove a lot of Co2 from your water, more so than the two part.

Here you go

 

[Drex]

Here you go

Oh and im running a calcium reactor also my bad for not putting that in

 

[Diesel]

If I’m correct you have two peaks during a 24 period cycle am I right?
You have also a quick dip during your peak times.

 

[Drex]

If I’m correct you have two peaks during a 24 period cycle am I right?
You have also a quick dip during your peak times.

Yes sir

 

[Drex]

If I’m correct you have two peaks during a 24 period cycle am I right?
You have also a quick dip during your peak times.

Looks like thats about the time my lights go off

 

[Diesel]

Oh and im running a calcium reactor also my bad for not putting that in

How many bubbles of Co2 per min you put in your reactor when it’s on?
I assume it’s hooked up to your apex?
What ph level is the internal ph probe set in your reactor?
Do you run a duel reactor or just single?

 

[Diesel]

Looks like thats about the time my lights go off

Your lights go off twice a day?

 

[Drex]

No its not a duel reactor and yes its hooked up to my apex

How many bubbles of Co2 per min you put in your reactor when it’s on?
I assume it’s hooked up to your apex?
What ph level is the internal ph probe set in your reactor?
Do you run a duel reactor or just single?

 

[Drex]

No i was looking at graft and comparing the times when my lights go out

Your lights go off twice a day?

 

[Diesel]

I suggest to get a second chaimber for your reactor.
Secondly turn your reactor off for 3 days to monitor how your Ph react on that.
Thirdly, using a little kalkwasser in your ATO help you as well to get rid of the unused Co2 you have in your water.

 

[Drex]

Ok cool i use a 5 gallon container for my top off about how much kalk would you suggest adding to it

I suggest to get a second chaimber for your reactor.
Secondly turn your reactor off for 3 days to monitor how your Ph react on that.
Thirdly, using a little kalkwasser in your ATO help you as well to get rid of the unused Co2 you have in your water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

A second chamber of aragonite media on a CaCO3/CO2 reactor will only be useful if you reduce the amount of CO2 delivered from the cylinder because otherwise the same total CO2 is being delivered to the aquarium.

It may seem counter intuitive, but the pH of the effluent is not what matters for tank pH, just the total amount of CO2 delivered.

Some folks aerate the rector effluent for the same pH raising purpose.

 

[Diesel]

Ok cool i use a 5 gallon container for my top off about how much kalk would you suggest adding to it

I would start out 2 TBS.

Mix 2 TBS in a one gallon jug and let this stand for 24/48 hours.
The kalkwasser settles at the bottom now.
Try to siphon only the clear water from the jug in your 5g bucket.
Top your bucket off with RODI water.
Mix more kalkwasser after this and top off your bucket every time with the clear kalkwasser water.
Monitor your Ph after this.
You should see improvements without raising your ALK and CAL much.

 

[P-Dub]

Help you put here quick with the No3 with an abstract from my built thread:

Here is the Reef Moonshiner's TM recipe for a Sodium Nitrate stock solution out of the woods ;-)
Mix 50gram of Sodium Nitrate into 1Liter or 1Kg RODI water which you will have available as a carrier liquid.
To increase 1ppm No3, with this Solution, you need to dose 2.75ml per 100Liter tank volume.
If you want to do only 0.25ppm simply divide the total by 4...... simple math.

Here is the Reef Moonshiner's TM recipe for Potassium Nitrate ;-)
Mix 50gram of Potassium Nitrate into 1Liter or 1Kg RODI water which you will have available as a carrier liquid.
To increase 1ppm No3, with this Solution, you need to dose 3.26ml per 100Liter tank volume.
If you want to do only 0.25ppm simply divide the total by 4...... simple math.

So you see it is weaker than Sodium Nitrate solution and need some more!
The amount of Potassium increase is extremely low for our tanks and only increases 0.63ppm which is nothing compared to a standard value of around 400-410ppm. Just in case you guys are interested on the potassium increase ;-)

If you use RODI water for Nitrate solutions, they won't last longer than 3-6 months or so, due to the fact of bacteria growth.
RODI is not good for professional supplements, just saying.

Happy Reefing.
-Andre

Thank you for that recipe, Andre!

 

[P-Dub]

There are many ways to raise pH.

For most people, a skimmer inlet is better than an overflow for outside air addition because the air flow is higher and the mixing is better. But if you do not have a skimmer or just a very small one, the overflow might be a good option. FWIW, my overflows sucked very little air and wouldn't be especially useful.

When you say base addition, you mean hydroxide dosed to the tank? That's a great way to remove some CO2, but remember that it adds alkalinity.

If you mean soda lime on a skimmer inlet, that's more effective than outside air in many cases, but costs to buy and replace the media.

I do believe that you are right on the money with your assessment, Randy. I'm sure this is the case with many overflow designs out there. My overflow, due to design I'm sure, actually pulls a ton of air to the point I could hear it sucking air through the vent tube. Quantitatively, venting outside air to my overflow had a relatively equal effect on co2 reduction, (8.08 average increase to 8.23), as did venting my skimmer with outside air (7.95 up to 8.08). Go figure...

 

[P-Dub]

P-Dub im sorry to put i do have my air holes from my skimmer ran outside of my house and my pH is still not going anywhere near where it should be and it a half inch holes so its taken is a lot here is a pic of red sea overflow box

I've seen that photo (similar) in the brochures but unfortunately, it does little to help me understand the mechanics of exactly how that silencer works. I'm sticking with my assumptions stated previously. Cap it and if it then gurgles stick a hole and vent that hole to the exterior. How far is the run to the exterior? It the vent line to the exterior that you have on your skimmer air-tight?

 

[jokerman826]

I stopped chasing ph years ago. I hang out around 7.9 and everything does good.

 

[PSXerholic]

I do believe that you are right on the money with your assessment, Randy. I'm sure this is the case with many overflow designs out there. My overflow, due to design I'm sure, actually pulls a ton of air to the point I could hear it sucking air through the vent tube. Quantitatively, venting outside air to my overflow had a relatively equal effect on co2 reduction, (8.08 average increase to 8.23), as did venting my skimmer with outside air (7.95 up to 8.08). Go figure...

Yes they actually do. I did have my classic overflow air inlets connected to a scrubber in the past as well.
A better solution is what Marineland does with their modified Durso's. Check that design. They use balance holes in the sides of the elbow to reduce the air inlet withdraw. Google that ;-)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do believe that you are right on the money with your assessment, Randy. I'm sure this is the case with many overflow designs out there. My overflow, due to design I'm sure, actually pulls a ton of air to the point I could hear it sucking air through the vent tube. Quantitatively, venting outside air to my overflow had a relatively equal effect on co2 reduction, (8.08 average increase to 8.23), as did venting my skimmer with outside air (7.95 up to 8.08). Go figure...

I agree it likely is. Many of us, myself included, have modified our overflows to reduce air suction and hence reduce the loud gurgling noise.