pH and Alk

[snobby]

so i recently tested my tank and im getting 13.4 dKH and low ph somewhere between 7.6 and 7.8
i know i need my pH to be higher but if i start dosing to raise my pH will my alk be too high?
i am trying to raise the pH in other ways i.e. more ventilation in the room and such but not having much of an affect and i do have reef buffer from seachem but some guidance would be greatly appreciated before i do anything. thanks!

 

[SeanGreen1]

Why are you running your alk so high? It's too high lower it to 8-9 and your PH might stabilise. If it doesn't consider dosing to raise the PH. My alkalinity sits at 8.0dkh and my PH is always 8.1-8.4. Opening windows and such rarely has a great impact on it just helps a little if I where you I'd lower your alk before trying to raise PH.

 

[Lemons]

Are you totally sure of those numbers? IE, have you recently calibrated your pH probe/ verified your ALK reading with another test kit?

Also for gas exhange are you using a skimmer? Do you have that skimmer going through a CO2 scrubber? How much surface agitation does your tank have?

Finally what size of tank are we talking here? And does it have a heavy fish bioload?

Also any product that claims to raise pH without rasing alk, are false claims. So i wouldnt use any buffer

 

[Lemons]

And also when in doubt do a WC, most freshly mixed salt water comes out to about 8.3ish

 

[snobby]

currently i dont dose anything to my tank other than NO3O4-X to lower nitrate so all of my levels are coming straight from my weekly water changes using the red sea coral pro salt, its a red sea nano max peninsula so its 100L total, running a protein skimmer without a scrubber just the basics at the moment. The return pump is creating water agitation but i can move it so that it causes more if needed, have 2 clowns a royal gramma and a cleaner shrimp. using the red sea alk test kit but have not compared it to others but it has been consistent with its readings. i should also mention that it is a newer tank about 4 months old.

 

[nereefpat]

Chemicals sold to hobbyists as "buffers" are just carbonate/bicarbonate which raises alkalinity. Don't add any of that.

pH in our tanks is only a product of alkalinity and CO2. There is nothing else to it.

I agree about making sure you have recently calibrated your pH probe.

The other thing I will add is that a lot of reefers don't even measure pH.

 

[Osbie Feel]

Looks like the salt mix you are using claims to mix at 12 dKH, so you're reading isn't too far out of line, but I would still consider getting a second opinion.

When did you test your pH? It can fluctuate a lot throughout the day, being lowest just before lights on and highest sometime before lights off, as photosynthesis uses the CO2 in the water.

The ways to raise pH (that I have seen) are as follows:

• Get more outside air into the tank, either through the skimmer or just with an air stone. YMMV
• Use CO2 scrubbing media, preferably using outside air and recirculated through your skimmer. Effective but expensive.
• A refugium on a reverse lighting cycle can dampen the daily fluctuation in pH so that it doesn't drop as low at night. YMMV as your tank may not need a refugium so large that it affects pH very much.
• Does high pH additives such as hydroxides. Unavoidably these will increase alkalinity which may not be desirable.

Oh, and do you run a skimmer?

 

[banger32]

Do you have wavemakers going

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, there is NOTHING you can add that will raise pH and not boost alkalinity.