Ph help

[SpencerT82]

My tank sits around 7.7-7.85 ph through the day acording to my apex and my redsea test kit shows around the same if not lower ph. Im looking to dose kalkwasser to raise the ph. Can i dose it through an apex dos head? if not any other ways than ato? or any alternative methods to rasie ph? I just set up a fuge last week btw

 

[HuduVudu]

My tank sits around 7.7-7.85 ph through the day acording to my apex and my redsea test kit shows around the same if not lower ph. Im looking to dose kalkwasser to raise the ph. Can i dose it through an apex dos head? if not any other ways than ato? or any alternative methods to rasie ph? I just set up a fuge last week btw

The best equipment purchase you can make is a CO2 meter. Having it will give you great information to make solid decisions from.

I wouldn't do anything until you know what your ambient CO2 levels are.

My 2 cents.

 

[ReefEco]

Using a doser like the apex DOS to add kalk is a great way to do it, and much better than using in an ATO reservoir, which will vary its dosage with evaporation - not ideal. A Co2 meter is certainly a nice to have and will provide good data, but is not necessary - you almost certainly have high Co2 levels in your house with such a depressed pH, which is a very common issue. If you are careful, you can also look into dosing sodium hydroxide, which is a high pH alkalinity additive as part of a two-part regime, compared to normal soda ash. If you are running a skimmer, running a line to the outside to feed it with fresh air will give a little boost as well. Each one of these things alone won't solve your pH, but all together you might get a 0.2-0.3 boost easily. Fuge lite at night opposite the tank will also help a bit, depending on how much algae you are running and the size of your tank...

 

[gbroadbridge]

The best equipment purchase you can make is a CO2 meter. Having it will give you great information to make solid decisions from.

I wouldn't do anything until you know what your ambient CO2 levels are.

My 2 cents.

The problem with CO2 measuring devices, is that the cheap amazon type typically are so innacurate as to be useless.

An accurate measurement instrument would typically have at least single point calibration, and good luck finding something like that for under $1000.

Seriously, you're better off just assuming that you have a co2 problem (because more likely than not, that is true), and curing the problem with methods that are known to work, than adding a useless tool to the kit.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Running a fan across tank or sump will help. I'm not concerned about number if its steady/stable at that number. opening a window can also raise Ph as will adding macroalgae and adding crushed coral to the sump or even baking soad in small amounts will also work

 

[HuduVudu]

An accurate measurement instrument would typically have at least single point calibration, and good luck finding something like that for under $1000.

You don't need to be lab grade to get an idea. Almost all of the cheap meters are laser based and typically run at about 5%. If I read outside at 450ppm and inside at 1500ppm this is adequate even though the "real" numbers will be somewhere within 5% up or down from these numbers. Worst case 475ppm and 1425ppm. This is still useful information.

I have a pretty ambivilent approach to measuring. It is really hard as you stated to have accurate numbers, but under most circumstances this isn't even remotely important. "Calculate with a calculator, measure with a tape measure, cut with a chain saw."

You see this with pH with alk with mag with calcium etc ... Yet we still buy tests to give us an idea. Even ICP has it's own set of issues. This is the nature of the beast when it comes to measurement.

I spend all of my time in wood working and building trying to not have to measure precisely. Geometry ftw

Seriously, you're better off just assuming that you have a co2 problem (because more likely than not, that is true), and curing the problem with methods that are known to work, than adding a useless tool to the kit.

I agree here, but some people need convincing that there really is a problem. It is hard to get your head around just how much CO2 human beings produce in an enclosed living area. The other problem assumption is that people think that just because their home is new or expensive that this isn't an issue. Very likely it is.

It is better to spend the miniscule amount that a CO2 meter represents and at least get a ball park range than to fly blind IMO.