Raise my PH

[xrouter]

What else can I do to raise my PH? I'm currently stuck with this:

I have an airline to my skimmer from the outside which had little effect (I live in an old Victorian house so its well ventilated already ), I'm dosing red sea 2 part and I hover between 9-10 DKh. The refugium is big and the light is on at night only and is a kessile grow light...what am I missing here? Everything I keep reading suggests these steps should have my PH under control but it sub par. I have considered a CO2 filter on the air line but is that needed if I'm pulling air from outside?

I want to be running at 8.2 but am no where near achieving that currently so any advice very welcome.

 

[P-Dub]

What are your current dKh and Ca levels at?

 

[xrouter]

Been working to get these stable with my doser but 9.9DKH and 430

 

[xrouter]

I am dosing about 2ml of nopox a day, just been reading that carbon dosing can reduce PH, could the nopox be having a similar effect?

 

[Ben FL]

Hi,
You should also consider your light power. More light = more photosyntesis = raise PH.
I have also my Skimmer connected outside, and in this case it's not needed to connect a CO2 Filter (Skimbreeze).
Some other factors should be checked. Stop dosing carbon and stop adding bacterias.
Bacterias consume O2 and make your ph falling.
You can also check the water surface movement.

And maybe try with another device to ensure your mesure is correct (or etalonate)

 

[xrouter]

You should also consider your light power. More light = more photosyntesis = raise PH.

Some other factors should be checked. Stop dosing carbon and stop adding bacterias.
Bacterias consume O2 and make your ph falling.

Great info thank you, Ill cut back the nopox and see if that produces a boost to the ph.

I'm currently using a H80 in the sump which is not hugely powerful, might upgrade that then as I will need to increase the export there if I'm reducing nopox use.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Your pH is fine, but if you want to raise it, this article details ways:

pH And The Reef Aquarium
http://www.reefedition.com/ph-and-the-reef-aquarium/

 

[jjencek]

Also looks like you are using APEX. Make sure that the probe is actually reading right - is it properly calibrated? Do you another way to test it and compare?

 

[schuby]

I am dosing about 2ml of nopox a day, just been reading that carbon dosing can reduce PH, could the nopox be having a similar effect?

I'm pretty sure that nopox is carbon-dosing so ,"Yes."

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm pretty sure that nopox is carbon-dosing so ,"Yes."

It is, and yes, it does have a pH lowering effect.

That said, I'm not sure I'd stop using carbon dosing just for that reason.

 

[xrouter]

Also looks like you are using APEX. Make sure that the probe is actually reading right - is it properly calibrated? Do you another way to test it and compare?

I can't be 100% no, good point. Going to get a secondary test plus some calibration fluids.

 

[xrouter]

It is, and yes, it does have a pH lowering effect.

That said, I'm not sure I'd stop using carbon dosing just for that reason.

I'm using the nopox to suppliment my refugium but I agree I don't want to suddenly stop that so I'm going to scale up the light in there and slowly reduce the nopox. I don't want to be using nopox long term so its a good point to start considering that move.

 

[burningmime]

The ways that have worked for me:
- Kalkwasser in the ATO instead of 2-part or other dosing. This has a HUGE effect.
- CO2 scrubber.

 

[schuby]

You should know when your refugium (I use chaeto in mine) can replace your carbon-dosing because your Phosphate and/or Nitrate will go to zero if you keep carbon-dosing. That's where I hope to be after I get my chaeto large enough. Until then, I'll keep carbon-dosing.

What do you have in your refugium?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You should know when your refugium (I use chaeto in mine) can replace your carbon-dosing because your Phosphate and/or Nitrate will go to zero if you keep carbon-dosing. That's where I hope to be after I get my chaeto large enough. Until then, I'll keep carbon-dosing.

What do you have in your refugium?

That can certainly happen, but does not always. I used both at the same time, even with very high doses of organic carbon (vinegar; > 1 mL per gallon).

 

[schuby]

That can certainly happen, but does not always. I used both at the same time, even with very high doses of organic carbon (vinegar; > 1 mL per gallon).

Yes, I'll find out how it goes for my tank. I'm following the vodka-dosing methodology. It was linked to by the link you supplied for vinegar-dosing. I've been at it for two months and am still increasing my dosage each week. I chose vodka because the dose is a lower volume than with vinegar.

My refugium is about 20 gallons. I'm going to let my chaeto fill most of it and see how that goes. I expect that as my SPS grow larger, then they'll consume more phosphate and nitrate, too. Fish grow larger, adding more phosphate and nitrate from more food.

It seems that just about nothing is constant in a reef tank!

Reefkeeping Magazine - Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium

Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for the marine aquarist.

reefkeeping.com

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

 

[Brett S]

This might be a bit on the extreme side, but @Reefinmike has come up with an idea to dose both lye and soda ash to help raise pH and keep pH more stable. I’m following in his footsteps and have set up a similar system myself, although I literally just turned it on yesterday, so I don’t have a lot of data about how it’s going to work, but it certainly seemed to make an improvement in my pH overnight.

There are a lot more details on his thread here:

Integrating the Alkatronic, Apex and Dos for stable alkalinity AND pH.

Jail breaking the alkatronic for apex controlled dosing- chasing stable alkalinity AND pH. I love my apex gear but couldn’t ever sell myself on the trident. Reagent cost is the biggest factor followed by availability, limited value in Ca/Mg testing, colorimeter etc. I’ve had my Alkatronic...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[burningmime]

Does a natural reef have a daily pH swing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Does a natural reef have a daily pH swing?

yes. It is shown in the article below. Also note that the pH at the low end is concerning while more time at higher pH is considered a benefit for calcifying organisms.

Diel Variability in Seawater pH Relates to Calcification and Benthic Community Structure on Coral Reefs

Community structure and assembly are determined in part by environmental heterogeneity. While reef-building corals respond negatively to warming (i.e. bleaching events) and ocean acidification (OA), the extent of present-day natural variability in pH on shallow reefs and ecological consequences...

journals.plos.org

"Finally, our data suggest that as coral reef communities begin experiencing a greater daily duration of low pH values as a result of OA, the abundance of calcified organisms and the structural services they provide will likely be compromised in the foreseeable future."

 

[Garf]

yes. It is shown in the article below. Also note that the pH at the low end is concerning while more time at higher pH is considered a benefit for calcifying organisms.

Diel Variability in Seawater pH Relates to Calcification and Benthic Community Structure on Coral Reefs

Community structure and assembly are determined in part by environmental heterogeneity. While reef-building corals respond negatively to warming (i.e. bleaching events) and ocean acidification (OA), the extent of present-day natural variability in pH on shallow reefs and ecological consequences...

journals.plos.org

"Finally, our data suggest that as coral reef communities begin experiencing a greater daily duration of low pH values as a result of OA, the abundance of calcified organisms and the structural services they provide will likely be compromised in the foreseeable future."

Read it, brain fried, drink more JD