Raising PH

[Susan Edwards]

Tank set up in October so nearly 7 mo old. PH never got above 7.8-9. Just added a co2 scrubber--Brs canister. Now it will go to 8 or 8.3 but no higher. I have the canister under the sump hooked directly to the skimmer pump (silencer removed). The other barb on the canister is actually sticking out the back of the cabinet and I even hooked up a tube and ran it to the window -- about 10 feet. I keep the window open when I'm home so have it tied to the curtain where the window is open. Still only getting 8. Do I just give it time?

I have a ceiling fan in the room I can and do run when not too cold.

Suggestions?

alk 8.6
ca 390
mg 1462
A water change lowered ca and mg a bit.
220 gal (RS 3xl900)

Nothing in my refug yet. Ordering chaeto

 

[ReefAddict16]

Bigger skimmer with a higher air flow rating.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Bigger skimmer with a higher air flow rating.

I have the Red Sea 900. Big skimmer!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How are you measuring pH?

How long are the windows open at a stretch?

 

[sdreef]

Tank set up in October so nearly 7 mo old. PH never got above 7.8-9. Just added a co2 scrubber--Brs canister. Now it will go to 8 or 8.3 but no higher. I have the canister under the sump hooked directly to the skimmer pump (silencer removed). The other barb on the canister is actually sticking out the back of the cabinet and I even hooked up a tube and ran it to the window -- about 10 feet. I keep the window open when I'm home so have it tied to the curtain where the window is open. Still only getting 8. Do I just give it time?

I have a ceiling fan in the room I can and do run when not too cold.

Suggestions?

alk 8.6
ca 390
mg 1462
A water change lowered ca and mg a bit.
220 gal (RS 3xl900)

Nothing in my refug yet. Ordering chaeto

Is there a reason you want your pH higher than 8.3? 8-8.3 sounds ok to me. Any time working to adjust the pH, it's helpful to verify the probe is calibrated.

As you add corals and they grow, the photosynthesis will increase and consume CO2 driving pH higher.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

How are you measuring pH?

How long are the windows open at a stretch?

My ph is 8.2-8.4 kept pretty stable with air exchange and 2 part dosing with soda ash..

what is being used for dosing? Is this something that could be looked at?? soda ash 2 part could help raise PH right. Start forcing dosing in small amounts and work your way up as coralinealgae grows and raises the demand(randy has an excellent recipe) and this is only my question not my suggestion, I am wondering if this what you would suggest or something similar?

 

[djf91]

Is it at 8 or 8.3? That’s a big difference. 8.3 is fine.

 

[Susan Edwards]

How are you measuring pH?

How long are the windows open at a stretch?

Apex probes for measuring.

Windows in the room (10x10) are open sometimes 24 hrs. Only time I close them is when I go to work and that is about 5 hrs normally. I leave them open at least 4-5 inches at night if a cold night. Otherwise, they are open.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Is there a reason you want your pH higher than 8.3? 8-8.3 sounds ok to me. Any time working to adjust the pH, it's helpful to verify the probe is calibrated.

As you add corals and they grow, the photosynthesis will increase and consume CO2 driving pH higher.

I'm barely getting 8.01 to 8.03 and not consistantly. Right now it is at 7.88. I want 8.2 or 8.3. The probe had been calibrated in December when I set the apex up

 

[Susan Edwards]

s it at 8 or 8.3? That’s a big difference. 8.3 is fine.

8.03 at the highest. Not 8.3

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

is the room normally filled with people or pets?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The pH may just be reading lower than reality if it is only peaking at 8.0 in a room with open windows.

 

[Susan Edwards]

is the room normally filled with people or pets?

Just me, 2 dogs and several cats that are in and out.

 

[Nonya]

Is it at 8 or 8.3? That’s a big difference. 8.3 is fine.

Depends on the time of day. Mine swings by 0.2 daily.

 

[Nonya]

The pH may just be reading lower than reality if it is only peaking at 8.0 in a room with open windows.

Unless she's dosing kalk?

 

[ReefAddict16]

I have the Red Sea 900. Big skimmer!

Ok that has a high air flow rating. Open your air flow valve all the way, if it’s not already.
If skimmer overflows you can either raise the skimmer or lower the water level. Good luck!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This article discusses pH and provides an aeration test to see if you need more aeration, or fresher air to aerate with:

pH and the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

by Randy Holmes-Farley For many aquarists, pH is not something that they have much experience with aside from their aquarium. For many, pH is almost a black box measurement: something to be considered, but whose physical meaning makes little sense to them. This article will Read more here...

www.reefedition.com

The Aeration Test

Some of the possible causes of low pH listed above require an effort to diagnose. Problems 3 and 4 are quite common, and here is a way to distinguish them. Remove a cup of tank water and measure its pH. Then aerate it for an hour with an airstone using outside air. Its pH should rise if it is unusually low for the measured alkalinity (Figure 2). Then repeat the same experiment on a new cup of water using inside air. If its pH also rises, then the aquarium’s pH will rise simply with more aeration because it is only the aquarium that contains excess carbon dioxide. If the pH does not rise in the cup (or rises very little) when aerating with indoor air, then that air likely contains excess CO2, and more aeration with that same air will not solve the low pH problem (although aeration with fresher air should). Be careful implementing this test if the outside aeration test results in a large temperature change (more than 5°C or 10°F), because such changes alone impact pH measurements.

 

[youcallmenny1]

I suggest you recirculate the scrubber by hooking the intake up to the lid of your skimmer cup. This resulted in a higher ph for me and makes the soda lime media in the scrubber last a lot longer.

 

[Dkmoo]

+1 on recirculating the scrubber - made all the diff in mine.

Also - it could be that the ambient CO2 in your living room is too high that's actively counteracting your scrubber due to the regular air exchange from the exposed surface areas. If that's the case consider REDUCING the surface water agitation. If you are concerned about o2 b/c the scrubber is recirculating now, you can run a second air pump with outside air directly.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

This article discusses pH and provides an aeration test to see if you need more aeration, or fresher air to aerate with:

pH and the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

by Randy Holmes-Farley For many aquarists, pH is not something that they have much experience with aside from their aquarium. For many, pH is almost a black box measurement: something to be considered, but whose physical meaning makes little sense to them. This article will Read more here...

www.reefedition.com

The Aeration Test

Some of the possible causes of low pH listed above require an effort to diagnose. Problems 3 and 4 are quite common, and here is a way to distinguish them. Remove a cup of tank water and measure its pH. Then aerate it for an hour with an airstone using outside air. Its pH should rise if it is unusually low for the measured alkalinity (Figure 2). Then repeat the same experiment on a new cup of water using inside air. If its pH also rises, then the aquarium’s pH will rise simply with more aeration because it is only the aquarium that contains excess carbon dioxide. If the pH does not rise in the cup (or rises very little) when aerating with indoor air, then that air likely contains excess CO2, and more aeration with that same air will not solve the low pH problem (although aeration with fresher air should). Be careful implementing this test if the outside aeration test results in a large temperature change (more than 5°C or 10°F), because such changes alone impact pH measurements.

There is a chart in the article you shared showing that the ph will rise if alkalinity rises. All things being the same. If I raise my alk from 9.5 to 10.5 with all for reef, my ph should also rise?