Someone please sanity check my high PH attack plan

[Cobrasvt1999]

Hello all,

I'm currently debating what to do about my high PH in my tank. It has been peaking in the 8.5 range each day and only dropping at about 8.4 by the end of each night. I currently am maintaining a Alk of 8.6 via dosing of two part Soda ash and I suspect that is the cause of my PH woes, but I just don't really want to let my Alk drop and it does pretty quickly when I stop dosing.

My current idea is to use air stones to increase CO2 exchange and attempt to drive the PH down. I do have a protein skimmer though and I honestly have a hard time seeing how a air stone will make much a difference compared to that, but everywhere i'm reading is basically saying that High PH is almost always a CO2 deficiency and it needs to be balanced better with the atmosphere.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Courtney Aldrich]

You could dose CO2 to the tank using a CO2 cylinder and regulator with a solenoid controlled by an Apex. This is common in planted freshwater aquariums that consume a lot of CO2. Alternatively, you could decrease your lighting (photosynthesis by the algae in your corals is consuming the CO2).

Check this out: https://www.co2art.us/collections/complete-kits

Programming Apex: https://forum.neptunesystems.com/showthread.php?19176-programming-solenoid-for-CO2-dosing

 

[salty joe]

I kinda envy you, I am at the low end of pH.
Would a calcium reactor be an option? They tend to lower pH.

 

[tehmadreefer]

That really isn’t all that high. 8.3 is where you want at to be. I’d let correct itself on its own, which it will.

 

[blasterman]

I would double check pH just to be sure.

If soda ash is causing the problem (seems like it would take a lot because it's not that strong) then don't use soda ash. It's just baking soda that's been heated to drive off c02. Or, use half and half soda ash with just baking soda.

 

[keithIHS]

Agree w @blasterman. Check or calibrate your pH measurement and try dosing w just baking soda for a few days. Depending on how much soda ash you are dosing, it can raise pH. I've been using baking soda (not soda ash) to get my alk up. But again, make sure your pH measurement is correct. Precision does not imply accuracy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

pH 8.5 is fine, but I'm suspicious that the pH is not as high as you think.

Try aerating a cup of tank with with indoor air and see what pH you get. If it does not come down to 8.2 or lower, then the measurement is off (or the alkalinity is very high).

 

[keithIHS]

pH 8.5 is fine, but I'm suspicious that the pH is not as high as you think.

Try aerating a cup of tank with with indoor air and see what pH you get. If it does not come down to 8.2 or lower, then the measurement is off (or the alkalinity is very high).

OK, that's brilliant...and now obvious in hindsight, but completely hidden from me previously. How long should it take to equilibrate the CO2 and stabilize the pH?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, that's brilliant...and now obvious in hindsight, but completely hidden from me previously. How long should it take to equilibrate the CO2 and stabilize the pH?

A cup of water aerated with a bubbler of some sort should not take more than an hour or two.