How to raise my PH?

[DonCisco]

12Gallon Aquapod
18lb LR
20lb LS
1 Strigata goby
1 blood red shrimp
1 skunk cleaner
5-6 hermits
2 med turbos
3 nassariums
10 mixed snails
1 red scallop
1 oyster
3 feathers
about 15 small frags (mostly softies, couple of LPS, couple SPS)
150W MH pendant 10,000K

Rio 800
Small nano skimmer in back sump

Ok, here are the parameters, they are fairly consistent for the last 3 months.

S.G. 1.024
Calcium 480ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20ppm
Ammonia 0 (undetectable)
KH 10
Phosphate 0
MG 1280ppm

PH 7.8 Consistent

I used RO/DI water
weekly 3 gallon change.

What do I do in order to increase my PH? I have been looking at those Proper PH packs, but I don't want to use "fast cure" chemicals if I don't have to.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Harif87]

If you dose with Kalk with the next water change it should raise your pH. But be sure not to go overboard since you might get some precipitate and because your pH might swing too fast.

Would adding a little bit of Magnesium to prevent precipitate be a good idea or would that cause too high of Mg levels?

 

[scumonkey]

What are you using to test your PH with?
Is your tank open or covered?
Have you tried putting some tank water in a glass and leaving outside for a while and testing that?
PH should balance itself with the other params in line as long as you don't have a co2 problem?!

 

[Domboski]

I usually go with a large water change using Tropic-Marin salt. Usually sets the PH at about 8.2 or so. There may be better ways to do it, that is just what I do.

Your tank is small so the water change should be sufficient. Are you against using buffers?

 

[DonCisco]

the tank is opened during the day, so I can use the pendant (thanks Dom )
in the evening I put back the cover
I used fastest and API tests
I am not against using buffers, I just don't want to shock the system and throw all params out of whack.

(is $50 good for a Milwaukee Electronics PH monitor with probe? price includes shipping)

 

[scumonkey]

PH naturally goes down at night- putting the cover on at night doesn't help that either.
Do you have a lot of surface agitation? do you have, or have you tried, aiming a fan at the surface of the water...?
PH buffers are NO good- they will throw your other params outta whack!
With your calcium at 480 (doesn't need to be more than 450) your alk is a little low. According to the chemistry calculator with a cal level at 450 your alk should be around 12.5-12.8...supplementing your alk will auto raise your PH!
I had been going through this same problem for a while.
I learned a lot from Randy H. F.
Do you supplement for alk and cal (although you don't need to supp that cal right now)?
Try reading this to learn more about how alk affects PH: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php

and this to learn how to make your own supps:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

(b- ionic is expensive)
When I finally got my alk in line with my cal- my PH rose right up to where it was supposed to be- without adding buffers!

 

[meschaefer]

I have to agree with Scum Monkey, bring your ALk and Calcium into balance, and the PH will take care of itself.

Take the cover off of the tank at night. During the day, or when the lights are on, photsythesis takes care of the excess CO2 in the tank. When the lights are off, nothing is uptaking the CO2, so CO2 levels increase. Excess CO2 will lower your PH, with the cover off you will have better gas exchange between the tank and the ambient atmosphere (i.e. the air in the room).

Some people "harness" this effect by running a fuge with a reverse lighting cycle. While this will not raise your PH initself, it will even out the PH swing that occurs over 24 hours.

 

[Harif87]

Stupid question. Whats considered having alk and calcium in balance? Whats the ratio of alk:calc?

 

[scumonkey]

Harif87 check out the calculator link below....you can play around with numbers and get an idea of what a proper balance should be.

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html

 

[krustycat]

This article (by Randy Holmes-Farley) describes an aeration experiment that you can use to find if your problem is excess of CO2 that is lowering the pH

Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

HTH
Rossana

 

[DonCisco]

Thanks everyone for your advice.
I have a hydor flo and it really stirs the water and aereates the water very nicely.
I will play with the different ideas (try to keep the buffer as last option)
and I will start taking morning and early evening readings, Maybe it is always low because I always test early in the morning.

 

[meschaefer]

The hydor flo should help, but I would still make it a point not to keep the tank covered at night, the gas exchange is really important and you will not be getting a good exchange if the tank is covered.