Dosing Buffer

[GiannisK]

My pH has been testing at 7.8 with the API kit. I've been dosing some seachem marine liquid buffer but still not seeing any difference. I've dosed 3 times in the past 4 days, still at 7.8. Any tips? Am I just wasting my time with a useless product?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Don't chase pH. Also realize that any product that raises pH also raises your alk numbers....which could become problematic. If your corals look fine (which I'm sure they do), there is nothing wrong with 7.8, especially knowing you're using an API test kit (which I don't like).

 

[redfishbluefish]

Here's a Randy Holmes Farley article you might find interesting:

PH And The Reef Aquarium​

 

[GiannisK]

Interesting. I don't have any corals yet, it's a new setup. My alkalinity is currently at 9. I am a bit concerned because it was 8 or 8.2 a week ago. I live in a bottom-floor apartment, it's almost a basement and there are no windows in the living room where the tank is. Combined with having 3 roommates, I'm concerned about a buildup of CO2 lowering my pH. It's a 20 gallon tank with a powerhead and 2 HOB filters, I don't think water movement is the issue.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Interesting. I don't have any corals yet, it's a new setup. My alkalinity is currently at 9. I am a bit concerned because it was 8 or 8.2 a week ago. I live in a bottom-floor apartment, it's almost a basement and there are no windows in the living room where the tank is. Combined with having 3 roommates, I'm concerned about a buildup of CO2 lowering my pH. It's a 20 gallon tank with a powerhead and 2 HOB filters, I don't think water movement is the issue.

Yep, that's the issue with dosing any materials to raise pH: they all invariably raise alk as well. Buffers are among the worst for this as they have only a small pH raising effect and lots of alk boosting. When you need to dose alk, there are better choices.

 

[TheSheff]

Interesting. I don't have any corals yet, it's a new setup. My alkalinity is currently at 9. I am a bit concerned because it was 8 or 8.2 a week ago. I live in a bottom-floor apartment, it's almost a basement and there are no windows in the living room where the tank is. Combined with having 3 roommates, I'm concerned about a buildup of CO2 lowering my pH. It's a 20 gallon tank with a powerhead and 2 HOB filters, I don't think water movement is the issue.

Just try to open your window as much as possible, it makes a big difference

 

[GiannisK]

Yep, that's the issue with dosing any materials to raise pH: they all invariably raise alk as well. Buffers are among the worst for this as they have only a small pH raising effect and lots of alk boosting. When you need to dose alk, there are better choices.

Apologies, I wasn’t clear. My pH was at 8 or 8.2, not my alkalinity. I think my alkalinity was 10 a couple weeks ago, that’s the last time I had tested it. The pH dropped from 8/8.2 to 7.8.

I’m planning on getting some macroalgae to improve oxygenation.

Just try to open your window as much as possible, it makes a big difference

It’s got bars on it so it can only open a crack, and it’s in another room but I will open it as much as possible.

Any other tips for me to raise oxygen?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Interesting. I don't have any corals yet, it's a new setup. My alkalinity is currently at 9. I am a bit concerned because it was 8 or 8.2 a week ago. I live in a bottom-floor apartment, it's almost a basement and there are no windows in the living room where the tank is. Combined with having 3 roommates, I'm concerned about a buildup of CO2 lowering my pH. It's a 20 gallon tank with a powerhead and 2 HOB filters, I don't think water movement is the issue.

Brand new tank... Don't worry about testing anything right now besides maybe nitrate and phosphate (and salinity of course). You're trying to fix a problem you don't have. Once you get algae growing and add livestock, your parameters will change. Many of us do not test pH AT ALL. Once your system is stable (it's gone through the uglies/algae cycle, you have all your equipment tuned, and you have a fair amount of other life in your tank), then consider testing pH but understand that chasing numbers can cause more problems than it fixes...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Apologies, I wasn’t clear. My pH was at 8 or 8.2, not my alkalinity. I think my alkalinity was 10 a couple weeks ago, that’s the last time I had tested it. The pH dropped from 8/8.2 to 7.8.

I’m planning on getting some macroalgae to improve oxygenation.


It’s got bars on it so it can only open a crack, and it’s in another room but I will open it as much as possible.

Any other tips for me to raise oxygen?

Raising oxygen doesn't affect pH, lowering carbon dioxide does. If you're in the 7.8-8.2 range, you're fine. Did the lower value happen at a different time of day than the higher?

 

[GiannisK]

Brand new tank... Don't worry about testing anything right now besides maybe nitrate and phosphate (and salinity of course). You're trying to fix a problem you don't have. Once you get algae growing and add livestock, your parameters will change. Many of us do not test pH AT ALL. Once your system is stable (it's gone through the uglies/algae cycle, you have all your equipment tuned, and you have a fair amount of other life in your tank), then consider testing pH but understand that chasing numbers can cause more problems than it fixes...

Haha I’m sure you’re right…overstressing as always. And yes, I meant raising oxygen in proportion to CO2. To be honest I don’t remember the time of day the higher pH value was, but the lower one was taken in the evening.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Apologies, I wasn’t clear. My pH was at 8 or 8.2, not my alkalinity. I think my alkalinity was 10 a couple weeks ago, that’s the last time I had tested it. The pH dropped from 8/8.2 to 7.8.

OK, but that does not change my comments.

 

[jda]

Once your tank matures a little bit more and you have film bacteria, algae and corals, you will get a photosynthetic pH boost of about .2.

Otherwise, your tank pH is usually a product of the amount of co2 in the air in your home/office. If you have a lot of co2, this is easy to remedy. Adding those buffers might have driven off some co2 from your tank, but it is temporary and the co2 from the air dominates again.