HELP! pH stuck at 7.6

[BlanfordReef]

Hello all, for the past month or so I’ve been trying to dial in on consistent parameters on my reef. It’s a 50 gallon cube mixed reef.

I am running a CO2 scrubber, I have fans running in the apartment, and great surface turbulence.

Still cannot get above 7.6-7.7 pH.
Any suggestions????

 

[madadi]

I try not to chase pH but that seems a little low especially if you have sps and lps that rely on calcification for growth. What is your alkalinity and how do you maintain it? How old is the tank. Is it bare bottom? Can you open some windows in the same room with tank for 24h to see if the pH improved?

 

[BlanfordReef]

I try not to chase pH but that seems a little low especially if you have sps and lps that rely on calcification for growth. What is your alkalinity and how do you maintain it? How old is the tank. Is it bare bottom? Can you open some windows in the same room with tank for 24h to see if the pH improved?

I live in an apartment complex so I’m not too comfortable with the windows open that long. I know that could be a big help but sadly that’s one method I cannot commit to.

Alk holds at 9.9-10.

Dosing all for reef, 3ml per day during peak of the light cycle.

Tank is right around a year old. 1inch sand bed give or take.

 

[madadi]

If your apartment building recirculate the air it will def be very bad for pH. Macro in the sump im sure you have. Running a hose from skimmer air intake to a cracked window will help more than the scrubber in my experience. High CO2 homes deplete scrubbers in just a few days.

 

[fushi]

Hello all, for the past month or so I’ve been trying to dial in on consistent parameters on my reef. It’s a 50 gallon cube mixed reef.

I am running a CO2 scrubber, I have fans running in the apartment, and great surface turbulence.

Still cannot get above 7.6-7.7 pH.
Any suggestions????

My first thought is your Ph probe or test kit is off.

What are you using to test?

If it's a Ph Probe (Apex etc.) is it new, used, has it sat dry, when was the last time you calibrated?

Once you are sure reading is correct (which I feel like it may not be) have you thought about switching to Kalk or 2-part?

A hydroxide based 2-part provides a huge ph boost.

 

[BlanfordReef]

Hello all, for the past month or so I’ve been trying to dial in on consistent parameters on my reef. It’s a 50 gallon cube mixed reef.

I am running a CO2 scrubber, I have fans running in the apartment, and great surface turbulence.

Still cannot get above 7.6-7.7 pH.
Any suggestions????

My first thought is your Ph probe or test kit is off.

What are you using to test?

If it's a Ph Probe (Apex etc.) is it new, used, has it sat dry, when was the last time you calibrated?

Once you are sure reading is correct (whick I feel like it may not be) have you thought about switching to Kalk or 2-part?

A hydroxide based 2-part provides a huge ph boost.

Calibrated my pH probe this morning with 2 point calibration. 7.01 buffer and 10.01 buffer. It’s the red Hannah pH tester, it’s the one that has the little glass sensor at the bottom.

I’ve also had tests done before at LFS pH is still in that range.

I’m in a few other groups and they recommend Kalkwasser, I just have to learn how to dose it before diving in.

 

[BlanfordReef]

If your apartment building recirculate the air it will def be very bad for pH. Macro in the sump im sure you have. Running a hose from skimmer air intake to a cracked window will help more than the scrubber in my experience. High CO2 homes deplete scrubbers in just a few days.

My scrubber media has yet to change color, rather fresh, only been on tank for 2 weeks maybe less.

I’ve considered the air line out the window, I’m just really unsettled about the window being open while I’m not home.

I don’t have Macro algae, I did a sump swap and now have a chamber for it. waiting on my buddy to give me some.

 

[fushi]

Calibrated my pH probe this morning with 2 point calibration. 7.01 buffer and 10.01 buffer. It’s the red Hannah pH tester, it’s the one that has the little glass sensor at the bottom.

I’ve also had tests done before at LFS pH is still in that range.

I’m in a few other groups and they recommend Kalkwasser, I just have to learn how to dose it before diving in.

My scrubber media has yet to change color,.....

I have never used one of those ph testers.



Do you have a dosing pump? or do you manually dose AFR?
If you already have a doser switching to a hydroxide based 2-part will be easy.

Kalk (calcium hydroxide) provides about the same ph boost as Sodium Hydroxide but you consistently add it to your top off or use a reactor. Kalk Slurry is an option but I found it to be a lot of setup and work to maintain. IMO Sodium Hydroxide based 2-part is easiest.

In short Kalk works but I find it more of a hassle than 2-part.



A lot of scrubber media marketed for reefing doesn't change color very well, I use this stuff, the color change is very clear, and it is cheaper to buy it in 5 gallon jugs.
If everything is working correctly I doubt your CO2 media actually lasts 2 weeks with a 7.6ph.
A tank that I just restarted sits around 7.9 and burned through 2 liters of media in 4-5 days.

https://www.shopmedvet.com/Soda-Lime-3lb-Bag-J0553


For PH there are 2 main influencing factors you can control
Amount of air exchange (with low CO2 air)
The Supplement you use

There are other little things like cleaning up any detritus in your sump but at the end of the day those 2 things make the biggest impact.

 

[BlanfordReef]

Thank you for all of the information, I appreciate the help!

I’ll definitely look into the CO2 media.

I have a hydros minnow pushing 3 ml of AFR per day. Another dosing pump head is available should I add the two part you’re talking about and run it with AFR or run only the 2 part??

 

[BlanfordReef]

Calibrated my pH probe this morning with 2 point calibration. 7.01 buffer and 10.01 buffer. It’s the red Hannah pH tester, it’s the one that has the little glass sensor at the bottom.

I’ve also had tests done before at LFS pH is still in that range.

I’m in a few other groups and they recommend Kalkwasser, I just have to learn how to dose it before diving in.

My scrubber media has yet to change color,.....

I have never used one of those ph testers.



Do you have a dosing pump? or do you manually dose AFR?
If you already have a doser switching to a hydroxide based 2-part will be easy.

Kalk (calcium hydroxide) provides about the same ph boost as Sodium Hydroxide but you consistently add it to your top off or use a reactor. Kalk Slurry is an option but I found it to be a lot of setup and work to maintain. IMO Sodium Hydroxide based 2-part is easiest.

In short Kalk works but I find it more of a hassle than 2-part.



A lot of scrubber media marketed for reefing doesn't change color very well, I use this stuff, the color change is very clear, and it is cheaper to buy it in 5 gallon jugs.
If everything is working correctly I doubt your CO2 media actually lasts 2 weeks with a 7.6ph.
A tank that I just restarted sits around 7.9 and burned through 2 liters of media in 4-5 days.

https://www.shopmedvet.com/Soda-Lime-3lb-Bag-J0553


For PH there are 2 main influencing factors you can control
Amount of air exchange (with low CO2 air)
The Supplement you use

There are other little things like cleaning up any detritus in your sump but at the end of the day those 2 things make the biggest impact.

Thank you for all of the information, I appreciate the help!

I’ll definitely look into the CO2 media.

I have a hydros minnow pushing 3 ml of AFR per day. Another dosing pump head is available should I add the two part you’re talking about and run it with AFR or run only the 2 part??

 

[GoReefin]

Having a refugium with macro algae and reverse light cycle can help balance your pH swings as well.

 

[fushi]

Thank you for all of the information, I appreciate the help!

I’ll definitely look into the CO2 media.

I have a hydros minnow pushing 3 ml of AFR per day. Another dosing pump head is available should I add the two part you’re talking about and run it with AFR or run only the 2 part??

You can run AFR and two part at the same time, however I don’t see a reason to.

The purpose of using AFR is to make dosing as simple as possible, just dose 1 thing, however everything is a give and take, AFR is simple but you have no control over what trace you dose or the ph boost you get.

2-part (3-part) you have to mix each part, store each part in separate containers, and dose each separately, slightly more work but you now get control of how much trace you dose and get a greater ph boost.

If I only had 2 dosing pumps I would switch to a 2-part, put ALK on one dosing head and calcium on the other and dose magnesium as needed (you dose a lot less mag).

If you want to get more familiar on how 2-part dosing works just watch some YouTube videos from BRS, they are old but do a great job explaining how it works.

YouTube - “BRS 2 part”


DIY 2-part doesn’t have trace elements in it so you have to decide how you will handle supplementing trace.
There are a few options:

1. DIY 2-part and ICP test then dose individual trace elements using from Captive8 or moonshiners
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/captiv8-aquaculture/
This is what i prefer

2. Add Tropic Marin A & K to your DIY 2-part
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/a...id=7980481&search_query=Tropic+marin+elements
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/k...id=7980481&search_query=Tropic+marin+elements

3. Use a premade higher ph boosting 2-part like ESV
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/b...efill-esv/?searchid=7980490&search_query=Esv+
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/b-ionic-magnesium-32-oz-esv/?searchid=0&search_query=Esv+



DIY Sodium hydroxide supplementation :
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/second-new-diy-two-part-recipe-with-higher-ph-boost.357080/

https://a.co/d/hxE055l

Calcium

Magnesium

 

[fushi]

@BlanfordReef with all that being said I think option 3, using ESV, may be a good stepping stone for you to switch to 2-part and not have to worry about anything else. It provides a PH boost greater than AFR and you don’t have to worry about trace.

Once your accustomed dosing ESV you can dive in to hydroxide dosing and individual trace.

 

[BlanfordReef]

@BlanfordReef with all that being said I think option 3, using ESV, may be a good stepping stone for you to switch to 2-part and not have to worry about anything else. It provides a PH boost greater than AFR and you don’t have to worry about trace.

Once your accustomed dosing ESV you can dive in to hydroxide dosing and individual trace.

Wow! You really know your stuff! I’m gonna do some research and try to make a switch here soon!

Thank you for all the help, I am very grateful!

A little excited, a little more nervous, but I want my stuff to grow GREAT not just every now and then.

Gonna give this a go!