Low ph and high alkalinity

[Rafaelpadro24]

Having issue with my ph at a low range (7.5 -7.6) and my alkalinity well over 10.0dkh. I have used kalkwasser to help ph but also raises my alkalinity. How can I raise my ph with out raising my alkalinity with kalkwasser or anything else. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[exnisstech]

Maybe focus on alk and get it where you want and ignore pH. It works for me. I've never cared about pH because I'm not chasing growth. I monitor pH on one tank out of curiosity and it's 7.6 - 7.9 and 7.7 - 8.2 max according to Milwaukee with the house open.

 

[Jamie814]

How can I raise my ph with out raising my alkalinity

Reduce co2 levels around the tank. Try opening a couple windows and getting fresh air to the tank. This generally makes a big difference in raising pH and will not affect alk.

 

[Rafaelpadro24]

I would like to open the windows but with the heat and humidity here in south florida my ph will go up but also my temp. Was contemplating a co2 scrubber to integrate to my Lifereef skimmer.

 

[56longroof]

I would like to open the windows but with the heat and humidity here in south florida my ph will go up but also my temp. Was contemplating a co2 scrubber to integrate to my Lifereef skimmer.

Run a hose to pull in fresh air for the skimmer. You can also put a air pump outside with an air stone in the sump. How much surface agitation do you have?

 

[Rafaelpadro24]

Run a hose to pull in fresh air for the skimmer. You can also put a air pump outside with an air stone in the sump. How much surface agitation do you have?

Thanks for the reply, currently I have 2 1" returns in my tankbthat come out from the weir and I have each 1" retun split into 2 3/4" locklines with nozzle creating agitation over the surface this is bring pumped by a jeabao dcp-20000 plus also have gracilaria in my 19 gallon lifereef refigium.

 

[Rafaelpadro24]

Randy Holmes-Farley I was thinking since I have to replenish approximate 2.5 gallons of water a day due to evaporation here in South Florida if I diluted my kalkwasser to 1/2 of the concentration will this help maintain ph and not affect alkalinity that much. I just set up a apex controller and dos also incorporated a 25 gallon ato tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy Holmes-Farley I was thinking since I have to replenish approximate 2.5 gallons of water a day due to evaporation here in South Florida if I diluted my kalkwasser to 1/2 of the concentration will this help maintain ph and not affect alkalinity that much. I just set up a apex controller and dos also incorporated a 25 gallon ato tank.

The overall pH effect is exactly determined by the amount of alk dosed as hydroxide, not by the volume used.

 

[bobnicaragua]

I’ve been focusing on increasing PH in my SPS tank for the last several years. In my experience, high PH isn’t just better growth, it’s better coloration and healthier acros. Ideally you would get an air exchanger and CO2 wouldn’t be an issue, but thats an expensive option. So, this is what I’ve done to increase PH in my tank.

CO2 meter next to tank - encourages you to crack windows when weather permits. Keeps you focused on PH.

Refugium - reduces nightly PH drop.

Pool Noodle in window - Draws outside air through a charcoal filter and to the skimmer.

Kalkwasser overnight - I used to dose continuously, but noticed a big difference when dosing my daily amount overnight.

Metal Halides - (I know what you’re thinking, but this is legit.) The fans I run for evaporative cooling mean that I dose 4 liters of kalk a night instead of 3.

 

[Raul'O]

I had the same issue low ph and high alkalinity m, what I did was hook up my skimmer intake to a small icecap co2 scrubber with color changing media and intakes air from the out side! I keeps my ph pretty stable and every once in a while I open the windows and change the media every month or whenever it changes colors! This worked great for me and my animals are thriving

 

[Rafaelpadro24]

Thank for the replies. Unfortunately opening window here in South Florida this time year will bring temp in my house astronomically fast and also the humidity which will impact my tank temp that is staying between 78F and 79F with my ac set at 76F. Between December and early April no problems and I've done it and have noticed much improvement in my ph. Running a air line from the outside is difficult because where my tank is located. I'm going to try the co2 scrubber with a water trap since my skimmer is lifereef skimmer and it recirculetes the air that's in the skimmer cup. Hope this helps.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Thank for the replies. Unfortunately opening window here in South Florida this time year will bring temp in my house astronomically fast and also the humidity which will impact my tank temp that is staying between 78F and 79F with my ac set at 76F. Between December and early April no problems and I've done it and have noticed much improvement in my ph. Running an air line from the outside is difficult because where my tank is located. I'm going to try the co2 scrubber with a water trap since my skimmer is lifereef skimmer and it recirculetes the air that's in the skimmer cup. Hope this helps.

this is what many do and it makes media last forever, but some here advise against recirculating. I think it limits O2. I have been fighting green cyano lately and i think co2 scrubber recirculating is the culprit, though corals do look healthy as do fish.

 

[Rafaelpadro24]

I want to make a correction about the skimmer. The skimmer does have a small hole ontop of the lid so this makes it a partial recirculating skimmer. My apologies

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I’ve been focusing on increasing PH in my SPS tank for the last several years. In my experience, high PH isn’t just better growth, it’s better coloration and healthier acros. Ideally you would get an air exchanger and CO2 wouldn’t be an issue, but thats an expensive option. So, this is what I’ve done to increase PH in my tank.

CO2 meter next to tank - encourages you to crack windows when weather permits. Keeps you focused on PH.

Refugium - reduces nightly PH drop.

Pool Noodle in window - Draws outside air through a charcoal filter and to the skimmer.

Kalkwasser overnight - I used to dose continuously, but noticed a big difference when dosing my daily amount overnight.

Metal Halides - (I know what you’re thinking, but this is legit.) The fans I run for evaporative cooling mean that I dose 4 liters of kalk a night instead of 3.

How much of a ph boost have you seen from the refugium alone?

 

[bobnicaragua]

How much of a ph boost have you seen from the refugium alone?

I can’t tell you exactly, I’ve been running it for a long time.

 

[iamstar2020]

Yo también vivo en el sur de la Florida y tengo el mismo problema, mi pH no sube de 8, he probado casi de todo y lo mas alto que he podido conseguir es 8.1, le agrego 50 ml de Kalwaser por hora y tengo una bomba para oxigenar estanques de 5000 galones bombeando a mi sump con una piedra de aire de 5 pulgadas, mi skimmer esta conectado a un purificador de CO2 (en el cual gasto $120 al mes en el medio filtrante) y aun así no he podido conseguir que suba, solo cuando estoy de vacaciones he logrado que suba a 8.3