PH got me down

[SeaDeezCorals]

I’ve been locked in an epic battle with my pH. It loves to hang out at a stubborn 7.7 no matter what I do. I’ll do a water change and boom like magic, it’s up to 8.2 that night. I’ll go to bed feeling like I finally won, but by morning? Right back to 7.7 like nothing ever happened.

I even spiked my ATO water with reef buffer to hit a pH of 9.0. My alkalinity is at 10.3, calcium’s a solid 457, magnesium is at 1346, nitrate’s 5.2, phosphate is 0.05. Everything’s playing nice except the pH.

I built a DIY CO₂ scrubber with an air stone, I’ve got a fan blasting fresh air at the tank like I’m trying to air it out after burning dinner, and still 7.7. It’s like 7.7 is my reef tank’s favorite number. I can’t escape it. It haunts me.

I have tried an Hanna pH pen and API Test kit and still 7.7.

 

[Matt L]

I’ve been locked in an epic battle with my pH. It loves to hang out at a stubborn 7.7 no matter what I do. I’ll do a water change and boom like magic, it’s up to 8.2 that night. I’ll go to bed feeling like I finally won, but by morning? Right back to 7.7 like nothing ever happened.

I even spiked my ATO water with reef buffer to hit a pH of 9.0. My alkalinity is at 10.3, calcium’s a solid 457, magnesium is at 1346, nitrate’s 5.2, phosphate is 0.05. Everything’s playing nice except the pH.

I built a DIY CO₂ scrubber with an air stone, I’ve got a fan blasting fresh air at the tank like I’m trying to air it out after burning dinner, and still 7.7. It’s like 7.7 is my reef tank’s favorite number. I can’t escape it. It haunts me.

I have tried an Hanna pH pen and API Test kit and still 7.7.

What issues are you having that you want to raise ph for? And what are you using to test it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Water changes never can do much for pH, which in many low pH scenarios is driven by high CO2 in the room air.

 

[SeaDeezCorals]

What issues are you having that you want to raise ph for? And what are you using to test it?

My problem is after my pH drops my calcium takes off and hangs out above 600. I use a Hanna pH pen and an API test kit.

 

[Miami Reef]

My problem is after my pH drops my calcium takes off and hangs out above 600. I use a Hanna pH pen and an API test kit.

Calcium rises by itself despite not adding it? Fortunately, that’s not possible no matter the pH level.

 

[Ooh fiddlesticks]

I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in my wall, ran a 3/8 inch tube into that hole, connected that to a RO canister filled with carbon and connected my skimmer intake to that canister.
Air is drawn from the attic which is outside air and into the tank. I have 4 adult humans, 4 cats and 2 dogs so co2 levels inside have to be high.

Next up I dose saturated Kalk. 320 ml divided into equal doses multiple times per day.

Tank reads 8.2 every Sunday morning when I test ph. Ymmv

If you can’t drill a hole Kalkwasser on its own will raise ph, though to what degree for your specific tank I can’t say.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My problem is after my pH drops my calcium takes off and hangs out above 600. I use a Hanna pH pen and an API test kit.

I think there’s a testing problem or a coincidence since low pH won’t cause a big calcium increase unless you added it.