PH Help

[GoTakeANap]

Hello everyone. Battling PH issues in my tank. At night it goes down to 7.6 and the highest point of the day is around 7.85. I’ve got an air line ran from my skimmer to the outside. Made no difference in doing this. Also I dose 1000ml of kalk everyday. Cannot up the dose amount because of my 3 major elements(Alk 8 Ca 484 Mag 1384). I know carbon is my problem. 4 of us in the house including 2 dogs. If I open windows and doors up it goes up to 8.1 in just a day. Really don’t wanna use a carbon scrubber because I’ve heard/read from numerous people it exhaust easy but it’s looking like that is my only other option that I know of. Anyone know of anything else I could try or any advice?

 

[Jekyl]

Is everything healthy?

 

[GoTakeANap]

Is everything healthy?

So so. Zoa's are always happy but LPS has not been doing well especially my acans. I have been battling high Nitrates thou after I realized my Nitrate Reagent was bad and I was getting the wrong results.

 

[Jekyl]

So so. Zoa's are always happy but LPS has not been doing well especially my acans. I have been battling high Nitrates thou after I realized my Nitrate Reagent was bad and I was getting the wrong results.

I would focus more on other parameters for now. Once everything else is ideal for a month or so revisit if Ph is even really the issue. With an airline to the outside you're already better off than most.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Anyone know of anything else I could try or any advice?

A CO2 scrubber on the skimmer inlet can hep more. Growing macroalgae in a reverse lit refugium is also a good option.

 

[GoTakeANap]

I would focus more on other parameters for now. Once everything else is ideal for a month or so revisit if Ph is even really the issue. With an airline to the outside you're already better off than most.

Will do buddy.

A CO2 scrubber on the skimmer inlet can hep more. Growing macroalgae in a reverse lit refugium is also a good option.

I am running a fuge reverse lit now. I should of mentioned that on the original post. Will go with a CO2 scrubber as my last option. Just trying to avoid the cost of adding a scrubber if something else would work.

 

[rsoethe]

I would look into a recirculating scrubber. Made a huge difference for me. 7.8 to 8.1 as a low. Recirculating saves the media. Change about once a month. The increased growth and health is worth it. Plus the consumption will go up so more Kalk can be then dosed. I run 5000ml in my 100gal of Kalk. Seems to add another .1-.2 to the pH.

 

[Jeeperz]

Leave a window or 2 slightly open, preferably on opposite sides of room/house. I leave my kitchen window open a few inches during winter and it's below freezing

 

[GoTakeANap]

I would look into a recirculating scrubber. Made a huge difference for me. 7.8 to 8.1 as a low. Recirculating saves the media. Change about once a month. The increased growth and health is worth it. Plus the consumption will go up so more Kalk can be then dosed. I run 5000ml in my 100gal of Kalk. Seems to add another .1-.2 to the pH.

will you post a pic of how you have yours set up? i am curious

 

[acesfull44]

 

[GARRIGA]

Ph a struggle in my home as well. Refugium seems to be my only solution. Might run two on opposing light schedules to keep ph where needed or perhaps one with a controller turning lights on and off based on ph. Doubt macro care if lights on a specific schedule. Found it didn’t matter in freshwater tests that plants didn’t care lights on 24/7. Kept everything stable.

 

[Semisonyx]

Are you dosing anything else to maintain ALK and Ca or just the kalk? Using Randy’s NaOH recipe instead of the usual soda ash made a significant enough difference (low of 7.8 to now 8.1) for me.

You could also try tapping into that outside airline and running an air pump with a stone into your overflow box.

 

[GoTakeANap]

Are you dosing anything else to maintain ALK and Ca or just the kalk? Using Randy’s NaOH recipe instead of the usual soda ash made a significant enough difference (low of 7.8 to now 8.1) for me.

You could also try tapping into that outside airline and running an air pump with a stone into your overflow box.

only dosing kalk at the moment along with a little mag daily. never seen Rany's NaOh recipe. What is it and are you using it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

only dosing kalk at the moment along with a little mag daily. never seen Rany's NaOh recipe. What is it and are you using it?

Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

In a previous thread, I posted a true two part DIY recipe: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-diy-two-part-recipes-with-higher-ph-boost.344500/ But some folks may want to just swap the new ingredient into my 2/3 part recipe (as used by BRS, for example). Here's the original recipe link...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[doubleshot00]

Having just a co2 scrubber exposed to inside air will expire the media fast. Recirculating co2 scrubber has been the game changer for me. My ph is always between 8.1-8.4. Media lasts for 3-4 weeks now.

 

[workhz]

As an added data point, I was considering bringing in some outside air to help with my PH issues but before going down that rabbit hole I bought a cheap CO2 sensor off Amazon. Turned out that somehow the CO2 in the fish room was lower than the rest of the house (not by a huge amount) and the outside CO2 wasn't that much different so I've scrapped that idea altogether. Outside CO2 seems to be around 450, fish room at that too, rest of the house between 440-480.

For those with scrubbers, are you fighting higher CO2 in the house or lower?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

As an added data point, I was considering bringing in some outside air to help with my PH issues but before going down that rabbit hole I bought a cheap CO2 sensor off Amazon. Turned out that somehow the CO2 in the fish room was lower than the rest of the house (not by a huge amount) and the outside CO2 wasn't that much different so I've scrapped that idea altogether. Outside CO2 seems to be around 450, fish room at that too, rest of the house between 440-480.

For those with scrubbers, are you fighting higher CO2 in the house or lower?

Many people have far higher CO2 levels than that. Upwards of 1,000 ppm in some cases.

 

[workhz]

Many people have far higher CO2 levels than that. Upwards of 1,000 ppm in some cases.

Thanks. I guess back to the drawing board w/r/t my lowish PH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks. I guess back to the drawing board w/r/t my lowish PH.

I don't know if the CO2 meter (440 ppm) or the pH (7.6) are accurate, but if they both are, then the issue is primarily elevated CO2 in the water only and more aeration of any type will raise pH. A scrubber or growing macroalgae will also help.

The pH of normal seawater in normal air is about pH 8.1 to 8.2, and the effect of raising CO2 from normal outside air of about 400 ppm to and inside CO2 level of 500 ppm will only drop pH by about 0.1 pH unit.

 

[workhz]

I don't know if the CO2 meter (440 ppm) or the pH (7.6) are accurate, but if they both are, then the issue is primarily elevated CO2 in the water only and more aeration of any type will raise pH. A scrubber or growing macroalgae will also help.

The pH of normal seawater in normal air is about pH 8.1 to 8.2, and the effect of raising CO2 from normal outside air of about 400 ppm to and inside CO2 level of 500 ppm will only drop pH by about 0.1 pH unit.

Thanks. I have my protein skimmer on just for bubbles, 3 powerheads in a 90G with some surface agitation plus neither the tank nor the sump are covered/sealed. I'd like to keep this simple and not grow any more stuff or add more equipment but will look into a CO2 scrubber and adding more aeration.