PH problems in my clownfish tank

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So recently, my pH was very low in my tank (more like it always was), so basically like 7.7 to 7.9 max. Buffering could be dangerous according to some reefers, but I aerate the tank and it kind of helps, I get 8.0 from that at least but my test had an issue that showed "7.4ph" today but it was a weird orange color that is not even on the test chart (I use salifert) so I used baking soda quickly and after testing it just got up to 8.0 within minutes, now I'm nervous about dkh being too high (rising by 1 every 4 days), but low pH? So is it possible to use lemon juice in case extreme dkh pH rising happens? I did that in my freshwater tank.
 

crabgrass

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 4, 2022
Messages
538
Reaction score
394
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So recently, my pH was very low in my tank (more like it always was), so basically like 7.7 to 7.9 max. Buffering could be dangerous according to some reefers, but I aerate the tank and it kind of helps, I get 8.0 from that at least but my test had an issue that showed "7.4ph" today but it was a weird orange color that is not even on the test chart (I use salifert) so I used baking soda quickly and after testing it just got up to 8.0 within minutes, now I'm nervous about dkh being too high (rising by 1 every 4 days), but low pH? So is it possible to use lemon juice in case extreme dkh pH rising happens? I did that in my freshwater tank.

Do you have corals?
Whar is your alk?
Lighting schedule (display and fuge if you have one)
Running a skimmer?

Mine is 7.8-ish probably due to AFR, house being closed up and other pets + humans in the house. I can bring it up to 8.2 with a skimmer, fuge, CO2 scrubber and micro dosing alk throughout the day/night)
 
OP
OP
littlehermit0

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Do you have corals?
Whar is your alk?
Lighting schedule (display and fuge if you have one)
Running a skimmer?

Mine is 7.8-ish probably due to AFR, house being closed up and other pets + humans in the house. I can bring it up to 8.2 with a skimmer, fuge, CO2 scrubber and micro dosing alk throughout the day/night)
Wait I thought I was the only one having pH at 7.8 but I don't have a skimmer, dkh is at 11 and no corals, not ready for them yet and light is exactly 12h night 12h day
 

crabgrass

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 4, 2022
Messages
538
Reaction score
394
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That dkh is probably from the buffering your adding. I would not do that, and you don’t have corals do consume that. There are much smarter people than I on here though that can advise you.

IMO, ph or 7.9-ish is ok. I would not jack my alk up to get something unnaturally high. Once you get some coral in there to consume it, it might actually help
 
OP
OP
littlehermit0

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That dkh is probably from the buffering your adding. I would not do that, and you don’t have corals do consume that. There are much smarter people than I on here though that can advise you.

IMO, ph or 7.9-ish is ok. I would not jack my alk up to get something unnaturally high. Once you get some coral in there to consume it, it might actually help
Buffering??? No no I never use buffering that's too strong I use natural methods because I know that buffering would be a waste of money and I'm kinda trying to get my alk down actually
 
OP
OP
littlehermit0

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That dkh is probably from the buffering your adding. I would not do that, and you don’t have corals do consume that. There are much smarter people than I on here though that can advise you.

IMO, ph or 7.9-ish is ok. I would not jack my alk up to get something unnaturally high. Once you get some coral in there to consume it, it might actually help
I mean all I use is ASF Coralline Booster extra 2 that contains Ca and Fe and 2 trace elements, it's only for boosting the coralline grown that has been dying recently, only 0.5 ml a week.
 
OP
OP
littlehermit0

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Baking soda is Alk buffering.

Just don’t put anything into the tank and let the Alk drop.
What? Google is getting worse when I type pH lowering methods it shows very bad things... but Alk it will rise for no reason anyway so can I use lemon juice to drop these two? It helped in my neon tetra tank
 

crabgrass

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 4, 2022
Messages
538
Reaction score
394
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would just ride out the alk, and just stop putting anything into it. 11 isn’t end of the world. Do you have any livestock?

A water change with lower Alk Salt will fix it as well. How big is the tank?
 
OP
OP
littlehermit0

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would just ride out the alk, and just stop putting anything into it. 11 isn’t end of the world. Do you have any livestock?

A water change with lower Alk Salt will fix it as well. How big is the tank?
I know 11 isn't bad but it rises fast, anyway there's clownfish and the tank is 6 gallons (don't get traumatized about the size I'll change to 20gal very soon). I'll test my salt mix alk this would be a good idea, I only know that the pH is at 8.6 there.
 

Mr. Mojo Rising

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2021
Messages
5,822
Reaction score
6,474
Location
Toronto
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Wait I thought I was the only one having pH at 7.8 but I don't have a skimmer, dkh is at 11 and no corals, not ready for them yet and light is exactly 12h night 12h day
If you have no corals why try to increase the ph? It will make no difference to the fish. With corals, a higher ph will make the corals grow faster, but deosn't matter if its fish only.

2 clowns in a 6 gallon, probably no skimmer and no powerhead - is a low oxygen situation, it will contribute to lower ph. I would try to get them into a larger tank asap before trying to correct ph on a fish only tank
 
OP
OP
littlehermit0

littlehermit0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2024
Messages
284
Reaction score
76
Location
France
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you have no corals why try to increase the ph? It will make no difference to the fish. With corals, a higher ph will make the corals grow faster, but deosn't matter if its fish only.

2 clowns in a 6 gallon, probably no skimmer and no powerhead - is a low oxygen situation, it will contribute to lower ph. I would try to get them into a larger tank asap before trying to correct ph on a fish only tank
I actually have a strong 300l/h power head and and the water is very aerated, it's shooting on the water making a lot of tiny bubbles, I open the windows in my bedroom too. Anyway I want the pH to rise because low pH could stress fish to death, yet they still act normally

20240218_135936.jpg
 

Reefing threads: Do you wear gear from reef brands?

  • I wear reef gear everywhere.

    Votes: 33 16.3%
  • I wear reef gear primarily at fish events and my LFS.

    Votes: 11 5.4%
  • I wear reef gear primarily for water changes and tank maintenance.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
  • I wear reef gear primarily to relax where I live.

    Votes: 26 12.8%
  • I don’t wear gear from reef brands.

    Votes: 119 58.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 13 6.4%
Back
Top