Advice needed with Crushed Coral and PH

[nightmarepl]

hey guys so ive been running into lowish ph problems yesterday morning i tested my ph was 7.5ish used a seachem marine buffer to raise but found out that stuff raises your alk really my alk currently dropped to 8ish atm so its okay to raise alittle but long run wont work out too well. so i was told from my LFS that stocking a small sock of crushed coral into the filter will increase teh PH of the tank any advice on this would be good

no protein skimmer
current stock in filter / matrix carbin / phosguard

tank size 10g
alk 8
calcium 480
temp 78
nitrates 10
phosphates 1.0
PH 7.5-7.8
salinity 1.025

 

[Cory]

hey guys so ive been running into lowish ph problems yesterday morning i tested my ph was 7.5ish used a seachem marine buffer to raise but found out that stuff raises your alk really my alk currently dropped to 8ish atm so its okay to raise alittle but long run wont work out too well. so i was told from my LFS that stocking a small sock of crushed coral into the filter will increase teh PH of the tank any advice on this would be good

no protein skimmer
current stock in filter / matrix carbin / phosguard

tank size 10g
alk 8
calcium 480
temp 78
nitrates 10
phosphates 1.0
PH 7.5-7.8
salinity 1.025

Low ph is mostly caused by high co2 in your house, not low alkalinity. Adding buffer increases alkalinity not ph. If you open the windows the ph will raise. Keeping your alkalinity between 7 and 11 dkh will have a ph that is unessary to test.

 

[nightmarepl]

Low ph is mostly caused by high co2 in your house, not low alkalinity. Adding buffer increases alkalinity not ph. If you open the windows the ph will raise. Keeping your alkalinity between 7 and 11 dkh will have a ph that is unessary to test.

well i have the fish tank next to a window and its basically open 24/7 so i dont see why the ph would be low in that case but will getting crushed coral increase the PH?

 

[Cory]

well i have the fish tank next to a window and its basically open 24/7 so i dont see why the ph would be low in that case but will getting crushed coral increase the PH?

No it wont. crushed coral wont dissolve until the ph gets below 7 ish. And then it will raise alkalinity.

Whats your alkalinity and what ph test or meter are you using?

 

[Cory]

Also you need to areate the water to get the co2 out of the tank. If you dont have a skimmer or an air stone or a powerhead pointed at the surface you wont be able to get gas exchange.

 

[nightmarepl]

Also you need to areate the water to get the co2 out of the tank. If you dont have a skimmer or an air stone or a powerhead pointed at the surface you wont be able to get gas exchange.

well the wave maker im using is pointed straight through the tank so its not breaking surface water but i have a hang on the back filter i was thinking of getting an air pump and adding the air line into the filter so i dont get crazy salt crystals around my frame would that work?

 

[nightmarepl]

or does the air stone need to be placed inside the tank and shoot the bubbles up to the surface?

 

[Cory]

well the wave maker im using is pointed straight through the tank so its not breaking surface water but i have a hang on the back filter i was thinking of getting an air pump and adding the air line into the filter so i dont get crazy salt crystals around my frame would that work?

It might work but i suspect your ph isnt as low as you said. Id suspect a test error. If your alkalinity is 8 dkh, ph should be 7.8 and up if your window is open. Does it have a lid?

Fwiw i never test ph, im constabtly checking my alkalinity because i know if thats good ph shouldnt be a concern.

 

[Cory]

or does the air stone need to be placed inside the tank and shoot the bubbles up to the surface?

Either way will prodice nearly the same effect.

 

[nightmarepl]

Either way will prodice nearly the same effect.

well i had it tested at a chemical lab and im using API test kits i know api isnt the best but the lab im sure tested it good my alk showed up like 7-8 when i tested ill add and air pump into through the opening and see if that helps itll give air into the water so should increase

 

[Cory]

well i had it tested at a chemical lab and im using API test kits i know api isnt the best but the lab im sure tested it good my alk showed up like 7-8 when i tested ill add and air pump into through the opening and see if that helps itll give air into the water so should increase

Okay. Just remember low ph is always high co2 in the air/tank provided alkalinity is between 7 and 11 dkh. Ph tested by a lab?

 

[nightmarepl]

Okay. Just remember low ph is always high co2 in the air/tank provided alkalinity is between 7 and 11 dkh. Ph tested by a lab?

i work at a chemical lab where they test water for all sorts things mostly ink and had one of the scientists test ti for me said the ph was 7.76 last time this time it read 7.58 not sure how they test ti but its some fancy machine haha and the alk i tested with API liquid kit came out to 8

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

http://www.reefedition.com/ph-and-the-reef-aquarium/

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

All you would ever need to know, and then some, can be found stickied atop the reef chemistry forum.

Well worth the reading.

Good luck!

 

[Cory]

i work at a chemical lab where they test water for all sorts things mostly ink and had one of the scientists test ti for me said the ph was 7.76 last time this time it read 7.58 not sure how they test ti but its some fancy machine haha and the alk i tested with API liquid kit came out to 8

If you bring the water sealed it may lower ph durring that time in a bag or jar and give inaccurate results. Get them to test alkalinity or somethingike that.

 

[nightmarepl]

If you bring the water sealed it may lower ph durring that time in a bag or jar and give inaccurate results. Get them to test alkalinity or somethingike that.

ok so for now maybe just add the air pump and see if it helps?

 

[Cory]

ok so for now maybe just add the air pump and see if it helps?

Yeah thats what i would do. It cant hurt. If you bring the water to the lab make sure it isnt sealed or youll have false readings for ph.

 

[FisheRare]

Also you need to areate the water to get the co2 out of the tank. If you dont have a skimmer or an air stone or a powerhead pointed at the surface you wont be able to get gas exchange.

Question for you .I recently added 2 one pound media bags of crushed coral to my tank (sump area) my PH went from 8.03 to 8.5 .thinking it will only continue to rise I removed the crushed coral after 3 days .PH is now 3.6 to 4.5 daily .I performed 2 thirty gallon water changes and PH is still at 3.5 .no Kalkwasser which I was previously dosing .
I haven’t dosed any Kalkwasser but still PH is at 8.3 .i did everything to get to 8.2 open window ,air line to skimmer .soda ash and 8.2 was the highest it’s been .i just find it odd that i have such a high PH no kalk ,no crushed coral anything .
Salt -Red Sea coral pro
Alk- 9.3
Cal-490
Mag-1400
Ammonia-0
Nitrate-5.0
Nitrite -0
Phosphate-0.02
Currently dosing Red Sea reef foundation alk,cal,mag 25ML,10ml and 15ML

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Crushed coral will not raise pH of seawater and is no concern with respect to pH. I’d look for other causes, including the likely explanation:test error.