Best way to increase pH?

[MBliss81]

My pH has been hovering between 7.8 and 8.0. What is the best way to increase the pH a little bit? I've read that some people have used baking soda. Would that have negative effects?

 

[jcolon]

Consider putting carbonate rocks like limestone / marble. They would slowly raise your pH and can provide decorations.

 

[Gti_Leo]

or tufa rock, aka lace rock, its as porus as live rock but its carbonate based

 

[ccCapt]

Your pH at 7.8 - 8 is fine. There is no need to try and get it any higher.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will slightly lower your pH while raising your alk.
If you bake the baking soda (in an oven for 1 hr at 350) it will become sodium carbonate and will slightly raise your pH while also raising your alk.

Consider putting carbonate rocks like limestone / marble. They would slowly raise your pH and can provide decorations.

or tufa rock, aka lace rock, its as porus as live rock but its carbonate based

Not true. The pH of the water must be around 7.3 or lower before it starts to dissolve calcium carbonate. If you have a saltwater tank and your pH is that low, everything would be dead.

 

[hakan]

So What is the best way to raise your ph?
Mine is always dropping id like to hear some suggestions also.

I just use 'RED SEA reef foundation B' marine buffer which raises the ph of the water.
I use about 1 ml per week

 

[MBliss81]

I'm not really worried about it. Mine is really stable and is always between 7.8 and 8.0, which I know isn't bad. But I also know that the ideal conditions for a reef aquarium are between 8.1 and 8.3. I'm not really interested in quick fixes, like adding buffers (which I used to do) because they add instability, which is far worse than having a pH that is slightly lower than ideal.

I already have aragonite in my sandbed, so I don't think adding limestone will make much difference.

Is pH affected by Calcium and Magnesium levels? I need to get a reef test kit, so I have a better idea where those levels are at, so I have a better understanding of what is keeping the pH where it is.

 

[Gregcoyote]

You add baking soda to raise Ph, not lower it. It does however affect your alkalinity levels as well, so be very cautious. I have used it several times to tweak my Ph up just a bit.

 

[Gregcoyote]

You can also try to increase your gas exchange with some fans. C02 buildup also lowers Ph.

 

[MBliss81]

Maybe I'll tweak my powerhead to introduce some air into the tank to get some extra gas exchange and see if that helps before I do anything else. Thanks Greg.

 

[Ethreal]

Greg's advice is also what I have tried, adjusted one ph causing much more surface disturbance which helped ALOT.

Also did an experiment on RO saltwater mix from the lfs. Tested pH when we got it home following a 15 minute journey, then tested again after 5 minutes of rocking the container - pH increased, only change was water movement and possible a slight reduction in temp.

I know there are 'buffers' you can add, but I know nothing about them so I'm not going to comment further on that, I'm sure someone here knows more about that.

 

[Tom-tom]

Hi there

I use sechem balance ph buffer, you add the suggested amount and it brings it up 0.1 every dose, you can dose as much as you like per day, and it dosent effect anything else, and I mean anything. I've used it to bring mine up once from 7.9 to 8.2 and it has stabilised and never dropped again, it's a bit pricey but it's the best

 

[MBliss81]

I adjusted my powerhead to a slightly different position where it moves the surface water a little better, and I opened up the air valve for just a minute, and within a couple hours I tested the pH and it is already up to 8.0.

shaking up the mixed RO/DI water I get from the lfs for water changes to introduce more air into it is probably a good idea, too.

Thanks guys!

 

[ccCapt]

You add baking soda to raise Ph, not lower it. It does however affect your alkalinity levels as well, so be very cautious. I have used it several times to tweak my Ph up just a bit.

That is not true. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. The "bicarbonate" is bound with co2. When the co2 breaks loose it will drop your pH.
If you bake the baking soda it becomes sodium carbonate because the heat drives off the co2. That will raise your pH.

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
"This article actually details two primary recipes. One uses raw baking soda, and the other uses baking soda that aquarists bake before use. The baking drives some of the carbon dioxide out of the baking soda, and raises its pH as well as its alkalinity."

Baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) - "Adding on the order of 0.5 meq/L of alkalinity increases the pH by about 0.3 pH units immediately upon its addition "
Raw baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) - "Adding on the order of 0.5 meq/L of alkalinity drops the pH by about 0.04 pH units immediately upon its addition."

 

[kay-bee19]

I use sodium bicarbonate to adjust alkalinity and sodium carbonate to adjust pH.

 

[Rscomia]

I adjusted my powerhead to a slightly different position where it moves the surface water a little better, and I opened up the air valve for just a minute, and within a couple hours I tested the pH and it is already up to 8.0.

shaking up the mixed RO/DI water I get from the lfs for water changes to introduce more air into it is probably a good idea, too.

Thanks guys!

What salt are you using I found that Instant Ocean kept my tank at 7.8 I switched to coral life and it has kept my ph at 8.2

 

[MBliss81]

I've been using Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix. I think I will try another brand when what I've got is gone (which it nearly is). I use mostly saltwater that I get from my lfs for water changes, though. I only use my salt when I need a little extra saltwater, or if I want to make my water a little saltier (the lfs water is always 1.023, and I like to add a little salt to make it 1.024 and add the trace elements that come in the salt mix).

 

[Gregcoyote]

As per a text I read;

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) can be used as a quick band-aid to raise the pH in a tank. Found in most kitchens, a dose of baking soda will temporarily suffice in an emergency situation until a water change can be made.
Just dissolve one teaspoon of baking soda for each 20 gallons of tank water in a cup of water, then slowly pour it into your aquarium. The pH change will not be noticeable immediately, so wait for about an hour and test again before adding more. Repeat until you obtain the desired pH level.

This a pretty old cure for "old tank" conditions, where you are looking to neutralize organically produced acids, quickly. Like something dies and you don't see it quickly enough. Should be followed by water exchanges, but in an emergency it can save the tank from a Ph crash.

 

[Greenmaster]

That is not true. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. The "bicarbonate" is bound with co2. When the co2 breaks loose it will drop your pH.
If you bake the baking soda it becomes sodium carbonate because the heat drives off the co2. That will raise your pH.

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
"This article actually details two primary recipes. One uses raw baking soda, and the other uses baking soda that aquarists bake before use. The baking drives some of the carbon dioxide out of the baking soda, and raises its pH as well as its alkalinity."

Baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) - "Adding on the order of 0.5 meq/L of alkalinity increases the pH by about 0.3 pH units immediately upon its addition "
Raw baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) - "Adding on the order of 0.5 meq/L of alkalinity drops the pH by about 0.04 pH units immediately upon its addition."

+1

Gregcoyote ccCapt knows what he is talking about... and the person he quoted is a well known name in the aquarium world. I would do more research before saying ccCapt is wrong. And on this one he is right.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I don't intend on arguing about it. I do have a minor in chemistry and understand what I am talking about. But everyone to their own opinion. Use limewater if you want the established solution, just be careful how and when you add it. I will not post anymore about it.

 

[MBliss81]

That's alright guys, I don't want to mess with my alkalinity and stuff anyway. Better gas exchange through greater surface agitation is doing the trick for me.

Although, my Penguin 660R powerhead has become extremely noisy. Just as happened with the Penguin Bio-Wheel power filter I already replaced for the same reason, the impeller shaft has gotten scarred up and now it makes an awful noise whenever it is running. Penguin products are just not built well enough, so I will never be purchasing any of them again.

I just ordered a Hydor Koralia Nano 240 powerhead to replace the Penguin, and that should give me even better surface agitation and water flow over my reef.