Best way to raise PH / buffer?

[jsoong]

Wow! It raised my pH from 7.2 to 7.6 (which is how it comes out of the tap) in about 10 minutes! I hope it doesn't keep climbing! I added 2 of the mesh bags into my HOB filter. There's probably about 2 good handfuls in there right now. Luckily it seems like an easy fix if it gets too high. I just take some out and do a pwc, right?

The beauty of crushed coral is that it is self regulating. The water can only hold so much dissolved HCO3, so no matter how much solid cc you add, you don't get the pH & KH totally off the scale. Having lots in the tank simply means you have to replace the bags less often.

I would give the whole system a few days to a week to stabilize. Then check your pH & KH, and you should have some nice numbers.