how does ph stabilize

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pairenoid

Aquarium Advice Freak
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Sep 23, 2012
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first of all when does ph begin to get to that average range of ~8.4 when I only use pure ro/di water. I started off with tap, and i got a ro/di unit now. So If i only use ro water, eventually it will all be ro water, but ro water is neutral. What is going to keep my ph stable? and how? Should i add some type of chemical to increase my ph in water changes (not top off i know that is unaffected)
 
the salt mixture u use as well as most people used crushed coral as a substrate all raise the ph to the level required. normally. if u notice your ph is low u may need to add a ph raising chemical. test the ph level of a mixed batch of salt water using ro/di water and see what your ph is at.
 
Basically, pH is the measure of hydrogen atoms in the water. What keeps it stable is the amount of alkalinity - carbonates and bicarbonates in the water....which come from the synthetic sea salt we all use. Contrary to what some people may believe, crushed coral has no affect on buffering the pH in a saltwater system (but that's a whole other story).

This is a very good article which may give you a basic understanding of pH.
The "How To" Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 3: pH - by Randy Holmes-Farley
 
Really? I've heard countless times its does raise it up. Not a lot but it does. I akways thought it was another reason its not reccomended for fresh water. Learn something new everyday.
 
ok thanks, i kept reading salt barely affects the ph but i thought otherwise.
 
Really? I've heard countless times its does raise it up. Not a lot but it does. I akways thought it was another reason its not reccomended for fresh water. Learn something new everyday.
Not to throw this thread off topic too much..... but.
Crushed coral is calcium carbonate. It's the same thing that the hard skeletons of SPS and LPS corals are made of. As the name implies, it's the crushed skeletons of hard corals. It's also what's used as a media in calcium reactors. In order for the calcium carbonate to dissolve and have any buffering affect, the pH in the water needs to be 7.4 or lower, which is why a calcium reactor needs co2 to be injected into it. It's how the pH drops. In a normal saltwater system, the pH will never drop that low. The alkalinity in the water prevents it. Now, if it were true that crushed coral did buffer the water, it would mean that is started to dissolve and since it's the same as live SPS or LPS corals...and also live rock, all your corals would start to dissolve along with your live rock and sand....if you used any type of aragonite sand.
 
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