pH really low

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

scrmom

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
112
Location
Fredericksburg Virginia
I was testing water parameters on my ro/di water and the ph is below 7.0. I used 2 different test kits. I then checked regular tap water and it is 8.2. I also checked filtered from refridgerator and it is the same as the ro/di. How do I get the pH to be higher? Is your pH lower with your ro/di system?
 
How much surface agitation do you have?
Is the top covered or tightly fitting?
What kind of salt mix are you using?
 
I haven't mixed the salt yet. I justed tested the pH with water coming straight from the spicket. My husband just hooked the ro/di unit up last night. I have wasted about 7 gallons of water and then tested the pH. Will filling a 5 gallon bucket and addding salt make the pH go up?
 
Ahhhh, ok, no problem there. I thought you were talking about the pH in your tank. This is what I do:
1. Friday: add salt/water/ph/heater.
2. Saturday: let salt dissolve, test add water/salt depending on salinity.
3. Some time Sunday: Remove old water, clean equipment in old SW, add new, premixed water....The ph should get your pH up...remember, surface ripple in the premix bucket.
 
Ok. I will make 20g of water today and hopefully the pH will be up tomorrow. We are going to get our first fish on saturday, so I want to have a water change before I get the fish. I am nervous about getting fish and excited. I don't want to mess anything up. Wish me luck.
 
8.3 for tap is high but the 7 for ro/di is right where it’s supposed to be. Only thing you might have to do when switching from tap to ro/di is add a small amount of ph buffer depending on the salt brand but do it sparingly since too much can cause a crash in ph.

Any ph range of 7.8 – 8.4 for saltwater if fine as long as it remains steady and doesn’t fluctuate too much.

Is this your first pwc since setting up the tank? Make sure you match ph/sg/temp carefully to your main before adding especially when doing 25+% pwc like this.
 
scrmom said:
I have been doing pwc for 4 weeks now. I usually do 15g water changes every week.
(y) You will do great keeping that kind of pwc schedule :D
Have you figured out what kind of fish you want yet or what your first fish is going to be?
 
Just doing PWC`s will buffer your water also. Weekly PWC`s are excellent. Cant wait to see pic with that first fish
 
I'm definetly not an expert, but you should also be adding something to buffer the Carbonate hardness (or DKH as in german karbonate hardness). This buffers the alkalinity of the water so the PH is less likely to fluctuate. I believe DKH should be between 8-10 for saltwater.
 
Back
Top Bottom