ph too high?

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lilismom1

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
154
Location
fort lauderdale, fl
1 week ago i started adding b-ionic a two part calcium buffer system. my ph when i started adding was a bit low. it ranged from 8.0 to about 8.3. my lfs said this would help raise it as well as add calcium. i've been adding the recommended dose 1 ml per 4 gallons and now my ph is ranging from 8.25 to 8.5. my ca is at about 420, phosphates are .25, nitrate<5, nitrite and ammonia 0. how do i get my ph to stop fluctuating so much. i know it will during the course of the day but i think mine is a little too dramatic.
 
What times are you testing the PH? Also what time are you adding the b-ionic? I think 8.5 is a tad high, but if your adding the b-ionic in the afternoon or evening I wouldn't be surprised with it. Over the course of the day 8.25-8.5 isn't a bad fluctuation, provided the 8.25 is in the am and the 8.5 is in the pm.
 
well, the first 5 days i added it around noon. then lately i've been doing it at night. except yesterday i did not add because the ph has been slowly creeping higher and higher. i just returned from lfs with a hagen test kit for carbonate hardness and the results were 180!!!! could this be correct? what do i do? my plan is to have coral but i don't feel comfortable with these fluctuations. i was under the impression that most corals like ph between 8.2 and 8.3.
 
What is the CA reading? 180 ppm is 3.6 meq/l, not too high at all. Might be low depending on what the CA is. Try adding it in the am, before the lights come on and if possible wait 15 - 30 minutes between part a and part b.
 
ca is 420. what is the appropriate range for alkalinity in meq/l? what, if anything, should i do to adjust the ph from going high? or will those instructions you just gave me help that?
 
Adding in the am when the PH is low, should keep you from overshooting the ph. I also use a two part (Kent's version) and it specifically says in the instructions to add in the morning to prevent ph overshoot ;) At that CA, your alk appears to be in a good balance ;)
 
awesome! because there are days that i just can't get to it in the a.m. i was considering a dosing pump. what do you think? any suggestions?
 
If your willing to spend the money on a dosing pump, that would get the job done, but they can be a bit expensive. I add mine manually, but I'm sure there is a way to doeone will respond that has dealt with this issue before ;)
 
is there a chart or something with the perameters for the ca-alk readings. i know that ca should be between 400 and 450. what about the alk?
 
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