eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have really soft water that's causing my PH to keep crashing after my cycle finished. I know crushed coral raises PH, but will it keep it up? Is this the way to go or should I look at chemical options?
mfdrookie516 said:I really don't think I'd worry yet. ammonia is alkaline, which is why pH isn't anything to worry about in a cycling tank. the fact that its lower now is probably due to the fact that you don't have ammonia in there. Have you done a 50% pwc? Have you set water (from the tap) out in a bucket or cup overnight, then tested pH?
Fishguy2727 said:You can use crushed coral in your filter, just like carbon. This is one of the most effective ways to safely raise and maintain pH/KH.
If you are good about testing you can test and add baking soda as needed. Keep track of it and eventually you will just need to add a certain amount with water changes.
If you pH was 7.6 and then crashed something big is going on. 7.6 should be very stable and if something drove it down you need to fix that problem, not the symptom. What is the tap's KH?
glassbird said:I can't answer your question of how many bags, but I can offer some advice based on the one bag of crushed coral that I keep in my filter...
On a regular basis, remove the bag(s) from your filter and roll it around between your hands in a bucket of old tank water. The coral will build up a sort of film when it sits in the filter for a while, and this seems to lower it's effectiveness. Rolling it around removes the film. It also helps to remove any debris that may have become trapped in there.
I add to the bag once or twice a year, as it dissolves. And yes, it has done wonders to stabilize my pH.
Fishguy2727 said:How do you know you have soft water if you have no idea what the KH is? KH is carbonate hardness, the one that controls your pH. If the pH is 7.6 it is very unlikely that the KH is low at all.
eco23 said: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?