Can't Get PH to Raise Higher Than 7.8...HELP!

[littlea8]

Hello,

As of now I have one green chromis, some snails, and some crabs inside my tank. After about a week or two my PH is still at 7.8. I have been adding Seachem marine buffer pretty much every single day and still the PH remains the same. I have changed the water twice so far but for some reason my PH will not go up. How can I get the PH to raise to the appropriate levels so I can start adding more fish? Someone please help!?!?!

 

[ReefSoldier]

Have you tried baking soda? I have heard of this but have never tried it myself.

 

[Sadielynn]

First before adding anything how old is the tank and how old is the test kit ?? What kind of test kit are you using ? When are you testing ,lites on or off ?
Baking soda does work but can cause a snow storm in the tank from precipitating .. I think it is 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons but I can not say 100% sure and you have to add it slowly and test frequently .
If your tank has a hood on it try opening it and blowing a fan across it . I had issues with ours when I first started but buy using an eggcrate top with a fan my PH goes to 8.4 and sits even with the lights out . My tank is also over 4 years old closer to the 5-6 mark ...HTH GL

 

[littlea8]

the tank is pretty new...ive had it for about 2 months...the test kit is new as well and i think its red sea PH and Alkalinity test kit....i usually test with the lights on...I just checked the PH and thankfully it was at 8.2....im not sure if thats because I JUST added the Seachem PH buffer like 30 min ago....I have some premixed saltwater ready cause I was going to change it becuase I heard that makes the PH go up...should i still change the water tommorow?

 

[Sadielynn]

I would not dose anything in a tank this new . It can take upwards of a year to fully stablize out .. Generally you will start to see stability around the 6 month mark however each tank is diffrent .
What salt mix are you using ?
How are you mixing your salt H20
What type of water are you using for top offs and mixing salt water . IE Tap, RO/DI , RO , or distilled or other ..
Try a aquarium pharma test kit a bit easier to read . When first starting your eyes will not really register the colors but as you do it you will be able to pick up on the subtle colors ..
Also do make sure that it is a salt water test not fresh ... I have done that too , since they sit side by side in the stores

 

[littlea8]

the salt mix im using is coral life....i just mix it with tap water then pour it in...when i top it off i use freshwater just from my tap....and its definatly a saltwater test kit

 

[jhampton_wsu]

I'm not aware of a Ph/ Alk combo test kit. Although both are related in your water chemistry you should be testing for these separately. I agree with Sadielynn when "she" (sorry to asume) says open the top or I'll add you could simply aim a power head at the surface of the tank to increase the gas exchange. Is your tank showing bad symptoms related to ph of 7.8? I don't think that 7.8 ph is the end all in aquarium water paramaters. I think stability is more important than perfect numbers.

 

[littlea8]

i do test them separately...the test kit just came with both...i think it has something to do with my salt because i tested the PH of just the saltwater i mixed about an hour ago and it was around 7.4

 

[Sadielynn]

Part of your issues is the tap water .. This will cause other long term issues now and later downt the road ..As for the coalife salt I believe it is low in calcium and does not buffer PH really well from what I remember reading . Try a box of reef crystals , and change your water source .. To RO/DI or RO
Also when mixing salt h20 try to aerate,the plain water for 24 hours then add your salt mix on the 24 hour mark or so , mix an addtional 24 hours , then use ... that should help with the PH . Also if it is a closed top get it opened up if you can ... also when you open it up try to open a window to the out side this will help as well .. it has to do with the carbon build up in the house , you will find that in the summer it is better because the windows are open , Now understand I open my windows year round 1 x a week minimum even at below 0 temps I have not had a major cold since I started doing this and the ph on my tanks have benifited ..It also helps remove any build ups of Carbon monixide too

 

[jhampton_wsu]

i do test them separately...the test kit just came with both...i think it has something to do with my salt because i tested the PH of just the saltwater i mixed about an hour ago and it was around 7.4

I'm sorry I didn't see an alk reading.

Jason

 

[littlea8]

i just checked my PH again today and it went back down to 7.8 with the lid off...uggggghhh...

 

[thincat]

This should help...Do some reading here: artcule by Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemistry Articles - Reef Central Online Community Archives

 

[melosu58]

A few more questions. Is there a glass top on the tank? What time of the day are you checking? Check it out in the evening before the lights go out. Read this also.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm

 

[littlea8]

there was a glass top but i took it off yesterday and left it off ever since...ive kinda been checking randomly but i will start checking before i turn the lights out....is it okay for it to fluctuate that much?...i thought it was supposed to stay at 8.2 throughout the day everyday.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

?...i thought it was supposed to stay at 8.2 throughout the day everyday.

Nope. Lowest in the morning, highest in the evening just as the lights go out. You can (and probably will) see around a 0.2 swing between morning and night. It's good to pick a certain time of the day to do all your testing (not just pH), and only do testing at that time.

 

[littlea8]

okay cause mine is fluctuating by like .4...so its really confusing...i guess ill just keep testing before turning the light off at night...should i keep adding the PH buffer?

 

[Tank2379]

Yeah it's normal to go up and down. But during the day you should be around 8.2 AND 8.3... Mine drops around 7.6 at night but in at day time the same time every night it's at 8.2 and border 8.3 which is good. I say border because i am using a PH monitor to monitor my PH instead of testing for it everyday.... it makes testing for everything else easier and faster....

 

[littlea8]

during the day like right when i turn the light on?....isnt the light supposed to increase the PH?....and isnt it bad for the fish to swim with a PH of 7.6?

 

[Tank2379]

7.6 is morning time so My lights aren't on yet. They are pretty much sleeping so I am taking it as less breathing for the fish while they sleep I am just taking a guess.( Someone Chime in on that part)... ... But for some reason it's been that why but I might even have to recalibrate my PH monitor so don't hold the 7.6 against me.... I normally check it and it is right around 7.6 or 7.7 still close to 7.8 but I think if it gets lower than that it can cause for concern at least for me cause then there is something wrong with my system going lower than 7.6..... but any ways My lights are on and it's right before they go out is when it is almost at 8.3.... Usaully it take awhile before it hit it's peak during the day for me... but I run my Lights @ around 2PM and then they go off around 12 midnight but thats 10 hrs for my Blue Lights and 8 hours for my Day lights....

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

okay cause mine is fluctuating by like .4...so its really confusing...i guess ill just keep testing before turning the light off at night...

If the tank was a year old, I'd say a 0.4 fluctuation is a bit much. But in a 2-month old tank, it's probably to be expected. There are many things that will change pH (that article melosu linked to lists quite a few!) but one of the big things is biological activity. When our tanks are new, there's a LOT of activity going on in that little closed ecosystem. Think of it like those old DIY cruise controls you bought that could never hit a constant speed. They were either too fast, or too slow... never where you set them. (Gee... I just dated myself there with that example, didn't I?!) That's a lot like what's going on in the tank right now. Everything that's alive in that tank (including bacteria) is trying to find just the right level to be at to stay alive. And that can cause swings in pH. That's why if you were measuring your pH during your cycle, it was all over the place.

should i keep adding the PH buffer?

I wouldn't. I made that mistake when my tank was about the same age as yours. It caused me headaches when I was ready to add coral and started trying to get my alkalinity and calcium levels where they should be. Struggled with that for a while because of all the buffer I added. At this point, I'd just do maybe double up on your water changes (twice per week versus once per week, etc.) and keep an eye on things. Also give that article melosu linked to a good read. It's the best one out there on how to deal with pH issues.

[Edit: Oops! The link melosu posted wasn't the article I thought it was! Here... try THIS article!

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2002/chem.htm