Homemade ideas to up PH?

[canyon15]

Are there any ideas to up the PH with anything found at home? If so how much should I add? My PH has been 7.9 consistently and I believe It should between 8.1 and 8.4. TIA!

 

[tecwzrd]

7.9 is ok for ph also. What is your sg? Keeping it 1.023+ should keep your ph closer to 8.2+. Could be your test is slightly off, which test do you use and have you tried more than one test kit? How old is the tank? Which salt mix do you use? Is your tank fully covered? Do you use a ph aimed at the surface to aerate your water?

ph can be affected by alk, ca, CO2, sg, & kh so any one or more of these variables could be keeping it lower.

Baking soda is the cheap quick way. A baseline recommendation is 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of water (dissolve in a cup of aquarium water if adding directly to the tank). For an established aquarium, remember to take this slowly as fish are highly sensitive to pH changes.

Personally I’d get to the “root” cause of why this is happening and not “Band-Aid” the problem using any additives. By answering the questions above it will be easier to determine on what “root” cause is affecting your ph problem.

 

[Feron]

Also, consistency is better then having something 'within recommended values'.
My tank has a pH of 8.0, but it never fluctuates so I leave it be..
You don't wanna get your pH up only to have it drop again...it'd mess with your livestock somethin serious..

 

[tecwzrd]

Good point Feron. Your ph actually does fluctuate during the day/night cycles though, sometimes as much a 2+ ppm. If you check it at the same time every day it appears to never change. Also you usually shouldn’t experience a ph crash unless you have CO2 problems (ie: covered tank, little circulation, or during cycling). Consistency is usually established just by doing 10%+ pwc each week with the same sg assuming you use the same salt mix each time.

 

[canyon15]

my SG is 1.024, have not tried another test kit, tank is young (1 mth), PH is not aimed at the surface, use instant ocean salt and have a cover on it. and i would like to get to the root of the problem. Thanks of all the advice!

 

[Feron]

yeah, I guess I should have been more specific about the fluctuation part heh
I actually open up my tank top on a daily basis to help dfuse the co2 and to help bleed off some heat (for some reason the tank is 'runnin hot' this week..).
I usually right down my test results in a comp notebook, and I make sure to note the time to help account for any varience due to time of day..

 

[tecwzrd]

IO salt usually does test in that range 7.8 to 8.2. As long as you don’t have a significant drop it’s not much to worry about right now, especially during the cycling period. You could get another test to double check it or have the lfs check it. Be mindful that any test the lfs does will also vary do to the water being kept in a bag and the trip there. (Usually lower)

Your sg is fine but some of the things you can do to help maintain a constant level are keeping your tank topless unless you have any fish that are known jumpers. (Keeps CO2 from building up and causing your ph to drop)

Aim at least one ph towards the surface to help with oxygen exchange. (Slight ripple, not splashing everywhere)

Once tank has cycled try to do at least a bi-monthly 10+% pwc. (Weekly 10% is better but avoid large 40+% changes at one time or you could change your parameters too quickly)

When tanks first start out it takes a little time for the buffering to kick in and after a couple of weeks you should see everything balance out more.

 

[lando]

All great advice! I would begin checking Ph in the morning before lights on and in the evening right before lights off. There is likely going to be a difference. Since the tank is young, a low PH is not too concerning. You may see a slight rise in Ph as you do more (regular) water changes. I also suggest getting another test kit by a different company. Run a comparison between the two and see if there is a difference. If your Ph is still on the low side start by doing more water changes and see if that helps. Removing the glass top on the tank (providing your light will not be setting on the water) and adding another powerhead directed so it ripples the surface of the water are ways to increase Ph.

 

[melosu58]

I agree all good advice. My first suggestion is remove the cover. This is a factor as you are not getting a good gas exchange. I believe you will see a difference. Good Luck.