lowering pH?

[mwrmma]

currently my pH is a little on the high side i think. its like 8.44. sg is 1.025, dKH 11. so what i am wondering is if i add the kent marine buffer, will it raise the alkalinity even more, or will it just drop the pH to 8.1 to 8.3 like it says? i just lost a clown tang that i was dripping for 3 hours and within 24 hours ~dead! everything else is doing great though, so i dont get it.

[tecwzrd]

Adding buffer will increase alk which generally increases PH. Your DKH is a little high but PH is fine at that level. Just doing PWC will balance it out within a couple of months.

The 3 hour drip may have not been long enough depending on the PH/SG it came from. Fish adjust much easer to lower PH/SG then higher ones.

Main reason why you should use a QT and match temp/ph/sg the same as where your stock comes from per first & second articles in advancedaquarist.com.

[Hara]

your ph is not too high at all. If it stays nicely at 8.4, consider yourself very lucky.

[tecwzrd]

Forgot to add Reef Aquarium Water Parameters which is always good reading

[mwrmma]

ok. i always thought ideal pH was 8.1 to 8.3, but if you guys think 8.4 is ok then i'll leave it. i do PWC once every other week, and sometimes weekly. i guess i just didnt drip him long enough then. thanks for the advice. right now i dont have the space for a QT but i do plan on having one soon.
thanks, mike

[melosu58]

Originally Posted by tecwzrd

Just doing PWC will balance it out within a couple of months.

I totally agree. PWC`s will take care of it.

[mwrmma]

so when do i know when to add the buffer solution? based on the dKH? or the pH?

[Hara]

The fish may not have died due to poor acclimation prodedures..it is hard to say why they die sometimes. You have some aggressive fish in there, maybe they were harassing it?

[mwrmma]

not sure. it hid once i put it in there and never came out. the next day it was dead in the back of the tank. i hate when they do that. so hard to get out too.

[MT79]

so when do i know when to add the buffer solution? based on the dKH? or the pH?

Based on the Alkalinity. Buffers only raise PH temporarily, other measures are needed to correct persistent low PH problems.

[tecwzrd]

Originally Posted by mwrmma

so when do i know when to add the buffer solution? based on the dKH? or the pH?

I'd only add buffer if your dKH falls below 8 DKH. You're right where you should be at this point and with pwc it shouldn't change much at all.

Most PH buffers are really alk buffers which if low will affect your ph.

Checkout A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH