bumping up PH? and a calcium question....

[350gt]

Something I never have done was test my PH in my mix saltwater for my water changes. I did today to both my display tank and a little water change that I like to do in between my big ones...

My tank fluctuates at night from 7.8-7.9 to 8.0-8.1 during the day via my reef keeper... I tested right now with a cheap API kit and the reading was the same...

How can I bump up the PH in my bucket to slowly bring up the PH in the tank a bit? Should I even worry about it? everything is doing fine....


Again i tested for calcium, something I never do....... just to see where my tank is standing and it was off the charts with the salifert kit, the highest it reads is 500 i believe.. and closer to the 520 endpoint on the API test (I HATE COLOR TEST)..... but I want to say it was at 520 or a little over....

Should I be concerned? again everything looks good..... I really want to know what my alkalinity is now. I really thought I hated testing but I guess I like to know what my levels are at......

[350gt]

Another question...

Anyone using the hanna checkers? Are they worth it? I would rather read a digital readout then a color code.......

[Sherita]

I use a Hanna alk checker, I really like it.

Testing and knowing your levels is a good idea, BUT "treat the tank, not the numbers". If everything looks good and is doing good, don't react just because you see some numbers on a piece of paper. Honestly, I haven't even looked at the ph reading on my ACjr in weeks. My tank looks great, everything is growing good, so there's no reason to fix something that isn't broke.

[350gt]

thanks sherita.....

and thats why I have never tested.....

[LuckySingh]

7.8 to 8.1 is a perfect ph..i would say dnt mess with it

[350gt]

7.8 to 8.1 is a perfect ph..i would say dnt mess with it

thanks lucky.... will do.

what about the calcium? leave it? I plan to pick up a alkalinity test kit or meter soon...

[Big_Pun]

yup your numbers are very good I wouldn't worry... my ph drops to 7.3 if i don't drip kalk twice a week along with two part dosing.

[LuckySingh]

thanks lucky.... will do.

what about the calcium? leave it? I plan to pick up a alkalinity test kit or meter soon...

the key is to maintain ur levels and not let them change too much..
i hve seen tanks doing gud on 7.6 ph aswell along ucan maintain it...
tanks with calcium atleast 420 and up generally do best also again other parameters need to be in a good shape aswell.. 520 is kinda high also it can also affect the efficiency of ur pumps and reactors...
for me alk is very magnesium and alk is very important ..i generally test these once a week for sure...very rarely i test calcium

[350gt]

yup your numbers are very good I wouldn't worry... my ph drops to 7.3 if i don't drip kalk twice a week along with two part dosing.


Why is that? Excuse the newbish question...

[350gt]

the key is to maintain ur levels and not let them change too much..
i hve seen tanks doing gud on 7.6 ph aswell along ucan maintain it...
tanks with calcium atleast 420 and up generally do best also again other parameters need to be in a good shape aswell.. 520 is kinda high also it can also affect the efficiency of ur pumps and reactors...
for me alk is very magnesium and alk is very important ..i generally test these once a week for sure...very rarely i test calcium


I plan to get those 2 soon....

Thanks again...

[Big_Pun]

Why is that? Excuse the newbish question...

no prob... I've been trying to fix this for a while but it could be lots of things: my house oxygen levels may be low so slimmer is pumping air in with elevated Co2 so i use a Co2 scrubber on it now(helped a lil), i also run bio pellets which the effluent carries Co2 again and i combat this by putting effluent into the skimmer so it's aerated. the kalk just helps keep ph up and with the brand I use also mag and strontium and of course calcium since my tanks demands are high
"The kalkwasser solution contains water, calcium ions and hydroxide ions. The calcium ions obviously help to raise the concentration of calcium in the water, a good thing for animals and plants that use calcium for their skeletons. The hydroxide interacts with dissolved carbon dioxide to form bicarbonate, and together with any remaining hydroxide ions, this raises the alkalinity, thereby buffering pH and inhibiting acidification." wetweb