Kh And Ph

[1234-fishy-freind]

Hi guys.
Well I think its time to get this problem sorted now for good.
My ph never goes above 8, usually abour 7.8-7.9 and my kh is about 7-8.
If I raised the kh, would this raise the ph also?
I really want to sort this out because not having this right have been bugging me so much.

I have found these products on ebay also which raise kh.
Which would you recommned I get?

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/SALIFERT-KH-PH-BUFFE...A1%7C240%3A1318

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/GroTech-Ca-kH-3-1000...A1%7C240%3A1318

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEACHEM-REEF-BUILDER...A1%7C240%3A1318

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Seachem-Reef-Buffer-...A1%7C240%3A1318



thanks alot
Josh

 

[rabbut]

The Salifert and Reef Builder stuff will do the trick. Expensive for what it is, Sodium Bi-Carbonate AKA Baking Soda/Powder (I always get those two mixed up....)

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

Thanks rabbut, I will go for either the salifert or reef builder then.
Am I right then in thinking that the raised kh will bring up the ph?

Josh

 

[rabbut]

On paper, yes, but in marine, especially newer tanks or in winter, this is not always the case for many reasons

 

[TigerIssey]

There is a nice article on the relationships between KH and pH in Avanced aquarist

Advanced Aquarist Article

There is also the Farley article on low pH reasons and cures

Farley Article

Both are useful reading material.

I use Salifert reef builder, bought it for use in conjunction with the reef complete calcium and mag additive. I find it very easy to use adding by the advanced instructions. As rabbut says, it is essentially bicarbonate of soda however, I paid about £5-6 for my large tub of bicarb (many uses besides cooking and fish tanks), the reef builder is not that much more expensive plus you get proper instructions for adding and then you don't overdose.

 

[SkiFletch]

Love the Low pH Causes and Cures article. Understanding that one will bring to light lots of tricks on reef chemistry. Josh, the most common cause for low pH is definitely CO2, and in the typical high-flow reef tank, the CO2 is present in the tank AND the ambient air. Especially a problem for those of us in northern climates who keep our houses buttoned up through many seasons. Raising the KH through bicarbonate introduction MIGHT increase pH, but if there's enough CO2 around, no amount of sodium bicarb will really help much more than say 8.1 or maybe 8.2.

My own tank hovers in the 8.0 plus or minus a bit all through the winter and in the heat of summer when the house is buttoned up for heat/AC. In the spring and fall when my windows are open and the house well ventilated, my pH shoots up in the 8.3 and 8.4 range. In the end though, as long as pH isn't swinging rapidly, your corals will adapt and will not have difficulty with it if it's a bit low. Having low pH and low alk is a bad situation though, causing calcification stress, try and avoid that.

Then again, as a guy in my LRC always says, "Treat the tank, not the numbers"

Hope that helps

 

[johnnyjtaylor]

If you want to find out if your ph is low due to elevated CO2 in your house/tank(most likely) then just take out a cup of tank water and put it outside(aerating it with an airstone outside is better) for an hour or two and then test its ph, if its gone up to more normal levels then CO2 is your problem. I get this problem when the house is shut up(winter usually) and cure it by the simple adition of a piece of airline tubing from outside to the air intake of my skimmer, in the summer I remove this and just have a window open.

Johnny