My Ph Is Very Low

[jonnyuk]

i started my tank last thursday and i think it has cycled (i actually don't think it cycled at all). i took some water to get it tested at a5 yesterday just to make sure my test kits where right.

ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate = <5
salinity 1.024 (if i remember right, he said it was bang on anyway)
however my ph is really low, its sitting at 7.7...

i spoke with a couple of guys there who both said it won't get any higher on its own so i'll need to buffer it. they said it could be because i have low oxygen levels that force my hardness down which in turn will cause my ph to drop, does this sound right? i do have allot of LR consuming nutrients in the water and generating c02.

i get my water already salted from a5 who said there ph is 8.3, this also confussed me a little as to why mine would drop so much.

i have started to use some buffering stuff they recommended but i have also stayed away from putting chemicals in my tanks......thought i had no choice this time
tank spec

40ltr cube
aquaray 500 (blue/white) on for 8 hours a day
about 9.5k of LR in total (some of this is rubble in the external filter)
3-4" sand bed.
nano power head (rated at 700lpr)
spray bar on my filter (rate at 200lph)

 

[Morri]

7.7 is not too much to worry about if you want to increase it without adding any buffer is to ensure there is plenty of surface agitation I usually have a power head pointed at the surface.

 

[jameshughes1989]

I wouldnt try and buff it yet. 7.7 isnt anything to worry about just yet. Like most things in marine, stability is a lot more important. As above, provide surface agitation for gas exchange and just monitor it.

 

[woody88]

I wouldnt try and buff it yet. 7.7 isnt anything to worry about just yet. Like most things in marine, stability is a lot more important. As above, provide surface agitation for gas exchange and just monitor it.

I have used araga milk in the past and it does the trick but tbh I don't like dosing my tank If I can help it.

Agitate the water surface as suggested and also buy coral pro reef salt and mix your own with plain RO water.

A good supply of pro reef salt will sort out your ph providing you do regular water changes with it.
I use tropic Marin pro reef salt.

When I first had my tank my ph was 7.9 and araga milk buffered it up to 8.1 but it didn't hold without continuously dosing.
Now I do a 20% wc weekly with pro reef salt and my ph has been stable for the past few weeks at 8.2/3. It also puts plenty of goodies in your tank which helps with coral growth.

 

[jonnyuk]

thanks for the tips. think i'll wait and see what happens then..also mixing my own water might be the way to go. friend of mine nearly had a system crash over the weekend because the lfs he gets his salted water from messed up.

 

[jaylam]

I watched a you tube video where the guy said he extended the air line coming from his skimmer to a hole he drilled under his window so it pulls the air straight from outside and he claims it worked perfectly.

Not tried it but I can see the logic as the air in your house if your out all day is not going to be very fresh if the house is all locked up.

 

[woody88]

thanks for the tips. think i'll wait and see what happens then..also mixing my own water might be the way to go. friend of mine nearly had a system crash over the weekend because the lfs he gets his salted water from messed up.

I've struggled to find a lfs that supplies good quality salt water. They always see to have phosphates and nitrates as well as low sg level.
Plus they tell you they use this or that good quality salt mix when in fact its some cheap crap and the salt level is never at the level they tell you. They just want a sale.

Since mixing my own salt water my tank has been much more stable and test results are always good.