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I need some advice on my water/tank parameters. I did a water change using nutrisea. We have had rain for a week here and the tap water is a funny color.
Anyway, the pH is 7.9 and the alkalinity is around 5. I\’ve used some buffer in the tank but the pH doesn\’t seem to be coming up. I\’m a little worried about the low pH and high alkalinity–is it too much stress on my seahorses? Any suggestions.
THanks!Jan
Dear Jan:
If your total alkalinity is high but your pH is still a little on the low side, I would suggest discontinuing the buffer for the time being and instead adding one of the products designed to raise the pH of the aquarium rather than to buffer the water.
To adjust your pH to the proper range (8.1-8.4) initially, just obtain one of the commercially made products designed to adjust the pH upwards in saltwater aquariums and use it according to the instructions. Such a product should be available from any good LFS that handles marine fishes and invertebrates; they typically include sodium bicarbonate as their primary active ingredient and are often marketed under names such as "pH Up" or something similar. Just be patient when you are adjusting the pH and don’t add too much of the product too soon. Very often your pH won’t budge at all the first several times that you add the product according to directions. That’s perfectly normal, so don’t be discouraged if your pH stays at 7.9 even though you’ve added several doses of the product you obtained to raise the pH. Don’t don’t be tempted to add more of it or to add it more often than specified in the instructions. The product must first overcome the natural buffering ability of the saltwater in your aquarium before I can change the pH level significantly. It’s like performing a titration — typically, you add several doses and your pH doesn’t budge at all, but then the very next dose you add may change the pH dramatically. Since you never know when that critical point will be reached, remain patient and continue to carefully add more of the product as directed until the pH does start to change, and then adjust it to the desired level as gradually as possible.
In short, just be very patient and very gradually adjust the pH upwards, Jan. A pH reading of 7.9 is still within the daily fluctuations in pH most aquariums experience, and your seahorses should be fine at that pH while you take all the time that is necessary to safely nudge your pH upwards another point or two.
Once you’ve raised the pH to between 8.1-8.4, you can resume using your buffer again in conjunction with your regular partial water changes, and the pH should remain stable in the desired range. If not, let us know, and there are a couple of other things we can try to correct the situation.
Best of luck raising your pH and stabilizing your aquarium parameters right where you want them, Jan!
Respectfully,
Pete GiwojnaHere’s some links for you. The first is on Low PH, causes and cures…
[url]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php[/url]
The second offers a low cost alternative to expensive additives sold for aquariums. Baked baking soda is a great alkalinity additive for tanks that run low on PH…
[url]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php[/url]
Here’s a calculator to determine how much additive you’d need to raise your alk to a certain level…
[url]http://reef.diesyst.com/[/url]Dear Reverend:
Thank you very much for presiding the links regarding pH and water chemistry. They are all very informative and the Reef Chemistry Calculator in particular is a very useful tool. Much appreciated, sir!
Best wishes with all your fishes and invertebrates, Reverend Maynard!
Happy Trails!
Pete GiwojnaThank you to the REverand and Pete too.
I took some water to my lfs and the gentleman there is quite helpful. He has kept a marine only store for 30 years. He suggested an additional powerhead to aerate the water a bit more. He thinks my eclipse tank is " a little underpowered for a marine set up." This seems to have helped because the pH is now back to 8.3.
I will certainly read through the sites on low pH!
Jan
Something else that will help a lot would be to use an RO system to filter your tap water. We have an Omnifilter, (need to change my cartridges!) but you can buy smaller filters for around $100 to do your water changes. It can really help the stability of your tank.
Dear Jan:
It’s good to you that your pH is back up to where you want it. That was excellent advice from the gentleman at your LFS. If you increase the circulation and aeration in the tank, the CO2 levels will drop and the O2 levels will rise, and the pH should come up accordingly. I must say that’s a most satisfactory solution, elegant in its simplicity. Much better than adding additional compounds to the aquarium in an attempt to balance out the pH. Good work!
Best of luck with your new seahorse tank knowledge to have your aquarium parameters at the optimal levels, Jan!
Happy Trails!
Pete GiwojnaOh, good. Where would I get an RO set-up, please? Can you recommend a brand/website to look for? Thanks Big Kauna!
Post edited by: jarabas, at: 2007/05/25 00:37
Post edited by: jarabas, at: 2007/05/25 00:40
I have the Typhoon III from airwaterice.com. Even if you don’t get it from them, check out their site. There’s lot’s of info on what to look for in an RO/DI system.
THanks for the suggestion.
Jan
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