ph problem too low. cant get it up

[fishguy007]

my ph in my tank is going to 7.8 all the time. how can i bring it to 8.3 to stabilize it.

i am using a ph buffer and this does not seem to bring it up at all.

sometimes if i use more of the buffer, i am able to bring it to 8.4 and then it goes back to 7.8 the next day.

[Aquattro]

what's your Alk at?

[MikeP]

what's your Alk at?

That's what I was going to ask. Also what size is your tank?

[untamed]

Your pH probably goes up and down in a daily cycle. Measure it right before your lights come on and I expect you will get a much higher reading. I don't think you should be attempting to do anything with your pH and I suggest that you stop adding that buffer (assuming this is the only reason you are doing it).

[fishguy007]

dont know what the alk is at. dont have a test kit

[fishguy007]

i keep hearing that the ph must be a constant 8.3 so that is why i am adding the buffer. i want to keep it at that. mine is at 7.3.......

would a tnak cycle cause ph to do down. my tank is new

[Aquattro]

Yes, a tank cycle will lower pH. The acids building up will cause this. And if it's at 7.3, I'd check your meter. At that level, the rocks will start dissolving :)
Once cycled, your tank will go thru a pH cycle everyday, due to photosynthesis of the organisms kept. This is both normal and ok. My favorite story of solving pH problems was to throw my meter away. Never had another issue.

[Aquattro]

dont know what the alk is at. dont have a test kit

you need one. And Ca. get rid of the pH kit. Trade it for ammonia to get through your cycle.

[baker_jeff]

I was just about to test for PH on my month old tank... this is a useless test? I do have tests for Ammonia and Nitrate, both tested very low.

[wil0311]

Here is a link for ya. Start reading.:razz:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/subject/chemistry.php

[Aquattro]

I was just about to test for PH on my month old tank... this is a useless test? I do have tests for Ammonia and Nitrate, both tested very low.

pH on a month old tank isn't going to give you any info that will be of use. And although some might argue, I haven't measured pH since about 2002. It just doesn't matter. Good water change routine, steady alk levels for pH buffering, and looking at your corals are much better methods of keeping a healthy tank.
pH test kits are wonky at best, and meters require constant calibration to make sure they're even close to accurate.
If you have NH3, your pH is lower than it should be. Once it's 0ppm, you're just about done cycling and can slowly begin adding things.

[StirCrazy]

as a side note, my tank ran at a PH of 7.8 for 4 years with out any problems.

Steve

[naesco]

you need one. And Ca. get rid of the pH kit. Trade it for ammonia to get through your cycle.

I don't know about tossing the PH kit.
For newbies, ph readings are an easy way to find out whether more testing is necessary.
After a while we get to learn that problems are developing just by observing the tank but in the beginning a ph test is a very usefull tool IMO.
Among other things the ph can lower as a result of overfeeding, something dying in the tank or an overdue water change.

[Aquattro]

Wayne, fair enough points. As long as the person is aware of what can contribute to low pH, it could be useful.

[fkshiu]

What everyone said, but you can also try something as simple as removing any glass covers on your tank and opening the windows in your house to off gas excess CO2.