ph

[cal1]

I don't understand this hope someone can help. I have a r/o water top off bucket that has air circulation and a heater. I put aragamight in and now reef builder because my test levels for ph were acidic. I test day and night and the bucket water (ph) stays the same, no drop. I transfer the water from the bucket to the doser. I test during the day of course it's high. I test at night it drops. Why? Why does the bucket water stay the same and the doser water (which is the same water) drop? Is it because there isn't any air crculation on the doser? I'm confused.
Carol

 

[jdeets]

Yes, most likely the pH drops in the doser because there is not as much aeration.

Ty is correct--don't worry about pH of RO water. It will be slightly acidic. (Mine goes as low as 5.5.) If you try to raise the pH with buffer, you're going to end up with an ionic imbalance in your system--because you're adding buffer through the top-off water and you're not adding a commensurate amount of Ca to the system simultaneously.

Just let the top-off do its thing and stop using buffer in your top-off water.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

If you are mixing aragamight and reef builder in the same solution, you may well be getting slow chemical changes (like precipitation of CaCO3) that impact pH.

As with the others, I'm not sure what you want to accomplish, or even exactly what's in these solutions (e.g., is there solid aragamight there?).

FWIW, dissolved aragamight in top off water is a fine thing to do, but mixing may not be.

What was the tank pH?

[ October 30, 2001: Message edited by: Randy Holmes-Farley ]</p>

 

[cal1]

my ph in the tank is 8.3 It was just the top off water I was concerned about. But see no need to be. Thanks everyone

 

[Anonymous]

Your question is a little confusing. This is freshwater that we're talking about, right? If so, don't worry about the pH of it. Your makeup water will not affect the pH of your system.

small amount of unbuffered water + very large amount of highly buffered seawater = very large amount of highly buffered seawater

Kalkwasser is a little different, of course, but all the same. Don't get hung up on the pH of pure water.

Ty

[ October 30, 2001: Message edited by: tyoberg ]</p>