well how does a person lower the ph????

[Lynn]

If a person's ph were to get up to 8.5 or 8.6 or even higher, how could you lower it?

 

[danmhippo]

Dosing too much kalk at once, huh Lynn?

Ease up on alk supplement, your ph should slowly come back down. Someone correct me if I am way off base.

 

[ReefMon]

Ease up on alk supplement, your ph should slowly come back down.

Will work, but would be even better if you did a good size water change too.

Glenn R

 

[Lynn]

I'm not adding kalk, and I've just done a 20% water change. It actually has never gone past 8.50 , but I was curious if it did if a person could do something about it. I mean there is a quick way of raising it, why not lowering it?

 

[ReefMon]

What are you using to test your pH? I could just be the test kit, as they really are not that exact.

IMO, don't worry... How do your animals look? If everything is looking good, then it's probably just fine.

Nothing good happens fast in a marine ecosystem, patience is the key.

Glenn R

 

[MarkO1]

Keep the lights off. Lights alone drop my pH 0.2 every night.
_________________
blue moonshine plants

 

[Anonymous]

I second Reefmon's point, that perhaps the test is off, especially if you are not dosing kalk. Do you use an electronic pH meter? If so, maybe it needs to be calibrated, or your calibration solutions are off? I had some solutions that led to falsely high readings.

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a better test and your PH is still high you could add a little vinegar to your topoff water.

 

[texman]

Electronic probes notoriously start reading high after being in use for several months - I had the same problem as you and re-calibrated the probe. pH went from 8.5 to 8.2

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with texman, my pinpoint meter always starts reading high after a couple of months.

Always recalibrate your ph meter before adding any buffers to change your ph IMHO.

Louey

 

[Lynn]

thanks, so how much vinegar should I add? I'll recalibrate my monitor, although it has been consistant with my seacheam ph tester.
thanks again

 

[Anonymous]

I'd just add a small amount (one once) into the sump and monitor your ph monitor to make sure you don't lower the ph to rapidly. Add some more every 1/2 hour or so until you reach your intended target.

If you want a real expert opinion, start a post in the advance aquarist chemimist forum http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=44

Randy Holmes Farley or Craig Bingman will likely respond within a day!

 

[MattM]

After you have read and considered all of the above posts concerning test kit accuracy, leaving the lights off, etc., and you are still absolutely sure you want to drop the pH manually...

Then don't use acetic acid (vinegar), use the same acid that naturally drops the pH in your tank - carbonic. Easily obtained by buying a bottle of club soda. It's just water and CO2.

Ditto all of the above about adding slowly and monitoring pH.

 

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by MattM:

use the same acid that naturally drops the pH in your tank - carbonic. Easily obtained by buying a bottle of club soda. It's just water and CO2.

Interesting! I had not heard that before. I need to reserve some space in my brain for new, useful, information! :mrgreen:

Thanks Matt!

 

[xKEIGOx]

huh? I dunno about you guys over there but I just get my self a pH down from the aquarium shop and drop it in~. that's all. But I think you have to add double dosage to lower it in high kH level water. :wink: