is this bad?

[EB847]

ok, been adding kent marine ph buffer to lower my ph from 8.4. i have added 5-6 times per directions with no change at all. i just got a kh test kit, and i'm at about 20-21 dkh. all i have in the tank is ls, lr, clean up crew of snails, a clown, and a yellow tang. all are doing perfect and coralline is starting to grow back on my lr.

-should i just leave the ph alone? will it balance itself?

-should i do something to lower the kh or will that decrease on it's own?

 

[Anonymous]

Leave it along if there is no stress. It will come down as you gradually add more calcium, I think.

 

[pwj1286]

Calcium chloride would bring it down.
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[ChrisRD]

ok, been adding kent marine ph buffer to lower my ph from 8.4. i have added 5-6 times per directions with no change at all.

Adding buffer will not lower pH (at least not long term) - if anything it will have the opposite effect. Also, a pH of 8.4 is fine so I wouldn't recommend you try to change it.

If you stop dosing buffer the alk will fall on its own. A few water changes would speed the process of getting things back into balance.

 

[ChrisRD]

Calcium chloride would bring it down.

Not really. If you suppliment Ca without supplimenting alk, alk levels will drop in time, but dosing CaCl will not significantly lower pH or alk levels unless you add enough to induce a precipitation event (definitely NOT a good thing). In this case (elevated alk levels and unknown Ca levels) it would be a very bad idea to add CaCl blindly.

Calcium chloride should only be dosed to raise calcium levels. To know whether it's needed and how much you'd have to test those levels.