How to hold PH level

[Ron]

Was wondering how people are controlling PH. I have a bc29 stock running for about 3 months and the PH keeps moving just under 8.0… What has worked the best to keep your PH up in the 8.2 – 8.4 range? Should I add a certain type of rock into the tank or add a supplement to my top off water? Any constructive advice would be appreciated.

I do weekly 3 gal water changes & run chemi-pure & purigen

BC 29 Stock
~30# of LR
2 Percs
1 lawnmower blenny
Assorted hermit crabs & snails

[john0087]

Couple of questions

Is your tank covered or open top?
Have you tested you alk? Ph, Alk and CA are all related.
How much flow do you have in your tank?
When are you taking the Ph measurement?

Low Ph could be a sign of excess CO2 in your system. Making sure that there is good water movement and surface aggesation can help make sure that your water stays oxygenated.

Ph also tends to be lower after a low light period as photosynthesis helps lower the CO2 levels and add O2.

Some people suggest opening a window the room to allow better enviromenal air flow.

I personally have been sucessful with using KENT MARINE KdH buffer, but make sure that you can test for you alk before adding suppliments.

Good Luck.

John

[CarmieJo]

As John mentioned the conditions when you are doing the pH test matters. If you haven't test it right before the lights go out and see what it is. There are lots of reasons why pH might be low. I'd recommend reading this article Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com to see if you can determine the cause of the low pH.

I will tell you that in the winter when we use our gas logs the pH in my tank drops (more CO2 in the air) despite dripping kalk. If I keep the window open just a hair all is well. I open the top half of the window to avoid the feeling of a draft.

[doctorthompson]

If you have a skimmer you can run a length of airline tube from a nearby window to the air intake on the skimmer to prevent the CO2 in the room from just being recycled through the tank.