Ph Issues

C

Charlie Brown

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Question for the chemical fundi's out there.

I have been having a constant battle to get my ph above 7,9. It seems that no matter what I do I cannot get my ph up to where it should be, yet all my corals are looking really healthy and are growing well. At first I thought that my digital ph pen was out of calibration, so I re-callibrated using the test solution that comes with the pen. Calibrated spot on to what the solution states. Re-test my water and I get 7,9 again. I then added the sachem reef buffer at the recommended dosage over a period of a week to try and get the ph up to 8,3. Re-test after a week and my ph is still at 7,9???? My LPS corals still look happy, but my couple of sticks I have are not at all happy with almost zero polyp extension.

While all this is going on, I'm also busy setting up my new Reefer 350 and using the Redsea "Blue Bucket" salt to make up the water with RO and salt. I have made the mix to 1025 salinity and thought I would check the ph before any additives are added that could possibly throw readings out. I couldn't believe it, on brand new "virgin" water I once again get a ph of 7,9.

I'm seriously at a loss here as I do not know what to do to get my ph over 8............please, any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Do I just ignore the low ph as my corals seem to be happy or is there a better way to get the ph up?
 
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My pH has been running also on about 7.9 or there about. Been like that for over a year. Doesn't seem to influence anything
 
Check your ph of your ro water. I use natural sea water for the water change and the ph is also low at 7.8. My ro water is 8.4 and due to evaporation my ph slowly came up in a few months time to 8.17
 
Nothing wrong with 7.9 & buffer is a waste of money as the tank will just go back to where it likes to sit at anyway - i paid my school fees there.
Its the Co2 around the tank & in the water that turns to an acid that does it mostly.
If you look at the ph just before lights start dimming you'll maybe find it a bit higher, it will be lowest early am before lights on.
It can be fought like co2 scrubber media on to the skimmer air intake, more open windows,kalk etc.
 
Thanks for all the replies and advice guys, much appreciated. Will leave things as they are and just keep an eye on my sea creatures to make sure they are looking healthy.
 
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