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News & Reviews Article
| Title |
pH Problems and Solutions in Reef Tanks |
| Author |
Sheridan Henson
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| Last Updated |
2014-12-20
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| Abstract |
It"s not uncommon to find aquarists with pH problems. Using different additives like calcium, kalkwasser, alkalinity buffer, etc., it becomes increasingly common to drop or raise pH levels into unfit conditions. Many hobbyists fall into a cause and effect cycle of adding additives to solve a problem, only to cause another problem concerning pH. Understanding pH and the symptoms causing low or high pH will lead to a healthy tank.
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pH Problems and Solutions in Reef Tanks
It"s not uncommon to find aquarists with pH problems. Using different additives like calcium, kalkwasser, alkalinity buffer, etc., it becomes increasingly common to drop or raise pH levels into unfit conditions. Many hobbyists fall into a cause and effect cycle of adding additives to solve a problem, only to cause another problem concerning pH. Understanding pH and the symptoms causing low or high pH will lead to a healthy tank.
What is pH? Simply put, pH is a measure of the hydrogen ions in a solution. For hobbyist, this definition will suffice; plus, knowing that such a measurement is logarithmic is also important. That is to say, at pH 4 there are 10 times as many hydrogen ions at pH 5, and at pH 4 there are 100 times as many hydrogen ions at pH 6. This illustrates how much a little change in pH can mean a huge change in the hydrogen concentration in your water.
Before you rush to your local pet store for buffers and additives, there are a few things to consider before diagnosing a pH problem. First, make sure you have problem. This might sound simplistic or redundant since you used a test kit to find the pH problem in the beginning, but most hobbyists depend on liquid test kits instead of electronic test kits. Even electronic tests kits can be inaccurate if the units aren�t calibrated properly. The best course of action is to test multiple times and confirm your findings with either an electronic tester or a pH test administered by an experienced aquatic retail store. Getting a second opinion through alternate kits and devices is always a safe method of verifying your findings.
Low ph problems start around 7.8. That�s not to say you won�t want to raise your pH if it is 7.9 or 8.0, but at 7.8, the need is immediate. There are different causes for this problem. A common problem comes from using Calcium Carbonate/ Carbon Dioxide reactors. Calcium Reactors use CO2 to dissolve calcium carbonate. In ideal conditions, the CO2 is blown back off of the tank after it has dissolved the calcium carbonate, but most systems never complete the process, causing a lowered pH. The first step taken to solve this problem is to correct a poorly adjusted calcium reactor. If the system isn�t properly adjusted, it can drop the pH even lower. To solve any further problems with calcium reactors, there are a few solutions that might help. One solution is to use a two stage reactor that runs the CO2 through a prechamber of Calcium Carbonate, reducing the amount of CO2 released into the tank. Increasing the amount of calcium carbonate used in the effluent will raise pH, and raising the calcium and alkalinity levels will also help increase it. This doesn�t guarantee a complete rise in tank pH, but it will raise it. Another solution is to aerate the effluent before it is delivered to the tank water. Aeration will attempt to blow off any excess CO2. Be warned, if the levels of calcium carbonate are too high and the CO2 levels are too low in the effluent, then the calcium carbonate might precipitate in the reactor, fouling it and reducing its effectiveness. The most successful approach to raising pH is to incorporate the calcium reactor with another alkalinity supplement that raises pH. Limewater, Kalkwasser, works not to raise the alkalinity but to absorb excess CO2 in the water. Brightwell Aquatics offers a dependable version of Kalkwasser that takes away the confusion with treatment guidelines and proper dosage.
For high pH problems, hobbyists would want to do the reverse. As we saw with raising pH, CO2 is a root problem. To lower high pH, using greater amounts of CO2 will lower the pH. This is accomplished by adding CO2 directly to the calcium reactor, limewater mix, or the tank itself. The easiest method to lower pH in a marine aquarium is using pH lowering solutions designed by dependable companies like Brightwell Aquatics.
As with every solution, always check with an experienced aquatic retailer before using any extreme treatments. Many fish stores successful in selling reef setups and saltwater fish have certainly encountered the same problems and may show you an effective solution.
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