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flricordia · 04-08-2007, 10:08 PM

I used to have the same problem till I started kalk in top-off. You say you use it and it doesn't help. Maybe you have a glass cover over your tank so evaporation is low? If you do, take it off. If you don't have one on then get a fan blowing across surface to help in evaporation or power heads to disrupt water's surface more. This may not be desirable, but the end result is higher PH. With 1.5tsp kalk per gl top-off PH will run 8.5 and higher. If this is too high than add 30-45mm per gl vinegar. This will keep it at approx. 8.3. Another method, excellent method when used with kalk top-off, is to run a heavily stocked chaeto fuge 24/7. When the lights are out and plant life is not producing oxygen it produces carbon dioxide which lowers the PH. Buffers need constant adjustment along with close testing of alk. Some buffers will cause power heads to clog through precipitation. This was a problem I found with Seachem's buffers.
Don't expect results overnight. It usually takes a couple months, depending on the size of tank and bio-load to stabilize, stop feeding unwanted algae and produce steady coraline growth.
Another problem with some tanks is that the room they are in has high levels of carbon dioxide and the tank takes this on rather than oxygen which produces low ph.

04-08-2007, 10:08 PM	#15 (permalink)
flricordia Just Mike for short Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pensacola FL Posts: 638 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Please help me get my pH up! I used to have the same problem till I started kalk in top-off. You say you use it and it doesn't help. Maybe you have a glass cover over your tank so evaporation is low? If you do, take it off. If you don't have one on then get a fan blowing across surface to help in evaporation or power heads to disrupt water's surface more. This may not be desirable, but the end result is higher PH. With 1.5tsp kalk per gl top-off PH will run 8.5 and higher. If this is too high than add 30-45mm per gl vinegar. This will keep it at approx. 8.3. Another method, excellent method when used with kalk top-off, is to run a heavily stocked chaeto fuge 24/7. When the lights are out and plant life is not producing oxygen it produces carbon dioxide which lowers the PH. Buffers need constant adjustment along with close testing of alk. Some buffers will cause power heads to clog through precipitation. This was a problem I found with Seachem's buffers. Don't expect results overnight. It usually takes a couple months, depending on the size of tank and bio-load to stabilize, stop feeding unwanted algae and produce steady coraline growth. Another problem with some tanks is that the room they are in has high levels of carbon dioxide and the tank takes this on rather than oxygen which produces low ph.