Reacting to ph,alakinity,etc

[micaheli]

Okay, its 2:37 in the morning, and I'm not sure if I'm just not thinking straight or if I really don't know the answer to this question. Forgive me if it sounds retarded. I don't have my tank established yet, but want to be prepared when mine is set up.

Q: Lets say I test my tank and the pH is too high or low. How do I change the pH to fix it? Are there chemicals to add? Do I react with better filtration? Or what.. Same goes for alkalinity, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites.. etc.. how?

A: Insert Answer Here

Thanks,
Micah

[OrionGirl]

First thing--test your tank at the same time each day to make comparisons. pH will fluctuate a bit over the course of the day, so you need to test consistantly to make decisions.

Most commercial salt mixes contain buffers that will stabilize your pH and alkalinity. If you determine that this is not adequate, you can add more buffer to your tank in several way. There are liquid additives available off the shelf, or you can purchase and prepare kalkwasser to drip in. Most of the additives will also raise your calcium levels--good for reefs and coralline algae growths.

Normally, regular water changes are enough to replenish the buffer in a FO tank. With reef tanks, the corals can use up the calcium pretty quickly, so supplementing is usually performed.

For all parts of the nitrogen cycle, their presence means a) the tank is not cycled yet or b) something bad is happening. Ammonia and nitrites should never be detectable in a healthy established tank, and nitrates should be controlled either by encouraging the anaerobic bacteria (live rock and a sand bed), or through water changes.

For phosphates, the easiest response is to determine the source--could be tapwater, could be foods--and address it there.