This thread probably exists, but pH is too small of a word to search on. I know you can do DIY pH up with baking soda. What is the proper way to do it and the proper amount for a 10 gallon tank?
DIY pH up
- Thread starter nerdyguy83
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Crushed coral and sand are a good suggestion, although I would use commercial play sand or pool sand, not sand from the beach.
To buffer my African tanks, I mix epsom salts and sea salt to raise the GH and baking soda to raise the KH.
If you're going to try this, I would suggest doing it in a seperate container with some kind of water flow. I use rubbermaid holding tanks to mix my change water. I like to have it on hand to test for a couple of days before I start to use it.
To buffer my African tanks, I mix epsom salts and sea salt to raise the GH and baking soda to raise the KH.
If you're going to try this, I would suggest doing it in a seperate container with some kind of water flow. I use rubbermaid holding tanks to mix my change water. I like to have it on hand to test for a couple of days before I start to use it.
I phrased my question poorly. I want to use baking soda to raise my hardness and act as a buffer to raise my pH. The guy at my LFS told me about it, but didn't get real specific as far a proportions or how to go about doing it. This is for the tank listed below. My resources are limited, so I don't want to go invest in coral (even if that is easiest). I have a spare 10 gallon that I could use for mixing and cycling, but I don't really have a place to do it and my spare filter isn't great. Treat me like a total newb and spell this out if you can. Thanks.
You'll need a GH, KH, and pH test kit.
Test your tap water first to see where you're starting at. Add salts/baking soda to your spare tank with filter (a heater also helps) and let it mix for a few hours if not for a day. Test to see where you're at and write down your results so you know how much to use the next time you mix. It may take a couple of tries before you find just the right formula.
What kind of fish are you trying to keep?
Test your tap water first to see where you're starting at. Add salts/baking soda to your spare tank with filter (a heater also helps) and let it mix for a few hours if not for a day. Test to see where you're at and write down your results so you know how much to use the next time you mix. It may take a couple of tries before you find just the right formula.
What kind of fish are you trying to keep?
I want the higher pH for my guppies. Could I keep something in the test tank like snails or shrimp? Or is it a one time thing to use only for water changes?
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Raising the Kh/pH will not do a lot for your guppies, Hardness and total dissolved solids would be more what they might need. What problems are you seeing with your guppies?
Baking soda dissolves and reacts quickly, 1 teaspoon will raise 30g by 1 dKH if I remember correctly. I would not mix it directly into your tank though, premix in a seperate container and add to the tank slowly.
To increase hardness (Won't change pH) add epsom salts and or Calcium in some form. CaSo4 or CaCL are both commonly available in the hobby. You could also use somethng like Seachem equalibriam.
And of course adding the crushed coral as earlier suggested would raise Both Kh and GH for you, and is easily controlled, stable, and not at all diffuclt or expensive. By using Crushed Coral (CaCo3) you don't get the negative of the sodium addition that you would get from baking soda.
Dave
Baking soda dissolves and reacts quickly, 1 teaspoon will raise 30g by 1 dKH if I remember correctly. I would not mix it directly into your tank though, premix in a seperate container and add to the tank slowly.
To increase hardness (Won't change pH) add epsom salts and or Calcium in some form. CaSo4 or CaCL are both commonly available in the hobby. You could also use somethng like Seachem equalibriam.
And of course adding the crushed coral as earlier suggested would raise Both Kh and GH for you, and is easily controlled, stable, and not at all diffuclt or expensive. By using Crushed Coral (CaCo3) you don't get the negative of the sodium addition that you would get from baking soda.
Dave
Not having a problem with the guppies really, but my pH is sitting 6.8 and i've heard they like it closer to 7.4. I could be misinformed.
As you've probably heard mentioned on here, in most cases a stable pH is far more important than a pH matched to the natural range of the fish you keep. Most livebearers do appreciate harder water but if they're going well I wouldn't worry too much.
If it was just livebearers I'd probably just throw some marine salt in your change water and be done with it, but I see you have some ottos in there so if you're not content to leave it be, limestone, coral, shells or marble chips is going to be the best solution. Whatever you use keep an eye on pH and add slowly, as a violent pH swing will stress your fish considerably.
If it was just livebearers I'd probably just throw some marine salt in your change water and be done with it, but I see you have some ottos in there so if you're not content to leave it be, limestone, coral, shells or marble chips is going to be the best solution. Whatever you use keep an eye on pH and add slowly, as a violent pH swing will stress your fish considerably.
6.8 is RO water.
Are you testing the water after it sits overnight and the gas exhchanges?
7.4 would be the low end for me on any tank. The KH in my opinion should be at least 3 dKH, This puts the pH somewhere in the 7.4-7.8 range depending on a couple of other factors. If your tank tests at 6.8 after it has circulated and aireated overnight, I would worry about the KH level of your source water. KH is needed to counteract biological processes and keep the tank stable. If your tap is low Kh then you should supplement somehow, If your tap is not low Kh but your tank is then you need to increase partials to a level that maintains tank and tap at the same levels.
That still has little to do with the GH or TDs levels which are in fact what you are after.
Crushed coral will still give you both KH and GH, and will buffer the water nicely for your guppies.
With Guppies water parrameters (Those discussed here) don't matter much.
With any fish pH really makes no difference. This is a myth based on natural water supplies that does not stand up to testing despite its popularity in the hobby.
Marine salt would make a difference, and contains many of the ions tht your guppies would like, but it also contains some signifacant quantity of Sodium Chloride which would make no sense at all in a freshwater tank.
Dave