PH/Flourite question

E

EMS1

AC Members
Mar 31, 2008
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ok, so here is my question... Is Flourite supposed to drop my PH all the way down to 6?

my setup:
-125 gal planted
-75lb Flourite topped w/ about 65lb small pebble
-Forced CO2 (5lb bottle/RED SEA 500 pro setup currently pushing about 60bpm.
-55 gal refugium/sump/bio filter

Lighting:
-4x115 VHO on main (2 10k/2 SuperActinic that will be placed by 67k's soon)
-2x65 PC on refugium

water from tap:
PH 7.4/7.6
Hardness = 0 (seriously)

water in tank:
PH 6
Hardness = 0

Secondly, what would be the best way for me to raise the Hardness?
 
I think the 60 bpm of co2 is what's dropping the ph down to 6.0. I have fluorite in several tanks and don't get a ph drop from it. I'd also suspect the accuracy of your hardness test kit or testing procedure. What kit do you use? If your hardness is indeed zero, your ph is rarely going to be that high. You have at least some alkalinity. To raise gh hardness slowly, try putting some crushed coral in your filter. With a 125 and the sump I'd try a quarter pound at first. When your co2 drops the ph, it will dissolve the crushed coral and slowly harden the water.

Mark
 
In fact, there's a calculator you can use to figure the right amount of baking soda (not baking powder!) to use in your tank here. :idea:
 
EMS:

I have reviewed the product description and I agree with Wes with respect to Ph. If anything the Flourite may increase the Gh.

Once again: no way can your Gh be zero in a planted tank which is fertilized.

In addition to Wes' input a limestone rock in your refugium (which I am assuming is a sump in a wet/dry filtration system) will also increase your Ph.

TR
 
It's KH which is related to pH; "hardness" here may refer to GH. Water containing sodium bicarb has a high KH but may have no GH at all.
 
I should have specified KH. I thought my test kit could have been off also (API test kits) so I took both quarium and tap water to LFS...both tested at 0. I was told that Greenville water IS in fact very soft and high PH (which is why i don't understand the massive drop in ph). I really don't want to do the baking soda thing....but will look into the crushed coral. What parameters would be best for me to shoot for?
 
The high pH is done by adding an alkali by the water company, but because KH is so low it's not hard for organic acids to neutralise that and then acidify the water.

I'd buffer all your water up to 4KH with sodium bicarb before adding to the tank, at all water changes.
 
I would kill to have that water I have liquid rock and run all my tanks with RO water to be able to drop my water to 6 ph.

That zero number is really hard to believe. You will have to add a buffering agent to stabilize the water.
I am surprised that your co2 is only pushing down the ph to 6 so there is something in your tank that is buffering it some what.

you will want to aim at around 120 TDS than adjust for ph.

This is the hardest thing in the hobby to do on a consistent basis its a lot of work as you will need to do this for every water change small or large.

If you go over to simplydiscus.com and read up on water chemistry there is a lot of information on changing ph its mostly all about lovering ph and hardness but you will get an idea of just how much work it requires.

In the long run you may just want to adjust what you want to keep to what your tap water will allow.

good luck
 
KarlTh said:
It's KH which is related to pH; "hardness" here may refer to GH. Water containing sodium bicarb has a high KH but may have no GH at all.
Click to expand...
Karl:

It is my understanding that the Calcium hardness (Kh) is included in the General or German hardness (Gh) and hence the Gh will always be equal to or greater than the Kh.


Folks:

I developed the following theory prior to a attaining a much fuller understanding of using the RO water which I have plumbed into my sump and please poke holes in this theory as appropriate.

I used a limestone rock in my sump, the velocities in which are small, in order to generate reduction of acids on demand. If the Ph drops below 7 the CaCo3 from the rock will reduce the acidity to zero but otherwise additional CaCo3 will not be released into the water. This thinking may apply to crushed coral but I did not have crushed coral available with which to experiment.

If the theory is correct the limestone rock will do away with the possible under/overdosing of fine buffer agents.

TR
 
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