Raising PH

[VDub90]

What do I do? My PH is rock solid at 7.9. I add Kent Pro Buffer and Calcium Chloride. My tests as of today read.

Temp-----76
SG-------1.025
Ammonia--0
Nitrite-----.05 (Just added 2 clowns a couple days ago, and it's hard to tell the color but it is probably 0)
Nitrate----20
PH--------7.9
DKH-------12

I just did a 4G change yesterday. Should I add some PH raise?

 

[LittlePuff]

Baking soda.



Kim

 

[VDub90]

Baking soda really? How much?

 

[qtaquaman]

What kind of buffer do you use. I worry about using bs as i heard it can be unpredictable. tanganikan buffer can get the ph as high as 9.2, but lacks the consistency of a non range buffer. I use seachem marine buffer takes the ph to 8.3 even if over used.

 

[VDub90]

The only thing I am adding right now is Kent Pro Buffer DkH and Calcium Chloride.

 

[qtaquaman]

Does the container say what it's supposed to raise it to-ph?

 

[Gealcath]

Kent Buffer raises PH to 8.4

 

[VDub90]

I've been using it daily for a while now. I'm putting in what the bottle recommends, maybe I should increase the dosage?

 

[mogurnda]

If your alkalinity is really 12 (= 4.3 mEq/L), then adding more of the buffer you currently use will just raise the alkalinity further without doing much about your pH. You might try getting some washing soda (= sodium carbonate, not baking soda, which is sodium bicarbonate). But the real issue is why the pH is low (but not horribly low) when your alkalinity is quite good. Do you have good skimming and aeration to help get rid of CO2?

 

[VDub90]

I have no skimmer at the moment, looking at getting one in the near future. The alkalinty is actually 4-5 meq/L. That's what my test kit reads, I just found a conversion table, and read as close to 12. Aeration shouldn't be to much a problem, I have 2 Aqua Clear 301's, they currently aren't bringing in alot of air, should I increase the air intake on one of them?