Which Raises PH ?
- Thread starter Davey
- Start date
do you know that your going to ALWAYS have to add that whenever you do a water change? My tap comes out at 7.0 and the tank that has lace rock and coral substrate stays at 7.8. the 60 gallon tank without those additions hovers around 6.0-6.5
Like I said..chemicals are not a good Idea. If you can use natural ways to increase the ph..FINE..do it. I NEVER have to adjusts the ph of my 20 gallon..even after water changes..
Like I said..chemicals are not a good Idea. If you can use natural ways to increase the ph..FINE..do it. I NEVER have to adjusts the ph of my 20 gallon..even after water changes..
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Before you go dumping baking soda into your tank, is your pH stable at 6, or is it "crashing" and is currently as 6? What types of fish are you keeping in your tank? A pH of 6 isn't too terrible for a lot of fish...and if your tap water is coming out at 6...you're probably best off using something like a different substrate, or maybe some crushed coral in your filter. Using baking soda on a regular basis is likely just going to cause wild pH swings which will do more damage to your fish than a pH of 6.
not only will you have to add baking soda at every water change, but chances are you will have to add it every few days.
jamison is right, use crushed coral, it works more pemanently, unlike baking soda.
good luck!
jamison is right, use crushed coral, it works more pemanently, unlike baking soda.
good luck!
While we're on this subject ...
My PH has remained steady around 6.4 and that is what it is out of my tap. My problem is my KH is a big fat zero and it was recommended that I add a bit of crushed coral to my filter to raise my KH. Will the crushed coral raise both my KH and PH? and if I put enough in to give me a decent KH buffer will it also drastically raise my PH at the same time? What KH reading should I be shooting for anyway? I'm going to start small with a tablespoon or two of crushed coral in my 55gal and add to it weekly until I get the results I want.
Most of my fish prefer the less than neutral PH, so I don't really want to raise my PH much, just worried about my KH being so low. Once I get the crushed coral to the amount I like, how often should it be changed? I assume over a period of months it would lose it's effectiveness. Thanks!
My PH has remained steady around 6.4 and that is what it is out of my tap. My problem is my KH is a big fat zero and it was recommended that I add a bit of crushed coral to my filter to raise my KH. Will the crushed coral raise both my KH and PH? and if I put enough in to give me a decent KH buffer will it also drastically raise my PH at the same time? What KH reading should I be shooting for anyway? I'm going to start small with a tablespoon or two of crushed coral in my 55gal and add to it weekly until I get the results I want.
Most of my fish prefer the less than neutral PH, so I don't really want to raise my PH much, just worried about my KH being so low. Once I get the crushed coral to the amount I like, how often should it be changed? I assume over a period of months it would lose it's effectiveness. Thanks!
ArkyLady, do you mean that when you test for your KH, the test turns color with the first drop/.
A KH about 4 is often quoted as a minimum for pH stability. Put a couple of tablespoons of aragonites (plain crushed coral as used for marine tank substrate) in your filter. Your pH will rise and stabilize. When it's where you want it, you can reduce the amount of aragonite in the filter (that's why you didn't put it in your gravel).
Keep testing from time to time...
A KH about 4 is often quoted as a minimum for pH stability. Put a couple of tablespoons of aragonites (plain crushed coral as used for marine tank substrate) in your filter. Your pH will rise and stabilize. When it's where you want it, you can reduce the amount of aragonite in the filter (that's why you didn't put it in your gravel).
Keep testing from time to time...
When I use the test kit, the color changes in the first drop slightly then the second drop it's fully there (sposed to turn one color first then a second color, but mine is instantly the second color). When I use my KH strip it shows up as zero, the stick never changes color at all.
Does the crushed coral last forever? or do you occassionally have to add more to keep your PH/KH at the proper levels?
Does the crushed coral last forever? or do you occassionally have to add more to keep your PH/KH at the proper levels?
Arkylady & Davey, crushed coral raises the KH. The KH will raise the PH.
An example of how it works: in my 20 gallon high, I use a total of 3 tablespoons. My KH went from1 to 4, then my PH from 6.2 to 7.0. It was total coincidence that my PH ended up being 7.0, I wasn't aiming for that, in fact, all I was aiming for was a KH of 4.
Start with 2 tablespoons and add another every 3-ish days until the KH is around 4, the PH will raise with it. If you PH ends up somewhere in the 7's that ok, it doesn't have to be exactly 7.0, as long as the KH is stable, the PH will be as well.
My first time trying crushed coral, it took me a couple of weeks to get mine right, I started with 2 tablespoons, added another 2, then had to remove some, then add some, remove add.. etc etc.... I didn't give my tank enough time to adapt, and I used too much each time I added. Start with 2, then go form there.
IME, Crushed coral is the only way to go with raising and STABILIZING the PH, via the KH route. chemicals, and baking soda just didn't do it for me. Well, ok, techically they DID raise the PH, but it was always only a temporary solution, and I always had to add more - sometimes daily!
I have been using the same 3 tablespoons of crushed coral in my 20 gallon for 3 months. In my larger tank, the crushed coral has been in the tank for close to a year. I would imagine that eventually the crushed coral would need to be replaced, but I honestly don't have a clue when this happens. Does coral just disolve entirely at some point? Anyone?
Good luck!
An example of how it works: in my 20 gallon high, I use a total of 3 tablespoons. My KH went from1 to 4, then my PH from 6.2 to 7.0. It was total coincidence that my PH ended up being 7.0, I wasn't aiming for that, in fact, all I was aiming for was a KH of 4.
Start with 2 tablespoons and add another every 3-ish days until the KH is around 4, the PH will raise with it. If you PH ends up somewhere in the 7's that ok, it doesn't have to be exactly 7.0, as long as the KH is stable, the PH will be as well.
My first time trying crushed coral, it took me a couple of weeks to get mine right, I started with 2 tablespoons, added another 2, then had to remove some, then add some, remove add.. etc etc.... I didn't give my tank enough time to adapt, and I used too much each time I added. Start with 2, then go form there.
IME, Crushed coral is the only way to go with raising and STABILIZING the PH, via the KH route. chemicals, and baking soda just didn't do it for me. Well, ok, techically they DID raise the PH, but it was always only a temporary solution, and I always had to add more - sometimes daily!
I have been using the same 3 tablespoons of crushed coral in my 20 gallon for 3 months. In my larger tank, the crushed coral has been in the tank for close to a year. I would imagine that eventually the crushed coral would need to be replaced, but I honestly don't have a clue when this happens. Does coral just disolve entirely at some point? Anyone?
Good luck!
