need help with hi PH

[crash733]

I got my first PH test kit today and the results were strang the color ranges between green to dark blue. Green being 7.5 and dark blue 8.7. When I did my test the water turned purple. I'm guessing that pretty hi. My dkh was 14 when I measured it yesterday. My question is how do I lower my PH. I've been suspecting for a while it was hi. Allso what will it do to my fish. I've been having trouble starting up so I only have a couple of mushrooms and a small pulsing xenia. How will they do with the PH the way it is?

[mbbuna]

just let it fall on its own. dkh of 14 is too high. what ever you are adding to raise your Alk and/or Ph stop and just let the dkh fall to about 9 or 10dkh

[crash733]

I was putting buffer but it's been more than a week since I put any in the tank. Is a hi PH dangerous for my fish

[Aquarist007]

what are you using to raise your alkalinity. In most cases pH problems usually relate to carbon dioxide concentrations in and around the tank. If buffers are used they raise the alkalinity and the pH falls again rapidly because the source of the problem has not been address, but the alkalinity remains high, Most buffers contain boran which raises the pH but knocks the boron carbonates ratio out of proportion in the alkalinity value

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by crash733
I was putting buffer but it's been more than a week since I put any in the tank. Is a hi PH dangerous for my fish

its more of a concern for corals--as is using buffers which contain boron. The corals uptake carbonates which is by far the greater proportion in your alkalinity level.
dkH 14 is climbing but nothing to overact about--just let it fall on its own with no dosing

[Aquarist007]

for what its worth. I use a two part b-ionics system which has brought alot of stability to my calcium and alkalinity levels. this has indirectly stablized out my pH.
At first when I wanted to bring up my levels of calcium I used Kent turbo calcium and when I wanted to bring up my alkalinity level I used Kent super dKh which contains may less boron.

I don't worry about the pH--it is more a factor of the carbon dioxide in the house
Because its winter it sits at 8.0 in the summer with windows open it sits at 8.2

[Aquarist007]

crash in the meantime if the pH starts falling again you can:

open a window near the fish tank or room
crank up your skimmer
make sure the top area of your tank is very turbulant to facilitate gas exchange.
if possible run the skimmer line air line out doors.
set up a refugium with lots of chaeto and run the light 24/7 for maxium gas exchange via photosynthesis.

[crash733]

but my ph is too hi I want to lower it....I have my skimmer runnin pretty much flat out and I have the turbulent water on top. Am I interpreting my results all wrong? The purple color of the water from my test would mean it's too hi?

[mbbuna]

Originally posted by crash733
but my ph is too hi I want to lower it....I have my skimmer runnin pretty much flat out and I have the turbulent water on top. Am I interpreting my results all wrong? The purple color of the water from my test would mean it's too hi?

your PH is higher then normal but its not too high. stop adding buffers(i know you said you did) and it will correct its self.

[mbbuna]

read these

High pH: Causes and Cures

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

The “How To� Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 1: The Salt Water Itself

A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH

[mbbuna]

The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH.

What is Alkalinity

[Mr.Biggs]

First off I would get a different ph test kit.
Get one with ether a drop count titration or volumetric titration.
These tend to give a more distinctive end point and are less subjective to interpret then the shades of color.

What are you using for a water source?
What type of salt mix are you using?
why are you buffering the water in the first place?

Try not to be to concerned on a cretin ph reading look more for a stable reading from day to day.
Take your tests at the same time of day unless you are trying to see the daily changes in the tank.

Water changes with good source water and salt will take care of it over time.

Fast change of water parameter is what will cause more harm to fish and coral then a high ph and alk reading.

I guessing that the buffer you added has cause the problem.

DON'T add any thing unless you test for it first.

[Mr.Biggs]

good call on the links, mbbuna

[crash733]

thanks guys. Your right about interpreting the colors it's a pain. The reason I started adding things was because I've been haveing problems with algae and cyno bacteria and that my mushrooms were lookin pretty drab. I got a starter kit from kent marine it had reef plus ,reef carbonate and reef complete. The instructions said to put a certain amount every week. My mushrooms came to live after a week and I thought it was great. After reading on this site that I should measure for anything I want to add I started my testing and have been working it according to my results. I was wondering about iodine is there a test for that? and is it a good idea to use it at all. (I was told it would be good for my xenia.)

[mbbuna]

you dont need iodine

just test for and add as needed calcium, alkalinity and magnesium