Always Low KH & Ph.

[zaitmi]

All my tanks had low KH And Ph.

Current tank 1 year running 20 gallon.

kh : 5
ph :7.7

How to increase them?

Should i use baking soda?

[thegrun]

I wouldn't worry about the pH, but yes you need to raise your alkalinity slowly (.5 kh a day maximum). The pH should come up a little on its own when you raise the alkalinity. If you use baking soda, be sure to bake it in an oven at 350 degrees for an hour before use or it will not raise your pH.

[scubaprashant]

Open up a window every now and then and if you have glass tops on your tank, take them off. Your pH should come up.

[scubaprashant]

Also, make sure your water is oxygenated enough. If you aren't skimming, this could be the culprit, along with low alk as well.

[ca1ore]

Definitely focus on alkalinity, 5 is too low. Are you dosing 2-part. Would do that before fussing with baking soda. Should be pretty easy in a 20 gal.

[jimmyj7090]

Baking soda is the cheapest and easiest way to raise alk, why not use it? (just don't make the correction too quickly, not more than .5 to 1 per day).

PH in seawater is a function of alk and Co2. Correct the alk and the PH will follow. If it doesn't, then you need to start looking at Co2 (open the windows for a couple of hours and see what happens).

[zaitmi]

ok thanks a lot for all your replies.

i will try to open window for a couple of days. then if it doesnt works i will try baking soda.

i could not use the calculator properly i am in 5dkh and want to make it 10 dkh.

How much should i dose ?

[ERivera65]

check your magnesium level as well. if its low, you might want to raise it as well. its almost impossible to maintain your calcium and alkalinity with a low magnesium level.

[Kyle918]

Make sure you raise all these parameters very slowly. Especially the alkalinity. Maybe it would be best to only focus on raising one at a time just to ensure things are done correctly.

Nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby...

[ERivera65]

Originally Posted by Kyle918

Nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby...

You can say that again lol

[zaitmi]

ok thanks a lot for all your replies.

i will try to open window for a couple of days. then if it doesnt works i will try baking soda.

i could not use the calculator properly i am in 5dkh and want to make it 10 dkh.

How much should i dose ?

[disc1]

Originally Posted by zaitmi

ok thanks a lot for all your replies.

i will try to open window for a couple of days. then if it doesnt works i will try baking soda.

i could not use the calculator properly i am in 5dkh and want to make it 10 dkh.

How much should i dose ?

I don't know your system volume so I can't use it for you. Go put in your system volume and your current alkalinity. Then for the target put in an alkalinity number 0.5 to 1 dkH higher than what you've got now. That will tell you how much to add to raise it by that much. That's about all you want to do in one day is 0.5 to 1 dkH.


The window opening will help with pH, but for alkalinity you'll need to add baking soda to bring that up. With the alkalinity being so low right now, that in itself may help a lot with the pH.

[zaitmi]

Originally Posted by disc1

I don't know your system volume so I can't use it for you. Go put in your system volume and your current alkalinity. Then for the target put in an alkalinity number 0.5 to 1 dkH higher than what you've got now. That will tell you how much to add to raise it by that much. That's about all you want to do in one day is 0.5 to 1 dkH.


The window opening will help with pH, but for alkalinity you'll need to add baking soda to bring that up. With the alkalinity being so low right now, that in itself may help a lot with the pH.

thanks for your reply.

Kindly explain. my system is 20 gallon with 1 inch sand and my current alkalinity is 5 dkh.

how much to dose baking soda for alkalinity?

Is it 2.5 cups for 1 dkh?

[disc1]

I went here...

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

At the top it says system volume. I put in 20. It says right under that current alk. I put 5. It says desired alk. I put 6. I chose baking soda from the drop down menu listing products right underneath desired alk. It immediately says 2.2g / 0.4tsp.

Is that really so hard??? What part is confusing you??? It's not exactly rocket surgery.

[zaitmi]

its rainy season here i opened window for 4 hours in the afternoon and tested ph at night it was same 7.7.

for alkalinity
lol......Ok got it........ thanks for reply.

[azjohnny]

How often do you do water changes and how much per WC?

[zaitmi]

5 gallons every 15 days.

[GatorAlum05]

kalk in your ATO or on separate dosing channel. Don't know why more people don't use Kalk.

[r1racer]

Also, consider changing to a high quality reef salt with high alk (12) like red sea pro if you aren't already doing so. I find my alk runs around 7-8 with weekly water changes. If go for more than a week it will drop.

[zaitmi]

ok thanks. i use Seachem Reef Salt. i thought this is better than red sea pro.

[azjohnny]

Carbon dosing can lower your ALK levels, especially bio pellets


What inhabitants do you have in the DT?

[r1racer]

Here's a decent calculator for alk/ca/mag.

http://www.reeftime.com/reef-chemistry-calculator.asp

[zaitmi]

thanks for your replies.

ok so i will use 1 teaspoon baking soda per day to increase 1 dkh then i will test the the results.

[zaitmi]

i want to buy a chinese led light to keep softcorals for my 20 gallon tank? Do you guys have any idea?