• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

ph Level

Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
50
Do you all test your PH regularly. I think it is suppost to be around 8. Mine is at 6.5. How can I increase it to the correct range, or will it do this in its own as animals are added?
 
Faaborg;118160 said:
Do you all test your PH regularly. I think it is suppost to be around 8. Mine is at 6.5. How can I increase it to the correct range, or will it do this in its own as animals are added?

it should be 8.0-8.3, 6.5 is WAY low, I would not add animals to a tank with that low pH, test your tanks hardness, get that around 10 dKh by adding SMALL doses (like a pinch per 10 gallons) of baking soda to high flow areas. Once you get that stable, pH should start to rise.
 
PH is measured on a logarithmic scale, so a PH of 6.5 is about thirty (30) times more acidic than a PH of 8.0. Definately fix the PH before you put any animals in there.
 
My test strips might be bad (using the ones from my acids bases science lab) I am using instant ocean, and have about 1/4 of my tank live water. I already have pods and one shrimp living fine for about a week and a half. My SG levels are in standard range. How do I test for hardness?
 
Faaborg;118177 said:
My test strips might be bad (using the ones from my acids bases science lab) I am using instant ocean, and have about 1/4 of my tank live water. I already have pods and one shrimp living fine for about a week and a half. My SG levels are in standard range. How do I test for hardness?

I would say the basic think wrong is the test you are using. :biggrin2: You need to use a test kit designed to work with saltwater because saltwater can do weird things to test kits.
With that stuff living in your tank, I don't think you have much to worry about.
What is standard range for SG and what actually is your level and how are you testing?
I don't think hardness matters much in a ceph tank. Alkalinity levels are important for stony corals.

Also, in general, be careful chasing numbers and adding stuff to chase those numbers. Often, an additive will not actually 'fix' the numbers you are looking for, and will only bounce the numbers up and down.

Invest in some quality test kits, API, Salifert, Elos, and you'll be happier.
 
Thales,
My RO/DI water is ALWAYS at about 6.0 without buffering and does not come up much with even the reef salts (which is supposed to be for RO water and produce a higher PH). The neutral reading is expected from RO water. Supposedly, the neutral water will adjust if you add it to water with a different PH (either up or down) but my tank PH drops if I do this without first buffering the new RO.
 
I remember that D, and I think you are a special case. Before I would put Faaborg there, I would want test done with a quality kit made for saltwater. :biggrin2:

BTW, how long do you mix your saltwater before testing it.
 
I have had my tank up for about a month maybe 2. Before I tested the water. I have a 200 gallon filtration system and I have a 75 gallon aquarium. I have a refugium with plants and a 200 gallon protein skimmer.
 
Faaborg;118223 said:
The specific gravity in my Deep Six hydrometer reads 1.021. The acceptable range is between 1.020 - 1.023.

Thats low. Natural sea water ist 1.0264 and swing arm hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate. So, 1.021 could be much lower. Either way, 1.021 is low. IMO the acceptable range for inverts is between 1.023 and 1.026, the lower end to compensate for swings due to evaporation.
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top