Ph High?

Is a Ph of 8.41 way too high? My Ph just hit that mark during the last hour and is holding right around there.

Is this bad and if it gets higher how to I lower it?

Thanks!

 

What is your pH normally at? Mine is constant at 8.2 though I know 8.4 is a commonly desired pH level.

 

Mine has been around 8.2-8.3 usually. Then the other day I raised the temp of my tank to 79.5-80 degrees and noticed now the Ph is 8.3-8.4.

But today it a little over 8.4 to 8.41.....just wondering if this is getting too high and if it continues to rise how do I lower it?

 

Well I'm sorry I do not know how to lower it if it gets too high.. I keep my temp at 79.2-80.6 degrees F. What was your temp before raising it?

 

you should be fine with anything below 8.6 as long as you dont have large daily swings of more than a full point. my tank has been around 8.5 since I started dosing my alk, I ordered the BRS formula 2 for my next jug to try and lower it to a steady 8.3 to 8.4

 

Mine was running 8.51 at peak...I just let it go for a few days, and it is slowly coming back to 8.4. I buffered the water a few days before...kind of a delayed reaction.

 

My temp was 1 degree lower at 78.5 then I raised in a few days ago to 79.5.

I just dont want it to get too high and then I have no way to really lower it.

That is why I was wondering what to use to lower it in case it gets out of control.

 

You can use baking soda...It will raise your alk too. I would just let it fall on its own. There is nothing wrong with 8.4.

 

I believe distilled white vinegar will also lower your PH being it is acidic.

 

Well first off no, 8.4 is just fine as long as your calcium and alkalinity levels are high enough and stable. As pH goes up solubility of salts, calcium, alk, and most other additives goes down.

If it goes up much more tho, consider one of the commercial pH Down solutions.

Acetic (vinegar), hydrochloric (muratic), citric, or ascorbic(Vitamin C) acids will all lower pH as well. Dilute (ACID INTO WATER!!!) to make a weak acidic solution, around pH 4-4.5 and add about 1-2 drops per gallon or tank volume and you should see the pH fall a bit.... keeping adding it a few drops at a time over the course of several hours.

If you're good at math you can actually do the chemistry and figure out how much you need.

Commercial preparations usually are very dilute hydrochloric acid. You can buy it by the gallon as pool acid or concrete etch in the form of Muratic acid from Home Depot.

Vinegar is good as well, and safer.

Vitamin C is also generally good, and benefits the livestock.... but i don't know if the dosing required to shift pH more than .1 would be good or bad.

stay away from nitric and sulfuric as the by products are no good (nitrogen, sulfur)

-Doug