How to Raise the pH in Reef Aquariums
Maintaining the pH balance in a reef aquarium is necessary for keeping the inhabitants healthy. When the pH falls too low, the animals in the aquarium will suffer. There are several ways to raise the pH in a reef aquarium. The cause of the pH drop should be determined. Some possible causes are the use of a CaCO3/CO2 reactor, inadequate aeration, excess CO2 in the air in the room where the aquarium is located, or excess acid in the aquarium due to decomposition of waste in the tank. Many aquarists resolve the problem by adding kalkwasser (lime water).
Things You'll Need
- A 1-gallon container with plastic screw-on lid
- Drill
- 3/16-inch drill bit
- 14 inches rigid airline tubing
- 5 feet flexible airline tubing
- 1 air check valve
- White distilled vinegar
- Reverse osmosis/deionized water
- Calcium hydroxide (Kalk or pickling lime)
- Aqua putty
Instructions
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Make a kalkwasser drip container. Drill one hole in the center of the plastic screw-on lid. Drill another hole 1/2 inch to the side of the first hole. Insert a 10-inch section of rigid airline tube into a 4-foot section (more or less as needed for your aquarium set up) of flexible airline tube. Insert the air check valve into a 4-inch section of rigid airline tube, and then into the end of the 4- foot section of flexible airline tube. Insert the 10-inch rigid airline tube into the center hole in the container lid so that it is only an inch or so above the bottom of the container. Insert a 1-foot section of flexible airline tube into the second hole to a depth of only an inch or so. Make sure it is above the water line in the container.
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Mix up the kalkwasser. Pour 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar into the gallon jar. Handle calcium hydroxide with extreme caution. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons of calcium hydroxide (pickling lime) to the vinegar. Add a quart of reverse osmosis/deionized water. Stir gently to dissolve the calcium hydroxide. Do not stir vigorously. Vigorous stirring will add air to the mix, which will cause the kalkwasser to be less effective and will also cause dangerous splashing. Be very careful not to inhale the dust from the calcium hydroxide, and avoid getting it or the kalkwasser on your skin or in your eyes. Keep it well out of reach of children. Carefully pour in the remainder of the gallon of reverse osmosis/deionized water. Screw the lid down tight.
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Set up the drip container near your aquarium on a table, stool or shelf. Hold the end of the short rigid airline tube attached to the air check valve over a container other than your reef aquarium to check the drip rate. Open the air valve. Blow into the short flexible airline tubing to get the drip started. Adjust the air check valve so that the drip rate is only one drip per second. Affix the drip tube with aqua putty on the top edge of the aquarium, where it will drip into moving water. Directly above where the water flows from the filtration system is fine.
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Monitor the aquarium pH closely to make sure too much kalkwasser is not being added too quickly. A sharp rise in pH can be extremely harmful to the animals in the tank. Adjust the drip to raise or lower the amount of kalkwasser going into the tank as necessary to control the pH fluctuation. Adjust the amount of calcium hydroxide mixed into the vinegar and reverse osmosis/deionized water in subsequent batches of kalkwasser as needed. Do not allow the sediment that settles in the bottom of the container to go into the aquarium. It will harm the aquarium inhabitants.
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Tips & Warnings
Handle calcium hydroxide and kalkwasser with extreme caution. Do not allow children to handle the calcium hydroxide or kalkwasser, or to be near when mixing up the kalkwasser.
