glass tops will suppress the ph?

[matthewa2]

How tru dis be guys? My Ph is a little low. I have a sump (uncovered & refuguim) and about 3" of the back of the tank is not covered. Plus I have a good protein skimmer is this good enough for proper gas exchange or should I lose the glass lids and go with some milk crate?
M.

[Europa]

Glass covers are not recommended because they prevent good oxygenation. CO2 and alkalinity are the only two factors that determine pH. Glass covers can also contribute to overheating as they decrease evaporation. Evaporation is one of the best ways to keep the tank cool, just replace the evaporated water with fresh water daily. I would remove the glass cover and replace it with eggcrate from Home Depot or Lowe's if you have any fish that are jumpers. If not, just leave it open to air. pH will run lower in the winter because there is excess CO2 in the house. Don't try to adjust the pH with buffers. Just maintain your alkalinity, keep the glass covers off, and ensure that there is good flow in the tank, and your pH will be fine. What's your alkalinity?

[matthewa2]

Thanks man. It may have been you or Mike that helped me out a few days ago with the PH Alk situation. I am currently waiting for my b-ionic to show up... my purple up & kent dkh are in the trash. Currently my ph is about 8.0 to 8.1 and my kh is at 8. I have a decent amount of evap now from the sump, I add about a 1/2 gal of ro/di h20 every day or two. I live in a basement apartment so Im concerned about too much evap causing a mildew problem or other problems. decisions decisions decisions.... lol
M.

[Europa]

Once you remove the glass covers, you'll probably have at least double that amount of evaporation, but that's a good thing. I wouldn't worry about the moisture. Another gallon of evaporation a day is no more than you would get from having another person living with you, considering respiration, showering, cooking, etc. Here's the baking soda recipe, in case you don't already have it. I would boost your alk to 10 and then start the B-Ionic. If you add about 50 mL a day of the 8:1 ratio solution, it should take you about a week and a half to get the alk from 8 to 10.



Baking soda recipe
This recipe is for the 8:1 ratio of non-baked to baked (for a solution that will very little effect on pH). You'll need to make both versions, one gallon of baked and one gallon of non-baked. Commercial products use a combination of two as well.

(Non-baked) Mix 1 1/8 cups baking soda in with 1 gallon hot RO water. (FYI: When used alone this solution will have a slight short lived lowering effect on pH by adding CO2 to the water. 40 mL of this solution will raise alkalinity by 1 meq/L (or 2.8 dKH) in 10 gallons of water).

(Baked) Spread 2 1/4 cups baking soda on a cookie pan and bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Mix the baking soda with one gallon of hot RO water. (FYI: When used alone, this solution will have a significant short lived elevating effect on pH by pulling CO2 out of the water. 20 mL of this solution will raise alkalinity by 1 meq/L (or 2.8 dKH) in 10 gallons of water).

Now, take 8 cups of the non-baked solution and mix it with 1 cup of the baked solution. You will now have a solution that will have very little effect on pH. 38 mL of this solution will raise alkalinity by 1 meq/L (or 2.8 dKH) in 10 gallons of water.

[matthewa2]

Great thanks for the recipe & the anology! Good point.
So I will be making this in the next day or two to raise my kd before my b-ionic shows up..

Just for argument sake (if my calculations are accurate) that mixture will yield 4258.68ml of solution which in turn is 112 treatments @ 38ml a treatment. Does it have a long shelf life? & two…. there will be 112oz or 14 cups of baked solution not used and will most likely going down the drain. Am I correct here or am I doing something wrong? If I’m correct I will figure out how to break down the non-baked ratio so it will be a 1:1 mix ratio. What are your thoughts Europa? Oh yeah and is it not advisable to use (heat) ro/di water that has a 1.020 salinity???
Thanks,
M.
M.

[Europa]

I just mark the gallon jugs "baked" and "non-baked" and keep them for later mixing and usage. Yeah, you'll run out of the non-baked solution long before the baked. I'll check on the shelf life, afaik it's good for at least a year. It needs to be an 8:1 ratio to have the lowest impact on pH. You could make a smaller solution of the baked version if you want. Use 2 cups of water and 0.28 cups of the baked baking soda. Warming the water helps it dissolve. It needs to be RO/DI freshwater, not saltwater.

[matthewa2]

Thanks! You’re the best.
M.
Oh & by the way... what are you? A marine biologist? A chemist? A fish?
All the above?

[gsxunv04@aol.com]

aquaman, merman?

[gsxunv04@aol.com]

reefers...

[Europa]

A fish, lol :)

These are Randy Holmes-Farley's recipes. I just put the information all together and did a little extra math for the 8:1 ratio that Mike recommended.

[Mike O'Brien]

You can also play with the ratio. Every tank is different, so you can make a recipe to suit your specific needs.

[JG24]

mathewa2- Sorry, I did not answer your inquiry right away. I have just returned from vacation. However, you have recieved great info from the post. You on the right track.
I agree with the assement on covers. They tend to be best unused. Eggrate is a great alternative.

[matthewa2]

I guess that makes sense Mike but I will stick to the origional mixture (strength)... Im just going to adjust the baked portion so I dont have so much left over. A gallon of the finished product should last me a while. I will monitor how quickly the kh rises, maybe in the future I will adjust the strength.
M
hey I finally ordered those DE MH's. Went with 2 250w Hamilton 14000k & the Lumatek e ballasts. Im so excited its hard to contain myself!

[matthewa2]

Yeah this place rules. Im getting pointed in all the right directions & getting great information from all the chemists, marine biologists, mermen & fish! So much better than dealing with the cock job big heads at the local aquarium that think they know it all but dont know the difference between MPH & gKH & have an attitude the size of Texas! Thanks fellas.
M
small g capital K capital H.

[lost4ever]

whats the problems with using a standard marine buffer?