Ph Troubles

greenrman · #1 09-13-2008, 19:43

Hi guys love your site .... GREAT information.. I am having an issue im hoping that you can help me with.

Im trying to get a 125 gallon set up for a garden.

Here is what i am doing..

I have RO water that measures flat... 7.0 Ph and zeros on KH and GH..
I am adding Equalibrium as directed on the bottle. My Ph seems to stay right at 6.8 to 7.0 so. With that in mind I have begun to use your alkaline buffer. I am doing as directed with that as well. Adding 1 TEAspoon per 10 gallons a day to get your desired Ph. The issue im having is my Ph is not going anywhere... It will raise to 7.1 for about an hour then settle back in at around 7.0....

Im trying to get it up to 7.5 so when I fire up my CO2 system it will drop back into 7.0 to 6.7.

I have been going at this for a few days now and have went through almost a bottle of alkline buffer... I know Im doing something wrong.... PLEASE HELP....

Thanks for your time and again LOVE your site...

Dan

Tech Support GL · #2 09-15-2008, 14:32

Thank you for the kind words. Check the pH of the buffered RO water before you add it to the tank, which should be a bit higher than 7.5 in RO water. Then if the pH is decreasing in the tank gradually then you need to add more Alkaline Buffer to the tank itself because you have something in the tank water driving the pH down. That could be organic acids, low KH, or the test kit for the pH needs to be checked. Checking the pH of the RO water will be a good indicator of the kit because the pH should go be around 7.8-8.0 initially.