# Low pH, should I worry



## carpetmonster (3 Mar 2014)

I’ve got really low pH in my new setup, I think I know the cause but thought I should ask for advice:

Tank is a 19l fluval spec v. Aquatic soil substrate, some rocks, stock LEDs and filter media, some plants. 
Using RO water, as I have a ready supply (got a marine tank as well so RO in drums all over the place)
Started dosing a very basic pressurised CO2 setup (had all the bits I need from an old calcium reactor setup off my marine tank)
Just put a CO2 drop tester in the tank, its gone orangey yellow and stayed there, which I know indicates low pH.
So is the low pH to do with dosing CO2 too early, is it the soil, is it the use of RO, or is it all of these things? Should I use some crushed coral chips which I have in the filter? Would that help?
I know the tank volume is small so I need to get a handle on what the causes are of possible parameter swings.
I feel kinda helpless with this, I’ve had my marine setup for years now to the point where I can read and understand what is going on, the interrelationships of parameters and variables, and I’v gone back to knowing nothing with this tank!!

any advice or pointers welcome


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## Edvet (3 Mar 2014)

CO2 testers test CO2, not pH
RO water gives a larger drop in pH with CO2, but that wont bother fish or plants.
Lot's to read:CO2 MEASUREMENT USING A DROP CHECKER | UK Aquatic Plant Society
CO2 In the planted Aquarium | UK Aquatic Plant Society
Tutorials | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## allan angus (3 Mar 2014)

ro water has had all the minerals filtered out ! did u remineralise it ? im very new to all this but i get the idea that most peep that use ro remineralise it?


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## ceg4048 (3 Mar 2014)

carpetmonster said:


> So is the low pH to do with dosing CO2 too early, is it the soil, is it the use of RO, or is it all of these things? Should I use some crushed coral chips which I have in the filter? Would that help?


Help what? You will not be helping anything by trying to manage pH. Neither your fish nor your plants care about pH so leave it alone.

Marine issues have nothing to do with freshwater. In fact, most of the fish that folks have in their tank come from water that has extremely low pH so it's really not something you should worry about at all. Worry about keeping the tank clean with frequent water changes  and removal of organic waste.

Cheers,


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## Andy D (3 Mar 2014)

Edvet said:


> CO2 testers test CO2, not pH



Edvet, you might wanna read that first link.


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## ceg4048 (3 Mar 2014)

Yeah, CO2 testers just measure pH. That's all they are capable of.
You have to actually outsmart your own test kit if you want it to give you any kind of information.
Yet another reason why test kits suck.

Cheers,


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## Edvet (3 Mar 2014)

The pH in the dropchecker, and not the pH in the tank. And the pH in the dropchecker is a result of the CO2 in the tank, That's how i understand it.


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## ceg4048 (3 Mar 2014)

I know. It's still just a pH test kit though. Putting distilled water in the vial and and adjusting the KH to a known value is our way of outsmarting the pH test kit. Even so, the DC has a very basic and limited bandwith and it can only verify what you see with your own eyes. It's just a convenient traffic light. That's why we encourage pH profiling, because the DC has tremendous latency and can only tell you about the past, not the present.

Cheers,


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