These are the pH Mistakes to avoid! Get pH right for your tank and stop doing this.

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BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

Күн бұрын

Do you have pH all wrong? What does pH mean and why is it important? Why should we care about pH in the first place? These are the Top 15 Mistakes you can make with pH in your reef tank!
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The content contained in this video is general information on the topic and should not be relied upon as your sole source of information or safety advice for this project or topic. Each product or situation is different and has its own concerns related to successful completion and safety that must be fully researched by the individual considering the project or product. The purpose and content of this video is to provide general information regarding the products and their applications as presented in the video. Aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents disclaim all express or implied warranties, in any way, related to the products and their application as presented in this video, make no representation or warranty regarding the products and the application as presented in this video and shall not be liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages of any type, including but not limited to punitive damages, or from personal injury or death resulting from or in any manner related to the video, and the products in and contents of the video. The viewer expressly agrees that aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents shall not be liable for any damages or losses related to the products in and content of the video and hereby agrees to hold the foregoing harmless from any such losses or damages.

Пікірлер: 88

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Master pH in your tank with this ultimate Reef Tank pH Playlist! ➡ brs.li/BRStv_ReefTank_PH

@FPSFox 4 жыл бұрын

Guys! When are you touring the Quarantine facility! I desperately want that. I feel like info online differs so greatly depending on who you talk to. I want to see how a professional does it and how I can replicate it at home!

@seacreature986 4 жыл бұрын

This is a great example of why I consider BRS my #1 source for info.and equipment

@UltraReefReseller 4 жыл бұрын

One thing I learned early on and it helped me to wrap my mind around the PH in our reef tanks is that PH is a logarithmic scale. It's not just a simple 0-14 scale. This means that there is a x10 change in acidity or alkalinity for each change of 1 unit in pH. Thus pH5 is 10x more acid than pH6, And pH5 is 100x more acid than pH7. pH scale consists of numbers from 0 through 14, with 7 being Neutral.

@kellybullock559 4 жыл бұрын

Over the years that I have had a reef tank the one thing I found is that you have to find a trusted source for information, I have found that BRStv to be trusted and this new series tells you what to do and why, and why not to do some of the fad things out there. I have watched Ryan since getting into this great hobby and find him very informative.

@gibbnal 4 жыл бұрын

Just re-calibrated my pH probe and now pH is magically at 8.3 - what an inexpensive way to increase pH. I was actually questioning my CO2 scrubber, skimmer, salt mix and all I needed was a closer look at the probe. Stay focused on the fundamentals.

@DanielVazquez 4 жыл бұрын

Info that saves lives! Thanks!

@thereefaholic 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. Thank you. I particularly like the part about not chasing the 8.3 dragon. One of the things I have learned over time is your shoot for the higher pH but don’t spend your life chasing it.

@bio10155 3 жыл бұрын

Here's a tip for all you pH probe owners, weekly - soak your probe in 0.1M HCL for 30 mins to get rid of the biofilm on the glass bulb, and any scale. This will prolong your life of the probe itself & less likely to incur pH drift. pH probe is an extremely sensitive measuring device, and it is prone to errors if external factors such as biofilm/organics interact with the glass reference junction. In good GLP practice - it's required to calibrate daily, as it will deviate even within this period! Same goes for calcium reactor probes! BTW - you should always do a 2 point reference check, not just the standard pH7. Check with pH10 as well because pH7 is always used for the plot intersect and the pH10 is used to calibrate in reference with pH7.

@freemansaquatics5326 4 жыл бұрын

The 8.3 dragon lol love it Randy 🍻

@doogies12 4 жыл бұрын

my system dumped too much kalk in my tank and pH hit 11. I had no vinegar in house but I immediately started blowing air into my sump with a airline, pH dropped with time to 8.4 saved my tank. took a while but I learnt never to automate a kalk solution again

@jackiekearney 3 жыл бұрын

Ryan is so smart in marketing, he always making videos of educating reefers but at the same time his promoting everything in BRS. I always find myself buying something or upgrading or switching my tools or anything in my tank. 👍❤️

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

Hopefully the things you buy make your reefing life a little easier and more successful! At least, that's the goal 🙂

@jakeatkinson901 4 жыл бұрын

I love your videos guys. However I do disagree with the recommendation not to chase the 8.3 dragon. However I do not advocate to chase it using chemicals or additives whatsoever. The running trend phrase these days is not to chase numbers and i do agree completely with that. However if there one exception I would say that it is for ph if at all possible. Adding an extra skimmer and running it super dry or however one sees fit, using co2 removing media, minimizing air sucked into the overflow from a room rich in co2 that will naturally decrease ph. These are a few easy methods. If you can naturally chase it and achieve it I believe it is well worth the effort by far. It will absolutely help keep the system running more healthy overall in many aspects. This is just my point of view from many years of keeping reef tanks. Keep up all your hard work guys. Its value is priceless.

@terrencerichardson839 Жыл бұрын

The CO2 scrubbing media is the easiest and most practical way. I struggled a 7.8-7.9 constantly, added a BRS CO2 scrubber and 2 days later I'm at 8.3. Coral growth is phenomenal. Best 40 bucks you'll spend on your tank this month.

@firebird5288 4 жыл бұрын

When I first started in this hobby, back in 2007, I just jumped in not knowing much about saltwater at all. My 10 gallon nano mixed reef thrived for years on well water that was high, very high, with lime and the corals grew like mad. My PH was always away 8.4 and I checked it often because I felt PH was extremely important.

@jasepoag8930 4 жыл бұрын

For the dosing probes/dosing line holder, I have my pH probe in the baffle before my return section, then all the lines dose into the return. Stuff has to recirculate through the whole tank and sump before hitting the probe, and I can do it all with one holder.

@jeremyhall2359 3 жыл бұрын

The more you know 😏 Love this show

@KlimovArtem1 4 жыл бұрын

You should have started with #8 to explain why monitoring at all) For small or simpler tanks that don’t have the fancy equipment, monitoring pH is unnecessary. Just keep you Alk, Ca, Mg in balance long term and pH will always be fine.

@dougcoverdale5158 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for #16...Im guilty of using soda ash for ALK adjustments.

@TwoTreesStudio 3 жыл бұрын

From my experience, the biggest mistake you can make when testing ph is to use old tests, or multi-test strips that have nitrite+nitrate squares on them. Get a dedicated ph testing apparatus or send it and pray lmao

@ryanboone731 2 жыл бұрын

Also works well cheaper than soda stream for Ph spike, whip cream canister with co² cartridge and ro water, little burst at a time wait a few minutes and see how much it drops

@CrustaceonsReef 4 жыл бұрын

I went the soda stream route with my last kalk overdose. Just GO EASY with it because it’s potent! You’ll easily get the ph stabilized after an hour or so of adding soda water and constantly monitoring ph. Definitely invest in a handheld ph checker if your system doesn’t have a controller with a ph probe.

@taranockolds2452 4 жыл бұрын

I just run a soft coral tank running at 8.0 this ok

@inventoryking 4 жыл бұрын

I am currently using your Sodium Bi-Carbonate for my ALK. I dont have anything for maintaining the PH. I can do Kalk but would Soda Ash be better for the daily ph maintaining vs kalk?

@Lucas-coral-reefs 4 жыл бұрын

No16 is something I think everyone should know about! Any dose of soda ash that raises your ph more than .3 in one instance will immediately precipitate out, so not only will your Alkalinity not be at its anticipated level, your Calcium will go down as well. And sodium bicarbonate is definitely the smart way to go when you need those larger Alkalinity changes as it doesn’t affect the PH.

@bohica76 4 жыл бұрын

another thing about ph: the correlation with temperature. the natural state of my tank is ph is 1/10 of the temperature. i wouldnt apply that ratio anywhere else, but when i set up my apex, i noticed a daily temp swing from 79-81. mysteriously, i had a ph swing from 7.89 to 8.1 . it was only when i overlaid the two graphs did i see they were following each other, with the ph change slightly lagging the temp change

@TheGabrielberki 4 жыл бұрын

I am going to assume that the time the auto top off failed it was due to you using a different ATO besides the Tunze?

@karennation3580 3 жыл бұрын

If your ph dropped to low coulnt you use sodium bicarbonate as well as soda ash? I am fixing to start 2 part dosing and my ph is about 8 during the day and drops to 7.8 at night and alk is 7.3. I am not sure if I should just use soda ash or sodium bicarbonate if I want to be at 9 dkh and 8.3 ph. I will be hand dosing for now. I have both of your products but what is in 2 part additives? Is it soda ash or bicarbonate?

@davidhughes7180 4 жыл бұрын

My 2 cents; if you run a recirculating co2 scrubber, ensure you have a solution for switching off your skimmer when it over flows. From personal experience, I can tell you that reef tanks do not like to be dosed with co2 scrubber media!

@AJ-bi6ns 4 жыл бұрын

Ran a line outside for my system. Key is running the correct line diameter for my usage I ran a 1 inch ID pipe the majority of the length (30ft) and only reduced down to the skimmer (3/8ID) a nominal distance from the skimmer. This allowed very marginal if any reduction in performance. I also retained my CO2 scrubber in line and made an in-line carbon filter for maximum safe results. My PH is now extremely stable around 8.25-8.3 from 7.6-7.7, couldn’t be happier! Side question - what’s the recommendation on changing the carbon when used in this application?

@lonestarpatriot876 4 жыл бұрын

I had seen your response. I also have a well insulated house. With that said, no, I did not run a 1 inch pipe as this is on a 13.5 gallon nano that has no skimmer because they do not make skimmers that are effective for that size of tank. It is an AIO with 3 small chambers. This is also why I can't run a CO2 scrubber. With that said, my corals and fish are all healthy and thriving. I may not get as fast of growth but I did not get into this hobby to win a race. And because the tank is thriving, I stopped chasing PH. 7.8-8 will do on this tank. With that said, a much bigger tank is coming soon as I will then be able to run a skimmer and CO2 scrubber among other things that I simply can't do now.

@wolfmanjack3451 4 жыл бұрын

Can you do a video on water change common (Fatal ) mistakes?

@seniorreef9042 4 жыл бұрын

😍

@melaniesimpson6322 2 жыл бұрын

Just watched this today and checked my PH probe and it was off. I recalibrated and my PH which never got to 8 is now 8.3...The tank has only been up for a few months and after seeing this, I remembered having a hard time getting the probe calibrated originally. Any ways...as you said...there wasn't really a problem at all. :-)

@rja9784 2 жыл бұрын

30:19 Did he say fuck fluctuations? 🤣🤣🤣

@BRStv 2 жыл бұрын

That was the wrong word to stutter on 😆

@sevensixtwobyfiftyon 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve never done this, but for a pH spike, what about opening up the needle valve on your calcium reactor or cranking up your feed pump?

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Technically that would work to lower pH, but it would also greatly increase the calcium/alkalinity.

@scooter0241 4 жыл бұрын

Where can I get the paintings on the back wall?

@TheGabrielberki 4 жыл бұрын

scooter0241 if u go to a reef show near you most if not all have someone selling paintings like that.

@lowellbentley 2 жыл бұрын

How do you like using API proper PH 8.2? Are these ok to use for lowering and raising in small increments?

@BRStv 2 жыл бұрын

We generally avoid pH buffers as they only work temporarily and will affect your alkalinity. Getting to the root cause of your pH problem will be a better use of your time

@vincentlok8894 Жыл бұрын

So "Don't chase 8.3 pH", but also "We saw 50% increase in coral growth with pH 8.3"

@lonestarpatriot876 4 жыл бұрын

I have never been able to get my PH above 8. It sits at 7.8 normally. I tried several different methods including opening windows, running airlines from outside etc. etc.. My problem is C02 pooling and opening windows and running airlines did nothing at all. Using Buffers was a nightmare that caused many other problems such as raising alkalinity. Because it is a 13.5 gallon nano AIO, there is no way to hook up a CO2 scrubber to a skimmer. My alkalinity sits at 8.5 with weekly 10% water changes so I don't have to dose anything with regards to alkalinity. Long story short, I stopped chasing PH.

@jennanation6992 Жыл бұрын

I always hear not to use buffers to up ph BUT they make them for some reason. The other day I saw one that said it dosnt raise alk! Is that safe to dose on a regular basis? I cant seem to get mine above 8 and being a woman reefer its just to hard for me to do all this mechanical men kind of stuff! LOL. Tis would seem to be the simplest way! I live in florida so cant open windows or run an airline outide (not that I would know how) plus I have my lawn chemically treated! It would also be hot humid air anyway! What i s the simplest method for me? My corals grow at a snails pace! I have one tank in my kitchen and I read that cooking lowers ph! Is that true because the corals wont grow at all in that room! I have zoas that havt grown a single polyp in over a year!

@BRStv Жыл бұрын

We don't recommend using liquid pH buffering products. If you decide to give them a try, be sure to pay close attention to your alkalinity. Even though the label may say that it won't raise alkalinity, they usually still will.

@theyounggentleman5470 3 жыл бұрын

Randy drops and f bomb at 30:22

@calli_3 4 жыл бұрын

You mentioned to get the ph up quickly you can use two part as one option. Do you need to put as much calcium in as alkalinity just like you do when you dose?

@truereefkeeping6022 3 жыл бұрын

I would like to know this as well

@sandrstudios 4 жыл бұрын

I have learned not to chase PH. With my tank as long as I keep my KH and Magnesium stable my calcium and PH stay stable. (4 years strong with a mixed reef)

@Leeviathon 3 жыл бұрын

My tank looks fine, but i have no corraline algae growing in it and its been about 5 months since its finished cycling. Ive had some spots of coralline algae try to grow but theyve kinda disappeared or just stay the same size. Any suggestions

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

Alkalinity levels seem to be one of the biggest factors. If alk is low, coralline tends to grow super slow. Lighting too

@Leeviathon 3 жыл бұрын

@@BRStv thanks!

@icatchtinyfish1112 4 жыл бұрын

When is Thomas coming?

@eddieray8240 4 жыл бұрын

My tank has slowly dropped to 7.72. Newer tank , already cycled. No corals in there . A few fish. Best way to raise it? And keep it up?????? Thanks

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Check out this video :) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hc6KgLWmqs28oqc.html

@sunnygoold9449 4 жыл бұрын

So I watched the whole thing and I still don't believe monitoring pH is an absolute necessity.... but now that I have check (and calibrate) my salinity, a temp controller, test my alk a couple of times a week and have a battery backup I think a par meter and this is the next thing I want to get - thing is I'm waiting for the Seneye to test Alk ;)

@kennethcress9035 5 ай бұрын

Get a fresh air supply for your skimmer and skip more equipment and expensive media.

@karennation3580 4 жыл бұрын

My ph is running 7.8 to 7.9 occasionally I got an 8 with a hanna checker. When I read info on clownfish and most all SW fish it says they should be kept at 8.0 to 8.4. Do I need to raise it? I am very concerned because my one and only clownfish died. My snails are fine though. Its a new tank and that was my first and only fish. My parameters are perfect beaside ph. He was fine for a week then died.

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

There is a ton of info on what the "best" pH is, but a pH between 7.7 and 8.5 is just fine for clownfish. Corals will benefit from a pH on the higher end (in terms of growth speed), but most fish aren't so picky.

@KingQuetzal 4 жыл бұрын

Does anyone else dose kalk with a drip for PH and alk with baking soda? The guy at my LFS looked at me weird when I said that's how I'm doing my ph and alk

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

You're dripping both kalkwasser and baking soda? Baking soda is basically alkalinity, while kalkwasser is also adding alkalinity to your tank. Long term, you're probably going to see your alk get too high by using both.

@robertwilder7867 3 жыл бұрын

Ok, so we have this issue. You talked about where to place the probes. I have a Red Sea sump that has 4 parts. My intake from the tank, refugium, heater and skimmer, and output. The dosing is occurring in the output, which goes back to the tank. So you said not to test there. My refugium has the light. So you said not to put my probes there. The intake has too many bubbles, so I cannot put the probe there. The only place left is the only place I do not have space to place a magnet to hold my probes. I guess I will have to just figure it out.

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

Sometimes doing what is "best practice" isn't an option and you may have to play around with a few locations to find a spot that works best for you. I have no doubt that you'll be able to make this work 😃

@bobellis3117 4 жыл бұрын

7.9 to 8.03 all day every day!

@Deepak-iw8xb 4 жыл бұрын

Hey, This is Deepak, from India. I'm a follower of your KZfaq channel and a fan of your knowledge about salt water tanks. Now, I'm in search of some informations regarding fish only aquarium. As in India, corals are banned. So we are not fortunate to maintain a reef aquarium. If I'm going for a fish only aquarium, then what all will be needed to be checked as water parameters? Will checking of salinity, ammonia, ph and temperature is sufficient, as there is no corals? I have acquired basic knowledge regarding sump, skimmers ,pre filters , salt mixing, sand and rocks watching your videos and all about the water parameters are mainly for coral keeping. As we are unable to do corals, does the checking of phosphate , calcium, magnesium and alkalinity necessary? Because as a beginner, i wish to start a tank with low complications. Please give a reply as in india, knowledge regarding salt water tank is hard to find.

@broutilde 4 жыл бұрын

What you're looking to achieve is called "Fowlr tank". If you do some research on that you will have plenty of information! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qMd2dphqsrPZdKc.html

@mudmonkeyatvs 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Ryan/Randy! I can’t seem to get my pH above 8.0. Even the very next day after I use buffer it goes right back down to 8.0. My DKH is steady at 11 and calcium at 420-440. I always have a window open 6 ft from the tank. My salinity is low (1.022) which I’m slowly trying to raise. Could that be the issue or should I just be happy with 8.0 and not worry about it? Thank you guys! Big fan! I have a video of my nano project on my page if ur interested #newreefer. Be safe and THANK YOU for the content!

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

We don't recommend using a pH buffer due to the alkalinity increase and the fact that the pH boost is only temporary. You can certainly have success running your tank with a pH of around 8.0, but here are a few tips to get those last few points kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hc6KgLWmqs28oqc.html

@Jed67 3 жыл бұрын

Haven’t tested ph in years and everything is thriving😬

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear you're having success!

@JCTReefer 4 жыл бұрын

Lowering PH - using 1 mL of distilled white vinegar per gallon of aquarium water to achieve an initial pH drop of about 0.3 pH units. Per Randy Holmes Farley. I use this to drop acclimation/transition waters Ph when receiving fish in long distance transit to match shipping water PH. This prevents ammonia burn. So not to convert nh4 to nh3 to rapidly. Then slowly increase ph after infused ammonia is flushed from gills.

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Fantastic information! Thank you so much for sharing. I figured Randy Holmes had a calculation like this out there!

@don_chuwish 4 жыл бұрын

Doser_Alk If pH > 8.35 Then OFF

@Waynerock77 4 жыл бұрын

Come on guys it would be a lot easier for me to check my pH if you got more of the BRS Neptunes in stock. Just hurry up and take my money already

@fellowreefer 4 жыл бұрын

Is it bad to have 8.51 PH?? I used a Ph meter it shows 8.5 when used seneye reef monitor it reads 8.51. Is this good or bad??

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

While 8.3 pH is often considered ideal, we've never noticed negative effects at a pH of 8.5. Most of us wouldn't get concerned until it gets to 8.6+

@fellowreefer 4 жыл бұрын

Bulk Reef Supply perfect, since my seneye reef monitor kept going off I just followed what Ryan and Randy said know what to do before hand and I just dosed 1/4 tsp and it did the trick in 5 minutes and came down to 8.44. Thanks guys for all the info that you share with us and allow us to learn regularly with all the details you share.

@gaginazarov8762 Ай бұрын

Hey did anyone notice that tall dude sounds and hand gestures are like Trump?)))

@victorgerhardt1504 2 жыл бұрын

Ga! Ha!

@higdgy7489 4 жыл бұрын

Can't you calibrate to a pH of 7 using simple rodi water.

@AJ-bi6ns 4 жыл бұрын

In theory yes, but not worth the risk. Calibration fluid is so cheap. Pro tip - if you have a vacuum sealer you can reseal the packages to use more than once :)

@garybeardsley1219 4 жыл бұрын

There is no guarantee the water coming out of a ro/di unit is pH 7.0. I have calibrated using the 7 solution and then read ro/di water and readings bounce around a lot revolving around 6.1-6.3. I add kalk to topoff water to stabilize the ph of the topoff water and my pH stays a lot more stable throughout the year. Before My pH would run 7.9 in the winter and 8.1 in summer. Now 8.1-8.3.