Need to raise my pH... How many water changes will it take?

[Plec123]

Just monitor the ph level and eventually you'll work out how much you need in your filter to keep the balance correct

the tough part about that is I go back to school in a week.
3 hours away.
I'll figure it out i suppose.

 

[Evz jardini]

It'll be ok its a pretty gradual process just dont go mad with the coral to start with

 

[Plec123]

Since your pH is that low, you don't want to bring it up all at once, that could cause pH shock. Each 10th down on the pH scale is 10 times more acidic, and 1 whole point is 100 times more acidic. Do partial water changes every day or twice per day until it equalizes, then add the crushed coral or aragonite as a buffer.
Because there have been no water changes while you are gone, your fish have adapted to living in there own urine.

thats a fair point as well. sounds like a good plan.

 

[Bderick67]

Since your low pH is likely caused from "old tank" syndrome, adding a buffer right now is nonsense. Your best bet is frequent small water changes. Also when dealing with changing your pH levels you really should know what your carbonate hardness is, this is the buffering capacity of your tank's water.

 

[lipadj46]

Since your pH is that low, you don't want to bring it up all at once, that could cause pH shock. Each 10th down on the pH scale is 10 times more acidic, and 1 whole point is 100 times more acidic. Do partial water changes every day or twice per day until it equalizes, then add the crushed coral or aragonite as a buffer.
Because there have been no water changes while you are gone, your fish have adapted to living in there own urine.

pH scale is a log base 10 scale so 1 point is a 10^1 or 10 times, 2 points would be 10^2 or a 100x's and so on...

 

[Plec123]

Since your low pH is likely caused from "old tank" syndrome, adding a buffer right now is nonsense. Your best bet is frequent small water changes. Also when dealing with changing your pH levels you really should know what your carbonate hardness is, this is the buffering capacity of your tank's water.

My tap water is extremely soft. carbonate hardness barely registered on the testing kit i used to have for that. plus my driftwood probably doesnt help much in that regard. so theres really nothing to buffer it.