Regular Member d_golem Posted October 12, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) How long does it take for sea shells to raise the pH of the tank? Just added some of them (around 20+ shells each around 2 inches in size in a 50 gal tank) because my tank just got pH crash (down to 6.0). Will it work quicker if I crush them? Never in my 3 years I got any problems with pH, then somehow it just went crashing down overnight. Edited October 12, 2008 by d_golem 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member d_golem Posted October 12, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 12, 2008 Just did an emergency 60% water change and the pH is up till 6.6-6.8. Fish already seem perkier. I'm leaving the sea shells there. Should I leave the shells there from now on? Will there be a time I should get the shells out? I think I'm gonna need a kH & gH test from now on 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 5ivedrops Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I have been keeping my PH up with baking soda. I add a little bit once a week. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member uberleslie Posted October 12, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 12, 2008 Oh no, sorry to hear you had a crash...but SO glad to hear they're doing okay! I've never used sea shells before, but have had great success with Buff-it-Up so far. My tap KH is near 0, but the pH is at 8.8, so my pH always falls without Buff-it-Up. Baking soda works, but I think it can be unstable...I only used it temporarily. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member d_golem Posted October 13, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 13, 2008 They are all recovered & back to their old, happy selves. I just hope their ordeal wasn't enough for ich or any other nasties to surface. Still have the shells in the tank. Anyone knows how long should I leave them there? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member small_ranchu Posted October 13, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 13, 2008 I am not sure about shells. I put crash coral in the filter all the time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member samoht70 Posted October 14, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 14, 2008 I would leave them in at least until the kH can be tested. You need to know the kH of the water before it goes into the tank. If kH if the source water is low, you will know that you need to do something. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member d_golem Posted October 14, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 14, 2008 Just bought a kH test, tested the tank, and it came out 50. Lower than recommended. Reckon the sea shells are enough or do I need to get a more immediate fix? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fishmerised Posted October 14, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted October 14, 2008 I leave my shells in the tank all the time. I use crushed shell, a small handful per 10 gallon. For the moment I suggest testing your pH daily, if that remains stable or slowly starts to rise then all is well. Otherwise in the short term I would use a commercial pH adjuster and allow for the gH to increase with the shell, within a week you should notice an increase. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member d_golem Posted October 14, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 14, 2008 Will do. thx all 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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