# Bio Media that will raise ph?



## justshoe (Mar 13, 2008)

Well in my ever lasting battle with getting my Ph up. I wondered if there is any bio media i could put in one of my media trays in my eheim 2026. I thought about maybe crushed coral but i wasnt sure how well of bio media that was. This is on a 55g tank with a penguin 200 and two ac 301's w/pre filters. I think i have plenty of filtration but just looking for what i could use to raise ph and still serve as bio media


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## jayiw (Jan 16, 2008)

It's easy to get your PH up. Just buy a bag of crushed coral as you mentioned and a couple of filter media bags. Fill one bag up first and use it in your canister and see how high the PH goes. If it's not high enough then use a second bag. Give it about a day of running though before adding a second bag. I doubt you would need more then 2 bags though. The crushed coral will also act as bio media as well. I would not substitute it totally for bio rings but if you need to make room maybe you can remove SOME of the bio rings or if you are using carbon you can swap that out.

Jay


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## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

I second crushed coral. It will raise ph(to a point max is about 8.2) and act as biological filteration. I have packed many cannisters just with crushed coral. Crushed coral will work just as good as bio rings.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

I've "heard" that crushed coral can eventually lose it's buffering capacity. Does anyone have any actual experience with this, and if so then do you know how long it will typically last? I don't know what the chemical makeup of the shell or coral skeleton is (if you know that, please chime in!) so I don't feel like I can form an educated opinion one way or the other.

thanks!

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## justshoe (Mar 13, 2008)

Yea i figured this would work well. I think im going to do that. The 2026 has two trays one with the ceramic rings and the other with the eheim substrate pro so maybe i'll take out enough rings to find some crushed coral.

Im just tired of dosing the water all the time with cichlid buffer to try and keep it up. The buffer seems to loose capacity after a week. I noticed after about 2-3weeks and then a 20% water change i go from 8.4 to 7.4 and have to dose heavy with buffer to get it back up


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

justshoe said:


> Im just tired of dosing the water all the time with cichlid buffer to try and keep it up. The buffer seems to loose capacity after a week. I noticed after about 2-3weeks and then a 20% water change i go from 8.4 to 7.4 and have to dose heavy with buffer to get it back up


If you're using a buffer solution you should be adding it to the water you replace when you do a water change. Adding unbuffered low pH water to a buffered high pH tank will definately lower the pH, even if you did it the very next day after dosing the tank. Ideally you would never add raw dosing solution to the tank, but rather just make sure the water going in has the parameters you want the tank to have.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## nomadofthehills (May 24, 2005)

PH up is a waste of money, yet people always want to buy it. I always told them, don't bother, save your money. Why does everyone like this product?


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

nomadofthehills said:


> PH up is a waste of money, yet people always want to buy it. I always told them, don't bother, save your money. Why does everyone like this product?


I'm not familiar with that product, but I agree with the sentiment...

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

DIY buffer is your friend 

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## nomadofthehills (May 24, 2005)

Hmm, looks like I read the question too quickly. I see no mention of pH Up at all, jsut someone who wants their pH to GO up. :lol:


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## justshoe (Mar 13, 2008)

Yea i dont use ph up i use rift lake buffer but i just wanted something more than just sand substrate to help me out. Ended up finding what is advertised as "coral sand" it is extremely coarse grained...guessing its pretty much crushed coral. put a small amount in about a gallon of water and took it from 7.0 to 8.2 in about 32 hours which was fairly impressive but didnt go over 8.2


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## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

i use crushed limestone. ph is a rock steady 8.4.its been in a 110g tank with weekly 30% water changes for close to a year.no drop up or down but there is 80#'s of it.i only add the d.i.y buffer trace elements.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

justshoe said:


> ...put a small amount in about a gallon of water and took it from 7.0 to 8.2 in about 32 hours which was fairly impressive but didnt go over 8.2





Bones said:


> I'm crushed coral, Jim, not a miracle worker!"


If it can consistently keep your tank that high I'd say your good to go . I wouldn't worry once you're in the 8+ range.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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