Adding top off water, Is a buffer needed?

Bob Newbie

Bob Newbie

Reefing newb
Hello all, thanks to everyone providing support it has been helpful. My question now is, should I be adding anyting to the top off water after evaporation? My PH has been a little low (7.8) but all others including alkalinity have been in right range. I am now using the Tap Water Purifier by API to filter my water but should I be adding any type of PH buffer to slowly increase the PH in my tank? LFS suggested just let it go since the water will always be creeping back to its normal level and alkalinity is more important. Just not sure. Also, since my tank is going through the phase of diatoms and algae growth could this cause the PH to lower? thank you, Bob
 
A pH of 7.8 is fine. Getting on the low side, but still within acceptable range.

I'm much more concerned with your water source. Tap water is not usually acceptable for saltwater setups. Conditioner is just getting rid of chlorine but not all the other contaminants. Your tank may see to be doing fine, but your rock and substrate will absorb a lot of the nasties and this can cause major problems in the long run when it decides to start leaching back out into your water. I highly advise you invest in a RO/DI unit. You can find them for as little as $100 and really nice ones for around $200. I highly recommend www.thefilterguys.biz. Give them a call. They are great guys and can talk you through what you need for your particular water and find something to fit you budget.
 
+1 on RO/DI. You can even pick up on Ebay cheap....with any option you want. I did the 6 stage dual outlet. RO for home use....DI for Aquarium. They even have portables and faucet adapters if you don't want to make permanent.
 
Something else people don't realize about tap water... Tap water is chock full of minerals and other trace elements. Some good, some bad.
Salt mix is also full of minerals and trace elements, all good stuff. It's all listed on the side of the bucket. And it's formulated specifically for RO/DI water, which is basically a blank slate.
So when you add salt mix to tap water, you are throwing everything out of balance.
 
Thank you all for quick response. One clarification , I am not using the conditioner liquid stuff but have the device "Tap Water Purifier". Have any of you used or heard how good this is, It was given to me with my free tank. Basically, you hook it to faucet and goes trough a large filter catridge that claims to remove all the bad stuff. I am sure it is not as good as the more expensive RO units but have read some decent reviews. hanks again
 
Pick up a TDS meter (comes with the better ro/di units).
If your new water doesn't read a big fat zero, it's not doing it.
 
I will pick up the TDS meter, Ironic, my free tank, free stand and canopy, free skimmer, even free salt is free has cost me easily over a thousand dollars so far (LR,LS, lights accessories, etc). lol but I am addicted
 
My guess is that the water filter device you are referring to is a lot like a britta filter that you attach right to your sink. Okay for drinking water but probably not good enough for a saltwater tank. I suspect is is a carbon based filter which will pull some stuff out, but not necessarly the micro organisms and silicates, etc. It probably will also need its filter media changed pretty frequently. At the end of the day, with the money you will spend on filter media and stuff to try to battle the inevitable algae outbreak in your tank, you will have spent the same amount on a decent ro/di filter. Much easier to just bite the bullet and get one now!
 
OK, thank you all , I am now using RO DI water for water change but back to my original question should I be worried about the lower PH all other parameters including alk is fine. After I mix the new water with the salt it still reads a little low 7.7 or 7.8ish. Most of what read about corals is they like it over 8.0 so I want to correct now before adding down the road. Is ther anything I could do or let it be? PS. I do feel more comfortable about the RODI
 
I've never added a buffer to my top off water or newly mixed saltwater. You do want to let newly mixed saltwater sit for at least 24 hrs before adding to the tank. pH is in part dependent on light cycles and will shift in your tank throughout the day. Using top off water with a different pH shouldn't really make a difference because its a small amount of water compared to the rest of the tank. Same with a 10-20% water change.
 
I used that portable API Tap Water Purifier/Filter (TWP) in the past.

It is basically a standalone DI chamber, with no prefilters whatsoever.
Although it can reduce your water's TDS to low values, it cannot compare to the performance of a full RO/DI setup.

Problems with that filter:
1. Virtually no mechanical filtration - except maybe a sponge prefilter. Mechanical impurities that cannot bond with the DI resin are not removed.
2. Impurities that should have been removed by prefilters and RO membrane make contact with the DI resin, consuming the resin at a much faster rate.
3. If your water supply has a high level of impurities, you are looking at replacing the resin every 50 gallons or so.
4. It may be cheaper up front, but you end up losing more money on the back end as you end up buying a lot of resin.
 
Thank you for the clarification. I did order a RO DI unit and should be at house today. Went ahead and ordered it since 1) I am in this for the long haul, 2) I would rather be save than sorry especially and 3 I am in the middle of a battle with algae. I wll keep this thing as an emerceny back up. Spent a fortune in last couple days buying supplies for a sump set up, I am only running a hang on back skimmer now with little success. i have been reading up contantly especially since I do not want to flood my house.
 
SG 1.025
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
Alk ok don"t remember exact number
but phosphate 1ppm or a little over I struggle reading color charts (worried about this)
 

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