Brasil Reef - Fórum de Aquário - Aquarismo - Marinho, Corais e Água Doce

Direct addition of carbon dioxide. Bottled soda water (seltzer) can be used to instantly reduce aquarium pH. Be sure to select unflavored soda water, and check the ingredients to be sure it doesn't contain anything that should be avoided (phosphate, etc). Many manufacturers list water and carbon dioxide as the only ingredients.

I recommend adding 6 mL of soda water per gallon of tank water to reduce pH by about 0.3 units. Add it to a high flow area away from organisms (such as in a sump). The local pH where it first is added will be very low. Going about this procedure slowly is better than proceeding too fast. If you do not have a sump, add it especially slowly. Some soda water may have more, or less, carbon dioxide in it, and the lower the aquarium's alkalinity, the larger will be the pH drop. Also, the higher the pH, the smaller will be the pH drop, because the buffering of seawater declines steadily as the pH drops from about 9 to 7.5.

adding 6 mL of soda water per gallon of tank water