ph on replacement water sky high

I went to do a 25% water change, using distilled water, and added salt, and now the SG is 1.018. The ph is reading 8.8. ??? I measured the distilled water separately and it was 7.0 exactly. I did boil some of the water to increase the dissolving power of the water initially, but that was in a completely clean pot.

is this normal ?

 

No not normal.

How large is the tank ?

And what SG are you shooting for 1.018 is way too low.

What is the pH of the tank currently?

 

Well it was 1.024 in the tank, just looking to lower it to around 1.022 or so.

Ph of the tank is currently 8.1

Tank size is 29 gallons

After some searching on the net, it appears that right after mixing the ph will measure all over the chart ( well the measurement of it)

 

I think keeping the tank around 1.025 is better IMO, especially if you have any corals. LFS do keep it lower, but I believe that is prophylatic to prevent disease.

Yes the pH will be all over the chart. But you should let the new water sit for awhile, like 24 hours and make sure the water is as close in pH to the tanks as possible.

I would also do smaller water changes and space them out.

 

just live rock and two clowns for now. so I should prep the water the night before and then put it in as opposed to changing it and then mixing the salt etc ? Sounds like good advice. I will remember that.

 

What salt are you using?

 

yes! Place a water pump and a small heater to get it to the right temp as your water in your tank. The water pump helps in aeration of the water. I agree i would shoot more for 1.025