Can anyone explain?

[Treenk]

Ok so I've constantly had a ph of 8.5 according to salifert which I'm told runs high and it's been ok that way. I have be doing baking soda to raise alk while dropping ph a little. I bought 2 new fish and now my ph dropped to 8.2. Why so much is it because of the fish? Or just a coincidence? And should I change to soda ash since I want it to go up with the alk? My frags aren't doing very well since the change but I dont want to make things worse.
Normal measurements
8.5ph
8.5alk
5 no3
0 po4
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
Very high calc and magn (hasn't bothered anything)

Current
8.2 ph
8 alk
10 n03
.01 po4
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
Calc magn normal really high.

Would soda ashe be the right thing to adjust back to normal? I'm still learning the science.

 

[Bigbadfishy]

Please go watch BRS 5 min guides on YouTube. I honestly think you going about this wrong PH is not a number you wanna chase. Please make life easy and do water changes to keep your levels stable till your tank need added supplements.

 

[Bigbadfishy]

 

[W1ngz]

Don't sweat the ph. It varies throughout the day and depends more on CO2 in the room than stuff you put in the water.

 

[Treenk]

Wow not sure how I made it this long without knowing about their 5m videos. Thank you guys. Would these small changes be enough to effect my frags? Or is is more likely the new fish poking at them?

 

[SuncrestReef]

pH will fluctuate daily, and it's perfectly fine. Soda ash does raise pH. In my Apex graph below, the bigger drop in pH the night of Feb 22 was due to hosting a large party at our house with about 40 people and the extra CO2 from their breathing:

 

[Bigbadfishy]

Wow not sure how I made it this long without knowing about their 5m videos. Thank you guys. Would these small changes be enough to effect my frags? Or is is more likely the new fish poking at them?

Its the changes I’m sure but depends on the frags corals want to live if your salt and water temp are right and you tank parameters are somewhat stable they will do good as long at the lights are providing nutrients.

 

[Bigbadfishy]

pH will fluctuate daily, and it's perfectly fine. Soda ash does raise pH. In my Apex graph below, the bigger drop in pH the night of Feb 22 was due to hosting a large party at our house with about 40 people and the extra CO2 from their breathing:

Same for me

 

[PHXReefguy]

a large party at our house with about 40 people

Now we’re talkin. Reef tank and a house big enough for 40 people to party.. perhaps 41?

 

[Treenk]

Lol that's awesome. I didn't know ph worked like that. Maybe I spend to much time standing over it and breathing lol. I'll do my normal water change with a little baking soda to raise the alk that's used. I watched some of those 5m videos which are pretty helpful but didnt find the one I needed.

 

[W1ngz]

You want this video. Especially point number 2.