Chasing pH and sodium hydroxide

[Gtinnel]

So I am trying to get increase the pH in my tank. I’ve been running an outside airline to my skimmer and I recently tried adding a co2 scrubber which made essentially no difference, I assume because the outside air has a relatively small amount of co2 to start with.

Since I can’t convince my wife and kids to live in tents in the yard I’ve decided to go with additives.
I currently use Randy’s recipe for two part with sodium carbonate for the alk. I am considering switching to sodium hydroxide.

My concern is that I don’t dose equally throughout the day. Since I dose more during the day than at night won’t using a higher pH alk supplement lead to a larger pH swing between night and day? If so I wonder if that is worse than having slightly low ph (7.8-8.0). If I do switch to sodium hydroxide can I just mix it with the little bit of sodium carbonate solution that is left in my container, or do I need to empty and rinse out the container before switching?

 

[Jekyl]

What is your current Ph?

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

The ph on all five of my tanks ranges from 7.8-8.1 daily. There is no need to chase it, unless you have a specific goal of growing out sps corals in a farming tank.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Soooo many people claim chasing PH is a waste of time & money.
One fellow called it "The Brat" of saltwater because it just does whatever it wants too.
Many tanks run fine @ 7.8 - 8.0

 

[djf91]

So I am trying to get increase the pH in my tank. I’ve been running an outside airline to my skimmer and I recently tried adding a co2 scrubber which made essentially no difference, I assume because the outside air has a relatively small amount of co2 to start with.

Since I can’t convince my wife and kids to live in tents in the yard I’ve decided to go with additives.
I currently use Randy’s recipe for two part with sodium carbonate for the alk. I am considering switching to sodium hydroxide.

My concern is that I don’t dose equally throughout the day. Since I dose more during the day than at night won’t using a higher pH alk supplement lead to a larger pH swing between night and day? If so I wonder if that is worse than having slightly low ph (7.8-8.0). If I do switch to sodium hydroxide can I just mix it with the little bit of sodium carbonate solution that is left in my container, or do I need to empty and rinse out the container before

Have you considered Kalkwasser on a dosing pump?

 

[Gtinnel]

What is your current Ph?

7.8-8.0

 

[Gtinnel]

The ph on all five of my tanks ranges from 7.8-8.1 daily. There is no need to chase it, unless you have a specific goal of growing out sps corals in a farming tank.

I am wanting to see how much of a difference it makes in regards to coral growth. I realize my tank will be fine keeping my pH the way it is, which is why I want to make sure that a larger swing from day to night isn’t detrimental.

 

[Gtinnel]

Have you considered Kalkwasser on a dosing pump?

I have but space is an issue in my stand. I also considered adding kalk to my ATO, but accessing my ATO reservoir is also a pain. Essentially I am trying to not have to add anything under the tank. I put the co2 scrubber outside of my house on the airline because of space issues.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I am wanting to see how much of a difference it makes in regards to coral growth. I realize my tank will be fine keeping my pH the way it is, which is why I want to make sure that a larger swing from day to night isn’t detrimental.

That sounds like a good plan. As long as you can keep it elevated and stable, you will notice faster growth. It will still swing from around 8.0 to 8.3 or so.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I am trying to get increase the pH in my tank. I’ve been running an outside airline to my skimmer and I recently tried adding a co2 scrubber which made essentially no difference, I assume because the outside air has a relatively small amount of co2 to start with.

Since I can’t convince my wife and kids to live in tents in the yard I’ve decided to go with additives.
I currently use Randy’s recipe for two part with sodium carbonate for the alk. I am considering switching to sodium hydroxide.

My concern is that I don’t dose equally throughout the day. Since I dose more during the day than at night won’t using a higher pH alk supplement lead to a larger pH swing between night and day? If so I wonder if that is worse than having slightly low ph (7.8-8.0). If I do switch to sodium hydroxide can I just mix it with the little bit of sodium carbonate solution that is left in my container, or do I need to empty and rinse out the container before switching?

With any high pH alk dosing scheme, one must decide if the more important goal is stable alk (dose during the day) or bringing up the low pH (dose at night).

But boosting the day pH is still an interesting goal unless it clearly gets too high. It may even be the most important time to boost pH.

 

[Gtinnel]

That sounds like a good plan. As long as you can keep it elevated and stable, you will notice faster growth. It will still swing from around 8.0 to 8.3 or so.

My goal is to be around those values. If I can accomplish that just by changing what I use to dose alkalinity I don’t see any reason not to.

 

[JGT]

Think you should pursue the tent option more vigorously. Why not change your dosing to dose it around the clock?

 

[Gtinnel]

With any high pH alk dosing scheme, one must decide if the more important goal is stable alk (dose during the day) or bringing up the low pH (dose at night).

But boosting the day pH is still an interesting goal unless it clearly gets too high. It may even be the most important time to boost pH.

I guess I have to find a balance I am happy with between stable alk and higher/stable pH.

 

[Gtinnel]

Think you should pursue the tent option more vigorously. Why not change your dosing to dose it around the clock?

I dose more during the day to keep my alk more stable. I went down a rabbit hole at one point to try to keep my alk as stable as possible. I eventually got tired of adjusting my dosing schedule regularly.
I agree that a tent in the yard is the best solution. That or adding a HRV to my homes HVAC, which I’m considering after reading about health benefits, not just tank related.

 

[Gtinnel]

@Randy Holmes-Farley if I do switch to a sodium hydroxide solution, is there any issue with adding it to some of the sodium carbonate solution that would be left in my dosing container?

ETA- also if there is no issue mixing the two solutions is there any reason I can’t make a mixture of half sodium carbonate and half sodium hydroxide so that I can slowly see how it’ll effect my pH swing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley if I do switch to a sodium hydroxide solution, is there any issue with adding it to some of the sodium carbonate solution that would be left in my dosing container?

ETA- also if there is no issue mixing the two solutions is there any reason I can’t make a mixture of half sodium carbonate and half sodium hydroxide so that I can slowly see how it’ll effect my pH swing?

The half and half is fine.

 

[lubeck]

With any high pH alk dosing scheme, one must decide if the more important goal is stable alk (dose during the day) or bringing up the low pH (dose at night).

But boosting the day pH is still an interesting goal unless it clearly gets too high. It may even be the most important time to boost pH.

I can’t prove it has made a difference to my alk/cal dosing but have been able to open my window more in the morning and at night and my ph has been closer to 8.3-8.4 during the day and when testing the last two weeks I’ve had an uptake in alk and cal dosing.

 

[Gtinnel]

I can’t prove it has made a difference to my alk/cal dosing but have been able to open my window more in the morning and at night and my ph has been closer to 8.3-8.4 during the day and when testing the last two weeks I’ve had an uptake in alk and cal dosing.

As far as I understand its pretty commonly agreed that higher pH leads to faster stony coral growth. The question for me is wether higher pH is more important than pH stability.
Opening windows is a great way to reduce CO2 in your house which will raise pH. It’s not a method that I want to use though.

 

[Miami Reef]

The question for me is wether higher pH is more important than pH stability.

Nobody knows the answer to this.

I personally aim for alk stability since reefers have had long term success with that. You can have a large party in your house and your ph drops, does that mean you’ll dose more hydroxide to keep ph up (even if that means alk will rise to very high levels)?

I use sodium hydroxide and I dose it every hour for eight hours (my photoperiod). My range is 8.1-8.4 (lower end is at night).

 

[Gtinnel]

Nobody knows the answer to this.

I personally aim for alk stability since reefers have had long term success with that. You can have a large party in your house and your ph drops, does that mean you’ll dose more hydroxide to keep ph up (even if that means alk will rise to very high levels)?

I use sodium hydroxide and I dose it every hour for eight hours (my photoperiod). My range is 8.1-8.4 (lower end is at night).

Although I haven’t started using it yet I have decided to try sodium hydroxide for my alk supplement. I agree that alk stability is important so I am not willling to change when l dose my supplement. I’m hoping that switching to sodium hydroxide won’t cause a much larger day/night pH swing, but there is only one way to find out.