How Important is Ph?

[RobertP]

I have read many articles and posts that talk about PH of 8.2 being important and also seem to be a lot of posts where people say if everything else is good then dont worry about PH at 7.8.

Lately I have been trying to get my PH higher since 8.2 is really the target. Open windows did nothing so I used up some points with BRS and added a CO2 reactor on April 14th. You can see it raised the level but only to 8.1. It was not bad for a few days and already fell off and even dropped to 7.8 last night. The media isn't even purple yet! I do run a grow light over my chaeto at night but harvested some a couple weeks ago and it hasn't regrown to it's former glory yet.

I am normally only at 7.8 or 7.9 and just trying to determine how important it is.

 

[Myka]

I agree that there isn't anything inherently "wrong" with pH 7.8 in a reef tank, and often when people start messing with pH they create more problems than good since fluctuating pH is more harmful than low pH (to a certain extent). However, there is a place for pH manipulation.

What are you using to maintain KH? How much are you dosing per day? What is your target KH level? Switching to Sodium carbonate (rather than bicarbonate) or dosing kalkwasser at night or 24/7 in place of Sodium carbonate can make a big difference. You need to have enough demand for this to make a difference though.

 

[RobertP]

My tank is a little over 6 months old and most of my corals are small so the demand is low. I have been dosing manually weekly with Red Sea ABC and BRS 2-part but just got some kalkwasser I am planning to try that for the ph as well. My plan was to start with low doses with my ATO since I dont yet own a doser. Not sure how much that will affect the PH if I am dosing low.
My KH is at 9.5 but been thinking I want to get it to 8.5 since WWC and other really nice tanks are in that range. Ca is 450 and my limited amount of corals and a weekly 10% water change is losing about 40 Ca a week. Mg is at 1360.

With a lower ph system I am not sure if I should target a higher KH or lower....

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Following since my PH averages around 7.60.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have read many articles and posts that talk about PH of 8.2 being important and also seem to be a lot of posts where people say if everything else is good then dont worry about PH at 7.8.

Lately I have been trying to get my PH higher since 8.2 is really the target. Open windows did nothing so I used up some points with BRS and added a CO2 reactor on April 14th. You can see it raised the level but only to 8.1. It was not bad for a few days and already fell off and even dropped to 7.8 last night. The media isn't even purple yet! I do run a grow light over my chaeto at night but harvested some a couple weeks ago and it hasn't regrown to it's former glory yet.

I am normally only at 7.8 or 7.9 and just trying to determine how important it is.

pH of 8.2 isn't "important". pH not appreciably below 7.8 at minimum is more of a concern, and if you want the faster coral growth, pH values of 8.2 or higher may be preferred.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Following since my PH averages around 7.60.

You sure that is properly calibrated?

Is your home very tightly sealed to outside air?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

You sure that is properly calibrated?

Is your home very tightly sealed to outside air?

Yes I calibrated it via the instructions. The tank is located in one of the most sealed basements you'll ever find! Ha! Poured concrete walls! No outside air at all.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I also tested via test kits to make sure the proble was calibrated correctly.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, that might be it. You might look to bring in more fresh air.

 

[Myka]

My tank is a little over 6 months old and most of my corals are small so the demand is low. I have been dosing manually weekly with Red Sea ABC and BRS 2-part but just got some kalkwasser I am planning to try that for the ph as well. My plan was to start with low doses with my ATO since I dont yet own a doser. Not sure how much that will affect the PH if I am dosing low.
My KH is at 9.5 but been thinking I want to get it to 8.5 since WWC and other really nice tanks are in that range. Ca is 450 and my limited amount of corals and a weekly 10% water change is losing about 40 Ca a week. Mg is at 1360.

With a lower ph system I am not sure if I should target a higher KH or lower....

I would target KH based on NO3 and PO4 levels. For faster growth, try the higher KH, but be sure to combine that with higher NO3 and PO4 so the corals have some "fertilizer". Hehe.

Aside from a CO2 scrubber and/or outside air into the skimmer, dosing kalkwasser is really the only other option I've found to help much. Try out a kalk reactor - I much prefer these to just adding powder to the ATO. Even the cheap TLF one works fine hooked up to an ATO.

 

[cginter]

Don't chase Ph. Mine fluctuates a little bit and nothing is wrong noticeably

.

I have a fresh air intake going to skimmer from outside as well. No change really. I gave up and quit messing with it and things are fine.

 

[trido]

I've been running low Ph for 12 years because of a high demand SPS system with a Calcium reactor. 7.6 that Rev posted is a bit extreme but 7.8 to 8.0 isn't too bat at all and IMO nothing to worry about. I grow SPS faster than most with my low Ph so I don't worry about it.

 

[trido]

Funny.... My chart looks almost identical with an average of 8.02. I also have a massive amount of fresh air in my skimmer and tank room.

Don't chase Ph. Mine fluctuates a little bit and nothing is wrong noticeably

.

I have a fresh air intake going to skimmer from outside as well. No change really. I gave up and quit messing with it and things are fine.

 

[dmax525]

Mine seems about the same as others pictured. My skimmer is pulling fresh air in from outside and it seemed to boost it a bit. I just try not to chase it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Don't chase Ph. Mine fluctuates a little bit and nothing is wrong noticeably

I have a fresh air intake going to skimmer from outside as well. No change really. I gave up and quit messing with it and things are fine.

And yet be careful in extrapolating your experience with perfectly reasonably pH values onto people without good pH values and expect the don't chase pH mantra still holds. Some folks will benefit from bring up very low pH values or bringing down very high pH values.

 

[RobertP]

Thanks guys. I will hold off chasing my pH for a while. Mine seems to drop during the day and rise at night. I figure this is my small amount of chaeto doing it's job while the fuge is lit..running it 12 hours. Got new LED lights over the display (runs about 12 hours) and they are not turned up yet so everything gets used to them. I suspect this is part of the daytime drop and the fact that I do not have a large coral draw yet.
Think I will stick with dosing 2 part for now since it is working for me. Makes more sense for me to buy a doser rather than a kalk reactor and maybe do the kalk reactor later to get the pH higher.

 

[Scorpius]

If you can get a short run of air tuning ran outside to feed your skimmer fresh air your ph will be solved permanently. I always sat around 7.6-7.8 and now I sit around 8-8.3

 

[G8trBait16]

I was getting 7.8 - 8ph. I just put a co2 scrubber on my skimmer. Now I'm at 8.6 daytime and 8.4 at night.

 

[Myka]

I like CO2 scrubbers too. I have one installed.

1. TLF reactor (they're cheap!)
2. 3/8" vinyl hose (even cheaper!)
3. TLF CDX adapter (REALLY cheap!)
4. 40 lb container of Sofnolime (not so cheap! haha)

Go to a scuba diving shop for the 40 lb container of Sofnolime as the pricing is much better. I like the color changing type because I don't have a pH monitor, I have to check it manually. So when the color is looking fairly changed I'll shake up the reactor and get another 4 or 5 days out of it before I see the pH starting to slide. I usually get 3 weeks per change in the TLF reactor. My skimmer pulls about 900 LPH, but it's got more to do with the amount of CO2 in the air. Oddly, it doesn't restrict the skimmer air intake, I don't have to adjust the skimmer between having the reactor hooked up or not.