Is this an acceptable ph range for an sps dominate tank

[Biologic]

It would be a good step forward to get a skimmer on the tank. The skimmer adds a ton of aeration which should help your ph issue.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/top-5-tips-how-to-raise-ph-in-reef-tanks-and-saltwater-tanks-reef-faqs?utm_term=&utm_campaign=DSA>RLSA+Global&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=7373341438&hsa_cam=843440857&hsa_grp=41971741854&hsa_ad=522339347966&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=aud-1051244029597:dsa-295317350131&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAiA6seQBhAfEiwAvPqu12drMVkGQgyae8_1gq9KMhfzj7UgHV9RCJbRSYjLRycVacPZO9mtZhoCQWYQAvD_BwE

I second this. Similar to you, I was running a JBJ 28 gallon nano cube. Skimmers work really well, ONLY IF YOU DRAW IN AIR FROM OUTSIDE THE HOSUE. At least in my case. Otherwise, you are injecting CO2 from you home into the house. Even without a CO2 scrubber, you will get a significant bump. I use All-For-Reef for calcium and alkalinity which has almost no effect on pH.

Surface agitation will not solve this. It just agitates CO2 into the surface of the water. More surface area = more CO2.

In my post here -- I showed how you can easily solve pH with a skimmer and a CO2 scrubber --https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-i-fixed-it-—-co2-and-ph.845602/#post-9177385

In my post here proof is provided by the data, also in this thread, I had extensive testing using @Randy Holmes-Farley suggestion with aeration test of a water sample inside and outside the house, proving its CO2 inside the house. You don't need a CO2 meter. You'll have to read the thread to find it on one of the pages -- https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/if-its-not-co2-then-why-low-ph.832896/post-9098531

To fix your pH problems ---

Get a large HOB skimmer such as this one -- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aquamaxx-hob-1-5-hang-on-back-protein-skimmer.html

Add a CO2 Scrubber such as this one -- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-universal-co2-scrubber.html

Once you have a CO2 scrubber -- continue to pull air from outside through the CO2 scrubber. Don't bother doing the whole "recirculating" CO2 scrubber -- its not worth the effort and I never got results different from a regular skimmer. In fact it made my skimmers run funny.

I never did this on my JBJ, however my next suggestion is adding a refugium or an algae reactor. -- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mar-3181-macro-algae-reactor-tunze.html


Final thoughts --

On my current 50 gallon system, I am running a vastly smaller undersized skimmer, with a CO2 scrubber. I have now a traditional sump based refugium, which significantly helps pH by itself and I run 8.3 average for the past few days, with a peak at 8.38. In one sentence, skimmer with air run from outside of the house is key.

 

[Squidmotron]

Has it been shown that a pH of 8.3 is better for SPS than -- say -- 8.0?

 

[Reef_prop88]

Normal B-ionic is carbonate.

My apologies. I just realized they have two different options when it comes to two parts. I’d be interested in knowing weather he was using carb or bicarb though.

 

[PlumberDude]

This is my ph climbing after hooking up a kamoer continuous drip doser to my kalk reactor. All my top off water goes through it. I actually stopped dosing 2 part to see what kalk would do for me. I also pull air from a nearby window with a hose to my skimmer intake. My average ph without either one of these was below 8.

 

[Miami Reef]

If it was me:

I’d first calibrate the ph meter to be sure it’s not giving you a faulty reading.

If PH is still low, then I’m increase surface agitation.

If PH is still low after increasing surface agitation, I’d open a window.

If you cannot open a window long term, I’d switch to sodium hydroxide for alkalinity and limit excess aeration to prevent excess CO2 from reentering your tank.

 

[lubeck]

If it was me:

I’d first calibrate the ph meter to be sure it’s not giving you a faulty reading.

If PH is still low, then I’m increase surface agitation.

If PH is still low after increasing surface agitation, I’d open a window.

If you cannot open a window long term, I’d switch to sodium hydroxide for alkalinity and limit excess aeration to prevent excess CO2 from reentering your tank.

It’s been a couple weeks but I did calibrate the ph meter. Twice. I’ve done the surface agit and now that’s it’s nice I do open the door that is right next to the tank. The door opening maybe helped by .02.
im going to need to buy another doser. I started manually adding kalk today.

 

[lubeck]

This is my ph climbing after hooking up a kamoer continuous drip doser to my kalk reactor. All my top off water goes through it. I actually stopped dosing 2 part to see what kalk would do for me. I also pull air from a nearby window with a hose to my skimmer intake. My average ph without either one of these was below 8.

This is what I’m going to start doing minus the skimmer

 

[lubeck]

I second this. Similar to you, I was running a JBJ 28 gallon nano cube. Skimmers work really well, ONLY IF YOU DRAW IN AIR FROM OUTSIDE THE HOSUE. At least in my case. Otherwise, you are injecting CO2 from you home into the house. Even without a CO2 scrubber, you will get a significant bump. I use All-For-Reef for calcium and alkalinity which has almost no effect on pH.

Surface agitation will not solve this. It just agitates CO2 into the surface of the water. More surface area = more CO2.

In my post here -- I showed how you can easily solve pH with a skimmer and a CO2 scrubber --https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-i-fixed-it-—-co2-and-ph.845602/#post-9177385

In my post here proof is provided by the data, also in this thread, I had extensive testing using @Randy Holmes-Farley suggestion with aeration test of a water sample inside and outside the house, proving its CO2 inside the house. You don't need a CO2 meter. You'll have to read the thread to find it on one of the pages -- https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/if-its-not-co2-then-why-low-ph.832896/post-9098531

To fix your pH problems ---

Get a large HOB skimmer such as this one -- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aquamaxx-hob-1-5-hang-on-back-protein-skimmer.html

Add a CO2 Scrubber such as this one -- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-universal-co2-scrubber.html

Once you have a CO2 scrubber -- continue to pull air from outside through the CO2 scrubber. Don't bother doing the whole "recirculating" CO2 scrubber -- its not worth the effort and I never got results different from a regular skimmer. In fact it made my skimmers run funny.

I never did this on my JBJ, however my next suggestion is adding a refugium or an algae reactor. -- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mar-3181-macro-algae-reactor-tunze.html


Final thoughts --

On my current 50 gallon system, I am running a vastly smaller undersized skimmer, with a CO2 scrubber. I have now a traditional sump based refugium, which significantly helps pH by itself and I run 8.3 average for the past few days, with a peak at 8.38. In one sentence, skimmer with air run from outside of the house is key.

I need to do the aeration test. I will do it this weekend. I’m not willing to go the skimmer route at this time. But maybe down the road

 

[Miami Reef]

It’s been a couple weeks but I did calibrate the ph meter. Twice. I’ve done the surface agit and now that’s it’s nice I do open the door that is right next to the tank. The door opening maybe helped by .02.
im going to need to buy another doser. I started manually adding kalk today.

If it was me I’d just stick with 2 part with sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride, especially since it’s a smaller tank with SPS corals = higher alk demand in the near future.

Kalkwasser and hydroxide have the same PH benefits. The only difference is that hydroxide is able to be dosed without needing to be diluted with a lot of RODI water and it won’t be limited by evaporation rates.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Has it been shown that a pH of 8.3 is better for SPS than -- say -- 8.0?

Yes, both by hobbyists (e.g., BRS) and by scientists gravely worried about CO2 lowering the ocean pH. Calcification slows as pH declines.

It's more complicated when you encounter pH ranges. Corals may be able to calcify during the pH peaks and survive the low pH times of day.

 

[Biologic]

I need to do the aeration test. I will do it this weekend. I’m not willing to go the skimmer route at this time. But maybe down the road

The aeration test will absolutely prove it to you. Run the test inside for 1 hour. Then run it outside for a hour in shade. Your pH will shoot up outside.

My tank was initially close to the wall. The stand and tank was light enough to slide the tank away from the wall to accommodate a HOB skimmer, if that's your hold up. I pulled from the bottom and it slid slowly. A skimmer pulling outside air is the safest way to boost pH. Plus you get the benefits of a skimmer for nutrient control. You can try to control with chemicals like kalkwasser and sodium carbonate, but there are some risks.

You can also try running a refugium algae reactor like that Tunze reactor on a reverse light cycle which will stabilize pH.

For reference my pH attached. The peak is when the refugium is on.

 

[lubeck]

The aeration test will absolutely prove it to you. Run the test inside for 1 hour. Then run it outside for a hour in shade. Your pH will shoot up outside.

My tank was initially close to the wall. The stand and tank was light enough to slide the tank away from the wall to accommodate a HOB skimmer, if that's your hold up. I pulled from the bottom and it slid slowly. A skimmer pulling outside air is the safest way to boost pH. Plus you get the benefits of a skimmer for nutrient control. You can try to control with chemicals like kalkwasser and sodium carbonate, but there are some risks.

You can also try running a refugium algae reactor like that Tunze reactor on a reverse light cycle which will stabilize pH.

For reference my pH attached. The peak is when the refugium is on.

I already run a fuge off cycle. I will do the test this weekend. But I don’t think it will be a material change seeing when it was 70 degrees here all last week and I had the door open the entire time. It only changed it by .05

 

[Nigel35]

IMO that ph swing wouldn't be acceptable. Ideally you would have ph with a swing from no more than 8.1-8.3 throughout the day. Dropping to 7.6 during the day is an issue with more sensitive corals.

Having said that we do excellent and sufficient information to solve the problem. IT looks like the minute the lights go out your ph drops. A way to compensate would be to setup a dose of alkalinity during the night and early so that your ph stays constant.

 

[lubeck]

adding kalk has brought my ph up significantly but I haven’t been measuring which was a mistake. My tank evaporates about a half gallon per day. I’ve been adding about 1/4 of that the last two days. My alk went to 8.5 from 8.2 but my calcium went up to 518 from 421.

I will stop the calcium from my two part dosing and keep going with the kalk for now. I need to get a dosing pump.

im wondering if the kalk can maintain my alk and calcium levels on it’s own For now? If that’s the case I can use the DOS pump I already have. Hmmm

 

[lubeck]

I think I’ve got the kalk dialed in now. 1300 ml per day. Haven’t gone below 8 at night.

 

[Nigel35]

Looking good.