Large ph drop

[Defff21]

So I done my weekly water change only my three times this being my third... I checked all water params after everything is normal except PH it is below marked on card I'm using red sea.. It has been steady 8-8.2 befire this... Hard to see in the pic but it defintely looks a more green color.. My kh is 12

 

[homer1475]

Hard to tell with that pic,all colors look the same to me.

Don't worry about your PH, it will be whatever it wants to be. PH in a reef tank is in direct correlation to the amount of Co2 in your home. Decrease the Co2, or increase the O2 into the tank, and the PH will rise. Adding buffers of any kind only give temporary increases along with major swings in alkalinity.

 

[homer1475]

And now we can all thank @Bulk Reef Supply for all the PH chasing threads now. Because everyone is chasing that magical 8.3 dragon for best growth.

 

[Defff21]

And now we can all thank @Bulk Reef Supply for all the PH chasing threads now. Because everyone is chasing that magical 8.3 dragon for best growth.

Haha thank you it is pretty close to 7.6 but I just got a fright but fish n coral still happy so.
I was once told not to check ph at all or atleast not chase it but was just a suprise.

 

[homer1475]

Exactly, regardless of what people will tell you on here, anyone thats been reefing for a while, will trumpet not chasing a PH number. As a matter of fact, chasing any number is fruitless.

While there are a few things that can be done on the cheap to increase PH, it's certainly not needed unless your trying to grow and frag corals.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Agree with homer1475.. I don’t particularly care what my ph is and never try to adjust it with additives.

 

[ScottB]

And now we can all thank @Bulk Reef Supply for all the PH chasing threads now. Because everyone is chasing that magical 8.3 dragon for best growth.

I was wondering where all this chasing pH is coming from. Customer came in the store the other day, saying all her new corals were dying, even though her pH was 8.2. Well, it was because her dkh was +16. Her husband kept dumping buffer in the tank to get pH level up.

@Defff21 a couple of things:
In EUR I under the high ALK Red Sea method is popular, but 12 dkh is a pretty racy number. Be sure your refractometer is calibrated and you are not over 35ppt salinity.

PH of 7.6 is on the low side, but it can vary based on the light cycle by .3 or more. When you measure, do it at the same time of day. Perhaps your water change lowered it some, and the room CO2 was higher than normal. Other than cracking a window, there is not a lot you can/should do about PH.

 

[Bulk Reef Supply Verified Sponsor]

And now we can all thank @Bulk Reef Supply for all the PH chasing threads now. Because everyone is chasing that magical 8.3 dragon for best growth.

Since we were tagged, I feel compelled to reply to help clarify that you can have a successful reef tank at a variety of pH levels. As long as your pH is within the 7.6-8.6 range, pH won't stop you from having a beautiful tank! Keep in mind that pH fluctuates throughout the day/night, so the time of day you test will affect your results. It's also possible that spending more time inside during the Covid-19 situation could be leading to higher CO2 levels in your home, which would drive the pH down.

 

[Billldg]

I agree with @Bulk Reef Supply . With people staying in their homes longer due to the virus, your C02 with build up in the house, thus causing your PH to drop. I also agree that if fluctuates throughout the day due to photosynthesis.