Low Ph - How to trouble shoot?

[kilnakorr]

Hi

From the various threads an articles, it seems that low ph is often CO2/aeration related.

I haven't really found other things that impacts ph (aside from chemicals ofcourse).
If a tank drops in ph without anything added, is it always CO2, or could it be something else?

Currently looking at some low ph, but cannot find the cause.

 

[Pistondog]

Hi

From the various threads an articles, it seems that low ph is often CO2/aeration related.

I haven't really found other things that impacts ph (aside from chemicals ofcourse).
If a tank drops in ph without anything added, is it always CO2, or could it be something else?

Currently looking at some low ph, but cannot find the cause.

How low?

 

[Pistondog]

pH and the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

by Randy Holmes-Farley For many aquarists, pH is not something that they have much experience with aside from their aquarium. For many, pH is almost a black box measurement: something to be considered, but whose physical meaning makes little sense to them. This article will Read more here...

www.reefedition.com

 

[kilnakorr]

How low?

Usually been runnin 7.8x-8.0x.
A wierd reading happened 2 days ago, which I thought must have been something getting stuck on the probe.

Ph dropped as always during the night, but started to raise at 1 am. At 7 am started to drop again and not really rising.

Looking at 7.63. Just did a waterchange today and now at 7.75.

I had windows open during my maintenance for about an hour, but no difference in ph.

I calibrated the probe twice, and reads the buffer accurately afterwards, so reading should be right.

Kh is 7.7 (going to start raising it sometime tomorrow)

 

[Pistondog]

Are you dosing any thing, bacteria

 

[kilnakorr]

Are you dosing any thing, bacteria

No.
Not dosing anything, other than some phyto/zooplankton everyother day or so, for the last 2 weeks.

 

[Kevin Finocchiaro]

Panic Low PH, i did the research like everyone else. However last night I was in a panic, because over the past 7 days my PH continued to get lower and lower each day. Basically my PH started low at 7.8 to begin with and continued dropping to 7.1 during the course of the day. On day 3 I tried adding Kalkwasser for a day which kept it steady for that day, but i could not keep mixing/adding with RODI into my tank. On day 5 I tried 100 percent pure baking soda because that could be mixed with saltwater, and that test also a failed because it kept my PH steady during the day but my alkalinity soared 2 points. Anyway, last night i began to panic after seeing my PH drop to 7.64, I started to buy a co2 reactor for my protein skimmer and then i planed to do the open the windows test but then it hit me, why not just shut down the skimmer and see what happens, so at 2am last night I turned off my skimmer and added this code to my Trident "If skimmer < 7.71 then OFF". It took 8 hrs for my PH to go from 7.64 up to 7.71 and then another hour to reach 7.72, so seeing that shutting down the skimmer actually worked, I will continue this test by modifying the skimmer shutdown code - "IF skimmer < 7.72 then OFF" and to slowly increase the ph this way until I get the code at < 8.1.

I also plan to open the windows and consider a Co2 reactor, but perhaps limiting the skimmer time may help.

 

[Jekyl]

Open a window, more surface agitation, run a skimmer, chaeto on opposite schedule. All will raise Ph

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Panic Low PH, i did the research like everyone else. However last night I was in a panic, because over the past 7 days my PH continued to get lower and lower each day. Basically my PH started low at 7.8 to begin with and continued dropping to 7.1 during the course of the day. On day 3 I tried adding Kalkwasser for a day which kept it steady for that day, but i could not keep mixing/adding with RODI into my tank. On day 5 I tried 100 percent pure baking soda because that could be mixed with saltwater, and that test also a failed because it kept my PH steady during the day but my alkalinity soared 2 points. Anyway, last night i began to panic after seeing my PH drop to 7.64, I started to buy a co2 reactor for my protein skimmer and then i planed to do the open the windows test but then it hit me, why not just shut down the skimmer and see what happens, so at 2am last night I turned off my skimmer and added this code to my Trident "If skimmer < 7.71 then OFF". It took 8 hrs for my PH to go from 7.64 up to 7.71 and then another hour to reach 7.72, so seeing that shutting down the skimmer actually worked, I will continue this test by modifying the skimmer shutdown code - "IF skimmer < 7.72 then OFF" and to slowly increase the ph this way until I get the code at < 8.1.

I also plan to open the windows and consider a Co2 reactor, but perhaps limiting the skimmer time may help.

Yeah definitely sounds like your skimmer was just driving CO2 into your tank. I experienced the same thing. My tank is in the basement and I live in Wisconsin so open windows isn't a consistent solution. Running an airline outside (works just fine in winter) and adding a scrubber now has my pH up from 7.8-8 to 8.1-8.3 consistently.

 

[Kevin Finocchiaro]

Panic Low PH, i did the research like everyone else. However last night I was in a panic, because over the past 7 days my PH continued to get lower and lower each day. Basically my PH started low at 7.8 to begin with and continued dropping to 7.1 during the course of the day. On day 3 I tried adding Kalkwasser for a day which kept it steady for that day, but i could not keep mixing/adding with RODI into my tank. On day 5 I tried 100 percent pure baking soda because that could be mixed with saltwater, and that test also a failed because it kept my PH steady during the day but my alkalinity soared 2 points. Anyway, last night i began to panic after seeing my PH drop to 7.64, I started to buy a co2 reactor for my protein skimmer and then i planed to do the open the windows test but then it hit me, why not just shut down the skimmer and see what happens, so at 2am last night I turned off my skimmer and added this code to my Trident "If skimmer < 7.71 then OFF". It took 8 hrs for my PH to go from 7.64 up to 7.71 and then another hour to reach 7.72, so seeing that shutting down the skimmer actually worked, I will continue this test by modifying the skimmer shutdown code - "IF skimmer < 7.72 then OFF" and to slowly increase the ph this way until I get the code at < 8.1.

I also plan to open the windows and consider a Co2 reactor, but perhaps limiting the skimmer time may help.

just a follow up note, the ph has been increasing aprox .01 every hour, and it is currently at 7.8 which is a nice improvement from last nights 7.64. and although 7.8 is still low it is the best number i have had in a week so im berating a sigh of relief.

 

[Uncle99]

I get the biggest change in PH by blowing a small fan across the surface.

 

[stephanjupillat]

Airline from outside run into skimmer. I get 7.9 in morning and 8.1 before lights shut off. Average of 7.8 is all you really need. Higher is better, up to 8.3 or so, but not required

 

[jose hernandez]

im having the same problem ph is low i tried a co2 scrubber and it depletes in about a week and a half my system is 200 gallons i put a hose on my skimmer ran the other end outside the window still low highest i get it is 7.7 ran my refugium 24hrs got it up to 7.82 but had to cut it down due to bottoming out nutrients so now its on 12hrs a day would kalk be the next best solution not trying to chase numbers but would like to get it around 8.0