PH ideas

[dan 13]

22 gal aio tank been running a bit over a year, i have been losing acros and euphilia pretty regularly, but zoas and other LPS been growing, my only conclusion is the PH? been around 7.8-8) I only dose AFR about 5 ml a day and that keeping alk and others in range, alk pretty rock solid around 8.8-9, I have a refugium with cheato that i cut back every week b/c it grows so well. I dont have a skimmer nor do i want one and its limiting my options (eg tube ran to outside air and co2 scrubber). keep reading about kalk but that opens up another challenge of adding more Ca and Alk, and the PIA of mixing it and clogging dosers, is there are simple dosing solution that would only focus on PH?

 

[Solo McReefer]

Frequent water changes

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Frequent water changes

How would that help? Water changes are not a way to treat pH issues unless it is to correct an alk problem.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

22 gal aio tank been running a bit over a year, i have been losing acros and euphilia pretty regularly, but zoas and other LPS been growing, my only conclusion is the PH? been around 7.8-8) I only dose AFR about 5 ml a day and that keeping alk and others in range, alk pretty rock solid around 8.8-9, I have a refugium with cheato that i cut back every week b/c it grows so well. I dont have a skimmer nor do i want one and its limiting my options (eg tube ran to outside air and co2 scrubber). keep reading about kalk but that opens up another challenge of adding more Ca and Alk, and the PIA of mixing it and clogging dosers, is there are simple dosing solution that would only focus on PH?

Fresher air to the room, a CO2 scrubber, and a higher pH alk additive than AFR can all help.

 

[Solo McReefer]

How would that help? Water changes are not a way to treat pH issues unless it is to correct an alk problem.

If fresh salt water mixes up to 8.3

And it replaces water in the 7s

It will pull the tank water up into the 8s

 

[dan 13]

Frequent water changes

i change 5 gals out every sunday and right now i dont have much time or capacity to do more

 

[GARRIGA]

Perhaps run the Fuge 24/7. I did and solved my pH problems.

 

[Uncle99]

There’s nothing wrong with your PH.
Forget it.

Mines been that for 7 years if in fact I believe any of the PH testing equipment.

Fuge big help at stabilizing.

 

[Jekyl]

What are your complete parameters and lighting being used?

 

[fryman]

While a pH of 7.8 could be improved using suggestions listed above, I do not find this to be a convincing cause of the OP's stated problem.

Acros and Euphyllia should survive and even grow at 7.8, just a bit slower.

 

[dan 13]

Fresher air to the room, a CO2 scrubber, and a higher pH alk additive than AFR can all help.

randy i have been reading tons of ur other threads on here , is there a way to run a co2 scrubber with out a skimmer? if i start adding kalk. should I A. stop AFR and add kalk until PH is hit and then determine how much AFR to add to bring ca and alk back up, or B. add in kalk on top and decrease AFR as i add more kalk in?

 

[dan 13]

Perhaps run the Fuge 24/7. I did and solved my pH problems.

thats a thought, i only run it about 10 hrs at night when lights shut off

 

[dan 13]

What are your complete parameters and lighting being used?

kessil a160 and a AI blade glow
sal 1.026
alk 8.8
ca 420
mg 1400~ when i actually get around to testing it
ph 7.9
temp 78
nitrate like 5 but i get variance here sometimes 0 others 10, this with salifert, should get a hanna b/c im color reading dumb

 

[dan 13]

While a pH of 7.8 could be improved using suggestions listed above, I do not find this to be a convincing cause of the OP's stated problem.

Acros and Euphyllia should survive and even grow at 7.8, just a bit slower.

anything i have bought that is kinda expensive dies, acros: strawberry short cake, snow dragon, tierra del fuego. euph gold hammer, purple hammer, and jester torch
nothing like dies instantly like RTN or brown jelly, just seems to fade out over months and dies

 

[Jekyl]

kessil a160 and a AI blade glow
sal 1.026
alk 8.8
ca 420
mg 1400~ when i actually get around to testing it
ph 7.9
temp 78
nitrate like 5 but i get variance here sometimes 0 others 10, this with salifert, should get a hanna b/c im color reading dumb

Phosphate? Ever had the test results double checked at an LFS?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If fresh salt water mixes up to 8.3

And it replaces water in the 7s

It will pull the tank water up into the 8s

No, that does not make it at all suitable for correcting low pH. Even if you do a 100% change, the tank will quickly revert to the old pH, which is entirely controlled by the alkalinity and the CO2 level in the air used to aerate the tank.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yes, your pH is fine where it is, but a pH of 8.1 or so would match the corals' natural habitat. That being said, I'm gonna aim for 8.3 to 8.4. There is evidence (perhaps anecdotyl) that suggests a pH in this range leads to a higher growth rate for Corals. I plan on using a CO2 Scrubber to help attain my goal.

 

[Solo McReefer]

No, that does not make it at all suitable for correcting low pH. Even if you do a 100% change, the tank will quickly revert to the old pH, which is entirely controlled by the alkalinity and the CO2 level in the air used to aerate the tank.

Fair enough

We use boluses all the time to fix pH issues in people. It is a temporary fix, of course. That and bicarb

You still have to fix the underlying problems; as you say in regards to a reef system

High pH in people, we blow it off with hyperventilation. I can't see an analog there for a reef system. CO² scrubber perhaps

Thanks for the schooling

 

[dan 13]

Yes, your pH is fine where it is, but a pH of 8.1 or so would match the corals' natural habitat. That being said, I'm gonna aim for 8.3 to 8.4. There is evidence (perhaps anecdotyl) that suggests a pH in this range leads to a higher growth rate for Corals. I plan on using a CO2 Scrubber to help attain my goal.

is there a way to use a scrubber without a skimmer?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

is there a way to use a scrubber without a skimmer?

You could maybe use an airstone in a sump, but tank top aeration with high CO2 air will keep dragging pH down, so the stronger the aeration with low CO2 air, the better.