pH night/day fluctuations

[PBnJOnWheat]

During the day my pH seems to skyrocket. But at night it tanks really low, curious if this is normal and if there is a way to fix it. Not sure why it is fluctuating so much! I think that it is causing stress to my corals along with some cyano trying to spring out of nowhere.

 

[720 Reefer]

Do you run a refugium?

 

[moreef]

8.14 is not low. I think I read that .2 is about normal fluctuation. Your spread looks great to me.

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

Do you run a refugium?

Yes I do lol

8.14 is not low. I think I read that .2 is about normal fluctuation. Your spread looks great to me.

Gotcha I wasn’t sure maybe I haven’t noticed before but I’m looking at stabilizing things before I continue to dump more money into corals.

 

[Gtinnel]

I personally wouldn't be worried about that swing from day to night. I believe the reason @720 Reefer asked if you have a refugium is because if you run your refugium light on a reverse cycle (on at night, off during the day) it can help mitigate pH fluctuations.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That swing is normal, and the size of the swing can be altered by the degree of aeration. With perfect aeration, it will not swing, but that is not usually attained in reef tanks that consume CO2 by photosynthesis during the day, raising pH, and producing CO2 by respiration at night, lowering pH).

 

[720 Reefer]

I personally wouldn't be worried about that swing from day to night. I believe the reason @720 Reefer asked if you have a refugium is because if you run your refugium light on a reverse cycle (on at night, off during the day) it can help mitigate pH fluctuations.

Yes, exactly. Thanks lol

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

I personally wouldn't be worried about that swing from day to night. I believe the reason @720 Reefer asked if you have a refugium is because if you run your refugium light on a reverse cycle (on at night, off during the day) it can help mitigate pH fluctuations.

That swing is normal, and the size of the swing can be altered by the degree of aeration. With perfect aeration, it will not swing, but that is not usually attained in reef tanks that consume CO2 by photosynthesis during the day, raising pH, and producing CO2 by respiration at night, lowering pH).

Yes, exactly. Thanks lol

Yeah I run a reverse refugium (fuge at night, LED’s during the day). Is this normal even with that? I just figured with sps in mind and very expensive corals if a ~0.2 fluctuation would be of any concern.

 

[Gtinnel]

Yeah I run a reverse refugium (fuge at night, LED’s during the day). Is this normal even with that? I just figured with sps in mind and very expensive corals if a ~0.2 fluctuation would be of any concern.

It still seems fine to me. I don't have a controller so I only test my pH occasionally, but mine swings from about 8.4-8.2 last I checked.

I'm more curious what you do to keep it in that range, outside skimmer airline, co2 scrubber, etc?

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

It still seems fine to me. I don't have a controller so I only test my pH occasionally, but mine swings from about 8.4-8.2 last I checked.

I'm more curious what you do to keep it in that range, outside skimmer airline, co2 scrubber, etc?

I have a calcium reactor, a skimmer, and that’s it lol. Everything else is like heaters, lights, and a refugium. Nothing special lol, I let the tank find it’s spot and let it do it’s thing.

 

[mdb_talon]

Yeah I run a reverse refugium (fuge at night, LED’s during the day). Is this normal even with that? I just figured with sps in mind and very expensive corals if a ~0.2 fluctuation would be of any concern.

I dont think it is anything to be concerned about at all. I would be the vast majority of sucessful tanks have .2-.3 fluctuation. In a perfect world my ideal fluctuation would be zero, but dont think a .2 swing is anything at all to be concerned about.

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

I dont think it is anything to be concerned about at all. I would be the vast majority of sucessful tanks have .2-.3 fluctuation. In a perfect world my ideal fluctuation would be zero, but dont think a .2 swing is anything at all to be concerned about.

cool cool, it’s the simple things like this I haven’t looked up before lol. I’m a bit worried having gone off on vacation a couple weeks ago, having a ton of really expensive corals melt and bail on me. I’m very positive it was these three things, low lights, temp swings, algae/bacteria causing my corals tons of stress that caused it. I’ve since fixed things but losing $2.5k makes you second guess everything that could’ve been an issue... always something in this hobby