To PH or Not to PH,....that is the question ?
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Well, polls aside, the question has a correct answer, at least at the extremes, and it is neither of the choices you post. [emoji3]
pH can be important, mostly at the low end below pH 7.8. That happens much less than half the time, so if more than half of people say they do not measure it or care about it, they are probably fine. But that does not mean everyone would be optimal at the native pH their system holds. At low enough pH, rock, sand, and coral skeletons can slowly dissolve.
At the high end, there’s no evidence that pH 8.4 is any concern. I’d push that high end to at least pH 8.55, with the primary drawback likely being more precipitation of calcium carbonate at higher pH.
pH can be important, mostly at the low end below pH 7.8. That happens much less than half the time, so if more than half of people say they do not measure it or care about it, they are probably fine. But that does not mean everyone would be optimal at the native pH their system holds. At low enough pH, rock, sand, and coral skeletons can slowly dissolve.
At the high end, there’s no evidence that pH 8.4 is any concern. I’d push that high end to at least pH 8.55, with the primary drawback likely being more precipitation of calcium carbonate at higher pH.
