What's causing my ph to drop?

[glb]

Hello everyone. My 12g nano has difficulty maintaining ph. Water parameters are all normal. My alkalinity tests within the normal range. I add Seachem marine buffer to bring it up. I have only soft corals. Should I continue to raise the alkalinity until it stabilizes? How high can the alkalinity get before it causes a problem?


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish.

 

[duke4130]

PH is maintained by the holy trinity of reefing...ALK, CAL, MAG... You need to check all three and make sure that they are all at optimum levels. Also clean, water. If you have to much organic waste, that will also drop you PH

 

[Downbeach]

CO2 is the primary factor in maintaining pH. The use of pH buffers will get it up, but once the CO2 in your system reaches equilibrium, it will go back down.
What are your pH readings? It will normally change throughout the day, being lowest in the morning before your lights come on. For this reason, it's important to check it at the same time each day, usually in the AM. I would make sure there is sufficient gas exchange, either through surface agitation, via PH's, skimming, uncovering tank, etc. Opening some window's,if possible will help. As long as it's around 7.8 in the AM, and your Ca and Alk are in normal ranges, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[glb]

Oh good. It never gets below 7.8. I'm going to buy a monitor to make it easier to check.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish.

 

[beaslbob]

Always check pH just before lights out.

I recommend macro algaes (or an algae truf scrubber) to suck out the carbon dioxide and return oxygen each day. By doing that your pH will high just before lights out. Then if kH is a little low, the pH will drop down at night. At that point consider adding some baking soda to bring kH up and in addition start the diy two part system.

The pH low just before lights out is first fixed with plant life.


my .02

 

[46gReef]

As long as your KH is where it needs to be I wouldn't even worry about your pH, to be honest I haven't checked my pH in probably a year. It can fluctuate for many different reasons, trying to keep it constant will just drive you crazy!

 

[glb]

Is is better to keep the kh closer to the high end of the range? The range is 8-12.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[neuwave]

I use a CO2 scrubber to keep the ph up. Which allows me to keep my alk at any level without negative effects to any sensitive lps/softies. Stays 8.2 morning noon and night. Allowing me to keep a lower alk at 7-8 with lower nutrients without burning my corals.

 

[glb]

What's a CO scrubber? Forgive my ignorance but I'm new to reef tanks.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[neuwave]

What's a CO scrubber? Forgive my ignorance but I'm new to reef tanks.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

It's a air filter with sodalime media that absorbs CO2 before it goes into the skimmer. Reducing the amount of CO2 that mixes with your tank water. As your tank gets saturated with CO2 the PH drops and as it decreases the Ph goes up.

 

[glb]

Thanks!


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[Sleeperr34]

One trick a friend of mine did that worked great for him. His tank sits right up next to an outside wall and he drilled a small whole outside and ran the air hose to his skimmer outside so it sucks in from outside so that worked perfect for him at least.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP