Whats your take on PH
- Thread starter Duffer
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Retro Reefer
Slow and steady wins the race!
I never chase PH however I will try to determine if something is out of line with my system if I have abnormal readings.
Thales
Valuable Member
Not much you can really do about it imo. Kalk for pH can cause all kinds of issues with the amount dosed. Other buffers often result in pH swings. Outside air bubbling in your skimmer or sump is a no brainer if you can do it (there could be heat issues depending on where you live). CO2 scrubbers work.
It depends on what you level is.
It depends on what you level is.
Thales
Valuable Member
Fast pH swings from the temporary boost from the Kalk. You can also precipitate calcium carbonate. It used to be the thing to dose kalk at night, but I think that mostly fell away when we realized that pH is supposed to cycle. How much is you pH changing at night to make you want to dose Kalk to correct it?
Thales
Valuable Member
Buffers don't work very well in saltwater and often have a bounce effect. Bubbling outside air is cheap, easy and safe. Adding buffers opens you up to all kinds of potential problems such as bounces, overdosing, 'snow storms' and chasing numbers.
Thales
Valuable Member
"Buffers alone are not generally a good method for raising (or lowering) pH because they raise (or lower) pH relatively little, and often result in excessive alkalinity. Unfortunately, the labels on many commercial buffers are written in ways that convince aquarists that their pH will be fine if they just add some buffer. More often than not, the pH is not improved for more than a day, and the alkalinity rises above desired limits."
www.reef2reef.com
pH And The Reef Aquarium
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...
www.reef2reef.com
Phildago
Well-Known Member
I have no concern with pH because of the amount of carbonate buffer in the tank. It seems like trying to change the pH would be extremely difficult and that probably, without the addition of other buffers, the change would be very short lived and could have negative effects.
I don't want to call it a fools errand because you certainly would not be a fool if you're able to accurately modify pH like that, but I think it could be really sketchy if you're not taking accurate measurements very often or automating the process.
I don't want to call it a fools errand because you certainly would not be a fool if you're able to accurately modify pH like that, but I think it could be really sketchy if you're not taking accurate measurements very often or automating the process.
Tastee
Valuable Member
I run an outside airline to my skimmer as the pH was diving < 8 occasionally - overnight and especially when we had people over and all congregating in the room with the tank. It didn’t change pH significantly but did help with the nightly drop and certainly when guests are over. In my case a simple modification and one I’ll use again in my planned 2nd tank. This is all just a function of CO2 volume in the room the tank is in. In my FW tank I keep an eye on pH, for SW it‘s Alk.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I have no problem with people chasing pH as long as they don't do it with chemical additions. Not saying it can't be done, I just don't advise it. For instance, I do use Kalk to get a pH boost. I add 1.4L of fully saturated kalk via a dosing pump per day, spread out over 70 doses per day. This way the impact on both alkalinity and pH is very steady.
If you want to chase pH (to me, chasing implies some form of recklessness) then do it by trying to adjust the CO2 component. I do run an airline outside from my skimmer and I have also used a CO2 scrubber. I found the CO2 scrubber to be more expensive and labor intensive to continue use for no visible benefit.
If you want to chase pH (to me, chasing implies some form of recklessness) then do it by trying to adjust the CO2 component. I do run an airline outside from my skimmer and I have also used a CO2 scrubber. I found the CO2 scrubber to be more expensive and labor intensive to continue use for no visible benefit.
That´s what we think at least but controlled experiment that i have been a part of (unpublished for the moment) indicate something else. There seems to be a "sweet point" around 8.1 - 8.15 there the calcification rate and CO2 concentrations in the water seems to be optimal for growth of at least hystrix and montipora sp. This is also in line with experiences with aquarium with calcium reactors and growth - they often operate between 7.9 and 8.2
"Buffers alone are not generally a good method for raising (or lowering) pH because they raise (or lower) pH relatively little, and often result in excessive alkalinity. Unfortunately, the labels on many commercial buffers are written in ways that convince aquarists that their pH will be fine if they just add some buffer. More often than not, the pH is not improved for more than a day, and the alkalinity rises above desired limits."
pH And The Reef Aquarium
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...
I both agree and disagree. If you use some type of additives and use Na2CO3 instead of NaHCO3 as alkalinity part - you can easily hinder a too low dip during night time. This graph shows my aquarium the last days. The sawtooth graph between 20:00 and 12:00 is caused by my just adding my Core 7 3a + b between these times. It also show - IMO - the most important reason to general pH drip (or low maximal top) Around 16;00 yesterday . two of my grandchildren show up - and they are still here
djray77
Valuable Member
Adding a co2 scrubber has been the best thing I did, I know they say don't chase numbers but I feel that PH is one I will chase. There has been a definite increase in growth since I got my PH up to 8.2-8.3. BRS did a video on it, after watching that I got a co2 scrubber and glad I did. just my $.02 I found this is a better source for sodalime and cheaper.
I have got multiple bags from BRS that didn't work, didn't change color or anything. just an FYi.
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