Low PH, should I try and correct?

Capsle · 08/13/2016, 11:35 AM

Hey reefers,

So I've been reading about PH and how you shouldn't necessarily worry about it if Alk and CA are good.

My PH is now 7.7, Alk 10.5 and CA 410 before this mornings water change. Will measure again in a few hours.

I just hooked up a fresh air intake to my skimmer and opened my windows in the basement. I will test again when I get home this evening.

Just wondering if I should be worried about the PH?

I tested freshly mixed SW on 2 different occasions 8.2 & 8.4.

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anthonys51 · 08/13/2016, 12:15 PM

what you did should be good enough. dont try adding buffers , they just do more harm then good. just get more fresh air into your tank

gone fishin · 08/13/2016, 02:25 PM

I agree do not use pH buffers you will only end up chasing your tail.

Just out of curiosity are checking pH at the same time of the day. There are a variety of factors that affect pH but, in our tanks it is mostly CO2 related. This is one of those things that I replied about earlier. Your tank is maturing and will find its own groove. FWIW last time I checked my pH it was about 7.8. Good luck just my two cents.

Capsle · 08/13/2016, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

I agree do not use pH buffers you will only end up chasing your tail.

Just out of curiosity are checking pH at the same time of the day. There are a variety of factors that affect pH but, in our tanks it is mostly CO2 related. This is one of those things that I replied about earlier. Your tank is maturing and will find its own groove. FWIW last time I checked my pH it was about 7.8. Good luck just my two cents.

I've been checking PH randomly throughout the days. It's usually stable and I see 7.8-7.9.

I got a little worried when I checked it today and say 7.7.

Using a digital PH gauge.

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gone fishin · 08/13/2016, 03:23 PM

I was just curious, pH has a tendency to fluctuate through the day into night time.

Sk8r · 08/13/2016, 03:46 PM

Ph generally isn't something we much track: my meter doesn't even have batteries. OTOH, if you persist in having low ph for a season (a shut up house and a furnace can affect it) you may need some remedy: watch it for a while. If it hovers in that territory but often hits 7.9 it's perfectly normal.

Capsle · 08/13/2016, 06:49 PM

Well a few hours with the windows open and Skimmer air inlet connected to a outside air I'm up to 8.1.

I guess having the house closed up for the last month running the A/C had a pretty big effect.

I never thought that would change the chemistry in my tank!

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gone fishin · 08/14/2016, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capsle

Well a few hours with the windows open and Skimmer air inlet connected to a outside air I'm up to 8.1.

I guess having the house closed up for the last month running the A/C had a pretty big effect.

I never thought that would change the chemistry in my tank!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I lived in Connecticut my tank was on the main floor and my pH stayed consistently higher than now. Here in Wisconsin my tank is in a room in the basement and my pH has always been lower due to the air exchange in the house and the location of the tank. On the plus side my tank temp stays more consistent with the tank in the basement room. Also GHA has not been as much of an issue. I attribute that to less sunlight than when the tank was on the main floor in the Connecticut house. Just a few observations.

abenak89 · 08/14/2016, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

When I lived in Connecticut my tank was on the main floor and my pH stayed consistently higher than now. Here in Wisconsin my tank is in a room in the basement and my pH has always been lower due to the air exchange in the house and the location of the tank. On the plus side my tank temp stays more consistent with the tank in the basement room. Also GHA has not been as much of an issue. I attribute that to less sunlight than when the tank was on the main floor in the Connecticut house. Just a few observations.

Sorry to thread jack but where abouts in WI? I am in Oshkosh and am putting my 120g together just bought kt and moved it here from a guy in appleton. My ph is a little low too but been rising a hair.

gone fishin · 08/14/2016, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abenak89

Sorry to thread jack but where abouts in WI? I am in Oshkosh and am putting my 120g together just bought kt and moved it here from a guy in appleton. My ph is a little low too but been rising a hair.

I'm in the little town of Wyocena, near Portage. It is about 35 miles north of Madison.

Congrats on the tank. good luck with the build.

hkgar · 08/14/2016, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capsle

Well a few hours with the windows open and Skimmer air inlet connected to a outside air I'm up to 8.1.

I guess having the house closed up for the last month running the A/C had a pretty big effect.

I never thought that would change the chemistry in my tank!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, it is called CO2. Fresh air will take care of it. I use a CO2 scrubber because I cannot get fresh air to the sump.

abenak89 · 08/14/2016, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

I'm in the little town of Wyocena, near Portage. It is about 35 miles north of Madison.

Congrats on the tank. good luck with the build.

Thanks man! Appreciate it!

Capsle · 08/14/2016, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkgar

Yup, it is called CO2. Fresh air will take care of it. I use a CO2 scrubber because I cannot get fresh air to the sump.

I will probably have to set that up for the winter as it gets friken cold here!

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hkgar · 08/14/2016, 02:52 PM

Before I moved my sump to the basement, I did run a 1/2 inch OD tube to the outside through a small hole and connected to the air intake on my skimmer..

AlSimmons · 08/14/2016, 03:40 PM

Do you have any corals in your tank yet? If so, how do they look? If all is well I wouldn't worry about your pH. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.

FWIW it's been at least a decade since I've checked my pH.

Capsle · 08/14/2016, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlSimmons

Do you have any corals in your tank yet? If so, how do they look? If all is well I wouldn't worry about your pH. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.

FWIW it's been at least a decade since I've checked my pH.

I don't have any corals in the tank yet. I have 1 small frag of Zoas with maybe 8-10 polyps on it. They seem to be more opened since PH went up but honestly not a huge difference. It could just be my imagination.

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MiataRacer · 08/15/2016, 04:29 PM

My pH in my tank has continually measured 8.0. Even though it's a little on the low side, my tank inhabitants seem unaffected by it. Everything I've read says consistency matters more than chasing pH values.

08/13/2016, 11:35 AM	#1
Capsle Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 385	Low PH, should I try and correct? Hey reefers, So I've been reading about PH and how you shouldn't necessarily worry about it if Alk and CA are good. My PH is now 7.7, Alk 10.5 and CA 410 before this mornings water change. Will measure again in a few hours. I just hooked up a fresh air intake to my skimmer and opened my windows in the basement. I will test again when I get home this evening. Just wondering if I should be worried about the PH? I tested freshly mixed SW on 2 different occasions 8.2 & 8.4. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Caps Current Tank Info: 65G DT with custom overflow, 35G custom sump, maxspect R420r 180w 15K, reef octopus classic 150 skimmer.

08/13/2016, 02:25 PM	#3
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I agree do not use pH buffers you will only end up chasing your tail. Just out of curiosity are checking pH at the same time of the day. There are a variety of factors that affect pH but, in our tanks it is mostly CO2 related. This is one of those things that I replied about earlier. Your tank is maturing and will find its own groove. FWIW last time I checked my pH it was about 7.8. Good luck just my two cents. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

08/13/2016, 03:23 PM	#5
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I was just curious, pH has a tendency to fluctuate through the day into night time. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

08/13/2016, 03:46 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Ph generally isn't something we much track: my meter doesn't even have batteries. OTOH, if you persist in having low ph for a season (a shut up house and a furnace can affect it) you may need some remedy: watch it for a while. If it hovers in that territory but often hits 7.9 it's perfectly normal. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/13/2016, 06:49 PM	#7
Capsle Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 385	Well a few hours with the windows open and Skimmer air inlet connected to a outside air I'm up to 8.1. I guess having the house closed up for the last month running the A/C had a pretty big effect. I never thought that would change the chemistry in my tank! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Caps Current Tank Info: 65G DT with custom overflow, 35G custom sump, maxspect R420r 180w 15K, reef octopus classic 150 skimmer.

08/13/2016, 12:15 PM	#2
anthonys51 Registered Member. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kings Park, NY Posts: 2,789	what you did should be good enough. dont try adding buffers , they just do more harm then good. just get more fresh air into your tank

08/14/2016, 02:52 PM	#14
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	Before I moved my sump to the basement, I did run a 1/2 inch OD tube to the outside through a small hole and connected to the air intake on my skimmer.. __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

08/14/2016, 03:40 PM	#15
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	Do you have any corals in your tank yet? If so, how do they look? If all is well I wouldn't worry about your pH. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. FWIW it's been at least a decade since I've checked my pH.

08/15/2016, 04:29 PM	#17
MiataRacer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 56	My pH in my tank has continually measured 8.0. Even though it's a little on the low side, my tank inhabitants seem unaffected by it. Everything I've read says consistency matters more than chasing pH values. __________________ Sumpless 40B Reef