Not satisfied with it at 8.0

da1jewfish · 09/25/2007, 03:24 PM

thats my pH, 8.0. I would rather it be at 8.2. All corals are good and fish are all doing well. If its not broke don't fix it... Is 8.0 ok, or will there be long-term effects from this?

lilchris · 09/25/2007, 03:29 PM

Actually 8.0 is a good range. Alot of people try their best to reach this range and cannot achieve this.
I will suggest to try to get some fresh air in the room that your tank is at.

da1jewfish · 09/25/2007, 03:32 PM

hmmm. what do you mean by fresh air? there is an ac unit right in front of the tank.

cook · 09/25/2007, 03:39 PM

Fresh from outside. Open a window every now and then. If that does not do it than your alk or mag is low.

mile sq. reefer · 09/25/2007, 03:44 PM

8.0 is fine. The PH fluctuates from day to night. Test for each period of the day to see where its at. Also if you top off with kalk it will help keep PH stable and even raise it a bit depending on how concentrated you make the top off. If you do add kalk it is best to drip it over night as the PH drops so it does not stress the tank.

My tank is anywhere from 8.0-8.2.

mg426 · 09/25/2007, 04:21 PM

What are you measuring your PH with ???

da1jewfish · 09/25/2007, 04:25 PM

interesting I've never heard of the fresh air deal. That will (could) raise the pH?

Brand new test kit- Red Sea

Trnman32 · 09/25/2007, 04:30 PM

to learn more about raising the ph check out the chemistry forum

LobsterOfJustice · 09/25/2007, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by da1jewfish
interesting I've never heard of the fresh air deal. That will (could) raise the pH?

Brand new test kit- Red Sea

CO2 can build up in your house with all the windows closed. CO2 lowers the pH of your tank. It's not really the fresh air that raises it, its the evacuation of CO2.

mg426 · 09/25/2007, 04:38 PM

Red sea are some of the worst Test kits that are available . IMO
You would be better served with a monitor.

m2434 · 09/25/2007, 06:01 PM

I've heard of tanks dropping into the 6's at night with no obvious effect. off by .2...

Roy G. Biv · 09/25/2007, 06:08 PM

I have to dose co2 into my tank. pH 8.6 if I let it go by itself. I have no co2 in my house, my wife keeps about 50 plants in here.

LobsterOfJustice · 09/25/2007, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by m2434
I've heard of tanks dropping into the 6's at night with no obvious effect. off by .2...

I seriously doubt that. Your sand, rock, and corals would be dissolving. Lowest I'm thinking is about 7.8.

lilchris · 09/25/2007, 06:38 PM

Actually, I Lobster of Justice is right. CO2 is what lowers ph. Opening a window allows the CO2 to escape. Also, I think the AC will raise CO2 in the room.

m2434 · 09/25/2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LobsterOfJustice
I seriously doubt that. Your sand, rock, and corals would be dissolving. Lowest I'm thinking is about 7.8.

A pH of 6.8 or 6.9 would be stressful surely, fatal? pH down to 7.8 is acceptable according to this article.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

And lower starting values will cause bigger swings, so a slightly low pH could potentially drop into the 6's. Remember the ph is only droping breifly at night (it would take a while to drop) and coming back up in the day. It certainly would not be worse than a freshwater dip... But I wouldn't really want to test it on my fish either!

sabbath · 09/25/2007, 08:02 PM

You should test ph before your lights come on and just before they start going off. (If you have more than one light timer)

That way you can see what yours is going up and down to.

IE. Click my red house to see how mine changes through out the day.

m2434 · 09/25/2007, 08:14 PM

sabbath thats AWSOME! I want something like that. What software/monitor are you using?

m2434 · 09/25/2007, 08:16 PM

I see Lighthouse Controller is that also the monitor/software?

Samper · 09/25/2007, 08:57 PM

Instead of opening a window which I do do from time to time I have ran an air line from my skimmer to the outside so that fresh air is continuously being injected into the skimmer chamber. It works great but you have to be careful if you spray any sort of chemicals or pesticides outside your home. If you do run the line inside when you do this for a day or so. It's also a good idea to attach a carbon filter to the airline just in case.

da1jewfish · 09/25/2007, 09:29 PM

I'll definetly give that a shot tomorrow. I do have a 20l tank full of algae, that should help out right? at least in the daylight hours of photsynthesis.
I'll have to test pH morning and night to see the fluctuations.

da1jewfish · 09/25/2007, 09:30 PM

I'll definetly give that a shot tomorrow. I do have a 20l tank full of macro algae, that should help out right? at least in the daylight hours of photsynthesis.
I'll have to test pH morning and night to see the fluctuations.

thanks all

sabbath · 09/26/2007, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by m2434
I see Lighthouse Controller is that also the monitor/software?

You are seeing the Lighthouse software that comes with it. You can use your own If you want. I usually view it with a yahoo widget that comes up on the desk top.

cook · 09/26/2007, 06:49 AM

Run your photoperiod at night on the algae when the display is off.

09/25/2007, 03:24 PM	#1
da1jewfish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: West Palm, FL Posts: 990	Not satisfied with it at 8.0 thats my pH, 8.0. I would rather it be at 8.2. All corals are good and fish are all doing well. If its not broke don't fix it... Is 8.0 ok, or will there be long-term effects from this?

09/25/2007, 04:21 PM	#6
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	What are you measuring your PH with ??? __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/25/2007, 04:38 PM	#10
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Red sea are some of the worst Test kits that are available . IMO You would be better served with a monitor. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/25/2007, 06:01 PM	#11
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	I've heard of tanks dropping into the 6's at night with no obvious effect. off by .2... __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

09/25/2007, 08:14 PM	#17
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	sabbath thats AWSOME! I want something like that. What software/monitor are you using? __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

09/25/2007, 03:29 PM	#2
lilchris Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 984	Actually 8.0 is a good range. Alot of people try their best to reach this range and cannot achieve this. I will suggest to try to get some fresh air in the room that your tank is at.

09/25/2007, 03:32 PM	#3
da1jewfish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: West Palm, FL Posts: 990	hmmm. what do you mean by fresh air? there is an ac unit right in front of the tank.

09/25/2007, 03:39 PM	#4
cook Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Harmony,fl Posts: 1,292	Fresh from outside. Open a window every now and then. If that does not do it than your alk or mag is low.

09/25/2007, 03:44 PM	#5
mile sq. reefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 2,045	8.0 is fine. The PH fluctuates from day to night. Test for each period of the day to see where its at. Also if you top off with kalk it will help keep PH stable and even raise it a bit depending on how concentrated you make the top off. If you do add kalk it is best to drip it over night as the PH drops so it does not stress the tank. My tank is anywhere from 8.0-8.2.

09/25/2007, 04:25 PM	#7
da1jewfish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: West Palm, FL Posts: 990	interesting I've never heard of the fresh air deal. That will (could) raise the pH? Brand new test kit- Red Sea

09/25/2007, 04:30 PM	#8
Trnman32 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Yulee,just north of jville Posts: 189	to learn more about raising the ph check out the chemistry forum

09/25/2007, 06:08 PM	#12
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	I have to dose co2 into my tank. pH 8.6 if I let it go by itself. I have no co2 in my house, my wife keeps about 50 plants in here.

09/25/2007, 06:38 PM	#14
lilchris Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 984	Actually, I Lobster of Justice is right. CO2 is what lowers ph. Opening a window allows the CO2 to escape. Also, I think the AC will raise CO2 in the room.

09/25/2007, 08:02 PM	#16
sabbath Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Twin City's Mn. Posts: 1,771	You should test ph before your lights come on and just before they start going off. (If you have more than one light timer) That way you can see what yours is going up and down to. IE. Click my red house to see how mine changes through out the day.

09/25/2007, 08:16 PM	#18
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	I see Lighthouse Controller is that also the monitor/software? __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

09/25/2007, 08:57 PM	#19
Samper Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ar Posts: 119	Instead of opening a window which I do do from time to time I have ran an air line from my skimmer to the outside so that fresh air is continuously being injected into the skimmer chamber. It works great but you have to be careful if you spray any sort of chemicals or pesticides outside your home. If you do run the line inside when you do this for a day or so. It's also a good idea to attach a carbon filter to the airline just in case. __________________ Keep your heart pure conceive your own dreams, respect your fellow man the earth and the trees.

09/25/2007, 09:29 PM	#20
da1jewfish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: West Palm, FL Posts: 990	I'll definetly give that a shot tomorrow. I do have a 20l tank full of algae, that should help out right? at least in the daylight hours of photsynthesis. I'll have to test pH morning and night to see the fluctuations.

09/25/2007, 09:30 PM	#21
da1jewfish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: West Palm, FL Posts: 990	I'll definetly give that a shot tomorrow. I do have a 20l tank full of macro algae, that should help out right? at least in the daylight hours of photsynthesis. I'll have to test pH morning and night to see the fluctuations. thanks all

09/26/2007, 06:49 AM	#23
cook Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Harmony,fl Posts: 1,292	Run your photoperiod at night on the algae when the display is off.