Alkalinity OK, pH low?

[Avp]

My alkalinity is at 9.4 and my pH is 8.05. Does anyone know what the problem might be? If I raise my alk more will it help much? I have a 55 gallon reef setup with pendant lights and a glass lid on the aquarium. Someone told me I shoild take the lid off and let the tank breathe more. Will that help the pH too?

 

[swissgaurd]

correct on the lid
actually i like your alk and ph readings

 

[foxhuntr]

i think you could raise both the PH and Alk alittle and still be alright...... just add some super buffer and both the levels will raise....but they look good as they are.....what time of day are you taking your readings ??? you should take them just before the lights go out for the night.....

 

[fishdoctor]

Avp, yes air flow around the aquarium will increase the ph as the proper gas exchange is able to take place and preventing the build up of co2 causing a drop to the ph. With more air flow around the aquarium, as in summer with windows and doors open and fans blowing you can expect ph to be a bit higher than normal and with the lids off a similar benefit is had, but watch the ph over the course of the day and check ph before lights come on and then right before they go off with lids on. If the difference is not more than .2 then that is normal and no cause for concern. Also your water perimeters of 9.4 and 8.05 are pretty good and also no cause for concern. Does the ph tend to be higher than 8.05 and is that why your worried or are you just not sure if it needs to be higher, in which case let it go down to 7.9 before you have any real concern about it and then just buffer ph. My ph is often 7.9 with lights off and 8.0-8.1 with my lights on and yes it a but low but all is well that is normal for my tank. Good luck.

 

[CJO]

The most likely cause for the lower pH is CO2 in the water. There are several ways you can help with it- run an airline from the outside to your skimmer air inlet, add a CO2 scrubber to the skimmer's air inlet (real easy to do) and/or use kalkwasser in your topoff water. Adding kalkwasser will raise your pH and calcium and also boost your alkalinity a little.

CJ

 

[blacktang]

yeah take the lid off,should see a diff within and hr.....also try letting some of the outside air in for fresh air lol...make a huge diff

 

[florida reef]

Also, when did you check your ph? It will always read low in the morning before lights come on.

 

[Avp]

Yeah...I checked the pH late morning. Should I not worry about the low pH in the mornings and just test later in the day?

 

[Troylee]

If it's holding steady don't worry about it honestly... My tank has ran from 7.9 to 8.4 and I never really saw any differences if it holds stable the tank will be fine... currently my tank runs at 8.03

 

[Anthony Calfo]

You are middle of the road (fine) on Alk, though it would be nice and have many benefits to be higher. pH is definitely flat...please work to get that higher. Agreed here too on the comments above about CO2, etc with one caveat: increasingf gas exchange and airflow will not help if the house or room this tank is in is so well insulated.

But to the point, you can easily test and confirm if accumulated CO2 in the house is your problem or not by taking a glass or small buket of aquarium water outside (or under a porch, garage if not well insulated, etc); test the pH of that sample water in the house and then outside after its been aerated for at least a few hours (6+ and not in full sun). If the pH raises after aeration, you likely have a CO2 problem. It really shouldn't raise.

If you determine that is your problem, one simply solution is to get a strong airpump (linear jobs or luft pump style) and pump air from a better ventilated place (luft pumps are for ponds and they are weather resistant...make a cover and you can keep them outside). The piped air can be injected into a skimmer venturi, bottom of a trickle filter (below the media but above the sump water level). Doping this will usually buy you at least a .2 increase on the pH scale.

 

[CJO]

If you determine that is your problem, one simply solution is to get a strong airpump (linear jobs or luft pump style) and pump air from a better ventilated place (luft pumps are for ponds and they are weather resistant...make a cover and you can keep them outside). The piped air can be injected into a skimmer venturi, bottom of a trickle filter (below the media but above the sump water level). Doping this will usually buy you at least a .2 increase on the pH scale.

Depending on how easy it is to get air from the outside (in my case my wife would kill me if I tried to drill a hole through the wall) or whether the CO2 level is better (many houses have a similar CO2 level immediately adjacent to them), you might want to consider a CO2 scrubber:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/57609-easy-way-increase-your-tanks-ph.html

CJ

 

[orthokardia]

Would more plants in the room help matters if CO2 is the problem?

 

[beaslbob]

My alkalinity is at 9.4 and my pH is 8.05. Does anyone know what the problem might be? If I raise my alk more will it help much? I have a 55 gallon reef setup with pendant lights and a glass lid on the aquarium. Someone told me I shoild take the lid off and let the tank breathe more. Will that help the pH too?

Depends on when you measured the pH. if just before light out then perhaps a little low. If just after lights then fine.

Increasing your algae (macros in a refugium or corraline on live rock) will increase the pH as the algae consumes the carbon dioxide.

my .02

 

[CJO]

Would more plants in the room help matters if CO2 is the problem?

I've never heard of anyone addressing it that way, but it should help. Especially if the CO2 is caused by the houshold inhabitants moreso than the inhabitants of the fish tank.

CJ

 

[maharsreef]

Buffer your top-off water, it works well for me. There is a thread about it on here somewhere. My tank seems happier since I've been buffering my top-off.