Level up: What do you do to change the pH levels in your tank?

[zoomonster]

Yeah, I do have macro in the refugium section mostly for the purpose of nutrient reduction. However, I do run the fuge lights overnight so yes it affects PH. My running PH average is 8.38 and the min is 8.3. I've had a couple odd spikes that raised the max to 8.49. Probably about time to recalibrate the probe or cut the night light cycle. Other than that, never done anything to raise or lower PH. Also of note is the fact I run a CaRx.

 

[BigBabich]

Where's the "I wait until morning and the lights to come back on" option?

 

[nereefpat]

Where's the "I wait until morning and the lights to come back on" option?

Option F: "I don’t do anything to change my pH"

 

[AstroCoral]

I just let my pH go for the most part, I dose AFR daily which helps with buffering. I have a CO2 scrubber plumbed into my upflow algae scrubber tubing but I haven’t filled it with any soda lime yet - this winter I might as we rarely open the windows for several months.

 

[Sump Crab]

I have never once, in 18 years of keeping reefs, tested my tanks PH.

 

[X-37B]

I just let my pH go for the most part, I dose AFR daily which helps with buffering. I have a CO2 scrubber plumbed into my upflow algae scrubber tubing but I haven’t filled it with any soda lime yet - this winter I might as we rarely open the windows for several months.

Have you ever checked the ph of A4R? I get a ph of 7.2.
I dose 2x a day by hand 17ml. Its low enough to drop the tanks ph by .2. It recovers in an hour. Tanks only 20g's.

Ph on my 3 systems run 7.7-8.2, nite day cycle.
I dose A4R in one system, esv 2 part in one, and Carx in the other.
Ph is the same on all systems as my house is close up tight in the summer. If I open the door at night once it cools down ph will be .2 points higher. Days will go to 8.3 too.

 

[mfinn]

At first I voted the I don't do anything to change my ph, but then remembered that I do run a reverse daylight schedule on my refugium, so changed my vote to the refugium option.
For the most part the ph is where it is.

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

I add Seachem's Reef Builder & Reef Buffer

 

[Gtinnel]

I run an outside airline that also goes through a co2 scrubber to my skimmer, I run a refugium with chaeto, and I dose a solution that contains some sodium hydroxide to maintain my alkalinity.
So other than my alkalinity supplement isn’t kalk but an equally high pH additive I kinda do all of the things on the list.

 

[JMello]

I struggle to keep mine above 7.8 I had it around 8.-8.3 for a short time.

I run a CO2 scrubber mounted outside pulling outside air with a recirculatory on my skinner. I also hooked up a kalkwasser unit to run off my ROI on a timer once every two hours but it was over filling my sump and only got to 8.3 So I put it in the sump to just pull sump water and run it through the kallwasher. Currently it will hover between 7.8-8.0. I test the PH with 3 different units and they are all with in the same range. Not sure what else I can do to fix it?

 

[scardall]

When ph is off I check my Alk.

 

[Freenow54]

I have never worried until I smell it when it is high Then I add media to lower it. I now wonder how detrimental it is to have it low. The only coral I have trouble seeing growth is my leathers. Is this why?

 

[Seansea]

Have you ever checked the ph of A4R? I get a ph of 7.2.
I dose 2x a day by hand 17ml. Its low enough to drop the tanks ph by .2. It recovers in an hour. Tanks only 20g's.

Ph on my 3 systems run 7.7-8.2, nite day cycle.
I dose A4R in one system, esv 2 part in one, and Carx in the other.
Ph is the same on all systems as my house is close up tight in the summer. If I open the door at night once it cools down ph will be .2 points higher. Days will go to 8.3 too.

This is interesting. I dose A4R and never checked the ph of the solution. My tank has stayed 8.1 for 7 months no matter the time of day or night then out of blue a couple weeks back it dropped to 7.9. Suspected A4R might have been dropping it. But its back to 8.1 as of couple days ago. The only thing for ph i have is the algae scrubber which i was guessing was the steady 8.1 ph. Would prefer 8.3 tbh as that is natural sea water and people with higher ph claim good growth.

On a side note everyone claims your houses co2 with the windows closed causes ph sinks. I have to leave my house closed all times of the year here in michigan because of my wife and daughters allergies. But a month ago in low allergy season i opened the windows for a few days to sea what it dis to my tank. Did extensive testing of my tanks ph over those days which is right next to a window and saw no ph change. Just stayed 8.1 no matter when tested. Is the co2 effect overrated?

Might try kalk with the Afr and see what happens. Or maybe just get a co2 scrubber just to see if it has some effect.

 

[doubleshot00]

I had a constant 7.7-7.9 and wanted more. Tried a recirculating co2 scrubber and now now it’s never under 8.1 and a high of 8.5-8.6. I change the media every 2-3 weeks.

 

[X-37B]

This is interesting. I dose A4R and never checked the ph of the solution. My tank has stayed 8.1 for 7 months no matter the time of day or night then out of blue a couple weeks back it dropped to 7.9. Suspected A4R might have been dropping it. But its back to 8.1 as of couple days ago. The only thing for ph i have is the algae scrubber which i was guessing was the steady 8.1 ph. Would prefer 8.3 tbh as that is natural sea water and people with higher ph claim good growth.

On a side note everyone claims your houses co2 with the windows closed causes ph sinks. I have to leave my house closed all times of the year here in michigan because of my wife and daughters allergies. But a month ago in low allergy season i opened the windows for a few days to sea what it dis to my tank. Did extensive testing of my tanks ph over those days which is right next to a window and saw no ph change. Just stayed 8.1 no matter when tested. Is the co2 effect overrated?

Might try kalk with the Afr and see what happens. Or maybe just get a co2 scrubber just to see if it has some effect.

Co2 will vary house to house and tank to tank. I have used a co2 scrubber on a small nano but burned through alot of media so stopped. Ph was higner but growth did not change.
I have an IceCap scrubber still in the box.
My ph can be 7.6 some mornings with the ac running all night.
I have never had an issue with growth.
The ocean has a day night ph cycle so trying to keep ph 8.3 makes no sense to me.
Again my ph runs 7.7 to 8.1.
This is why I have never bought into the need to adjust ph.
My tanks are low nutrient and run an alk of 7.
This is 14 months growth and typical of what I get running my current ph levels.

 

[Azael]

I just started to test my ph and it is a little low. Until now I never did anything to change my ph.