Light intensity and PH

[Heabel7]

Wasn’t sure to post here or lighting forum.

Due to slow growth and some corals that I moved to the bottom of my tank starting to lose color I have raised my intensity of my lights by 10%. My PH increase from 8.37 average to 8.42 in just one day. Incredible immediate change.
1. Do you think that is mostly algae or coral contribution?
2. As long as PH is increasing does that mean I have not reached photo inhibition?
Terrible photo I took about 2 months ago just before lights out. but you can see the size of my colonies and all my baby sticks. Bare rock portions are 70% covered in 1mm red turf algae. Can’t seem to beat it down.10% green algae rest bare/coralline.

 

[saltyfins]

Wasn’t sure to post here or lighting forum.

Due to slow growth and some corals that I moved to the bottom of my tank starting to lose color I have raised my intensity of my lights by 10%. My PH increase from 3.7 average to 4.2 in just one day. Incredible immediate change.
1. Do you think that is mostly algae or coral contribution?
2. As long as PH is increasing does that mean I have not reached photo inhibition?
Terrible photo I took about 2 months ago just before lights out. but you can see the size of my colonies and all my baby sticks. Bare rock portions are 70% covered in 1mm red turf algae. Can’t seem to beat it down.10% green algae rest bare/coralline.

Ph should be no less than 7.8 and that's not good...aim for 8.0-8.3 that's a good healthy range. do you run a skimmer? if no, maybe you could? that'll help. what are your parameters? this is a good group, and we can help but you wont get much perhaps, without knowing all that other good stuff
Alk?
Mag?
Ca?
N03?
P04?
Nitrates?
how old is the tank?

Start there :)

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Suggest to re-take the Ph test with another test kit. Its impossible for the ph to be that low, thats less than brackish water.

 

[Heabel7]

Suggest to re-take the Ph test with another test kit. It’s impossible for the ph to be that low, thats less than brackish water.

Whoops. Should have been 8.37 peak on average to 8.42 after increased lights 10%
Over night drop is 8.15.

 

[Acrofiend]

I’ve noticed the same change. Although I do notice a point where my pH levels out so I’d assume that’s when they reach photoinhibition?

 

[Jekyl]

Age of tank? Lighting being used? Other parameters?

 

[Heabel7]

6 years. 90 gallon reefbreeders 48”
Usual parameters
8.0 dkh
450 cal
1350 mag
10 nitrate
.01 phosphate

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't think anyone can say with much accuracy how much of the rise in pH from increased photosynthesis is from what types of organisms in the tank. :)

 

[Heabel7]

Yea. Just hoping I wasn’t just fueling algae more than my corals. Or better to say hoping the added light energy goes to my corals out competing the algae. Time will tell. My PH got to 8.46 and only dropped to 8.26 overnight. That should help growth and health quite a bit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yea. Just hoping I wasn’t just fueling algae more than my corals. Or better to say hoping the added light energy goes to my corals out competing the algae. Time will tell. My PH got to 8.46 and only dropped to 8.26 overnight. That should help growth and health quite a bit.

At least some folks find that increased lighting results in increased algae issues, but not all, and obviously that is tank dependent.

let us know how things go. :)