Macroalgae & pH

[johnnyphish]

Curious whether macroalgae can help raise/stabilize saltwater pH? My thinking is that macroalgae consumes, among other things, carbon dioxide which would tend to raise the pH. Does this make any sense? Thanks!

 

[Subsea]

Curious whether macroalgae can help raise/stabilize saltwater pH? My thinking is that macroalgae consumes, among other things, carbon dioxide which would tend to raise the pH. Does this make any sense? Thanks!

Welcome to the hobby and the forum.

All photosynthetic organisms, coral & algae, consume carbon dioxide and give off oxygen when lights are on. Two things help stabilize pH in reef aquarium: alkalinity bufferring & an algae filter with opposite lite cycle.

On one IndoPacific reef, pH fluctuated from 8:6 to 7.7. Upon an in depth study, low oxygen and not low pH contributed to declining coral.