pH and Alk help

[aaron186]

I have a ~100 gal tank that is about 5 months old without coral yet. I have dry Marco rock and ocean direct special grade sand. I’m using Tropic Marin Pro salt. My parameters without dosing is 7.7 DkH and 400 calcium at 35 ppt. No lights or coralline on the tank yet

My pH via apex and confirmed with Salifert is about 7.5. I’m running a refugium at night without much change. I added a recirculating CO2 scrubber and raised the pH to 7.8. Im using a RO Elite 150sss skimmer with the air on lowest setting to get a skim that doesn’t overflow tank (I have a filter roller on tank too). I bought a recirculating lid and have it connected to a BRS scrubber.

I then corrected the Alkalinity to 9 with BRS soda ash and I’m now sitting at about 8.1 pH

Should I raise my DKH to 10 to try to chase that 8.2-8.3 target of pH? Is there a better way to do it?

 

[CasperOe]

I have a ~100 gal tank that is about 5 months old without coral yet. I have dry Marco rock and ocean direct special grade sand. I’m using Tropic Marin Pro salt. My parameters without dosing is 7.7 DkH and 400 calcium at 35 ppt. No lights or coralline on the tank yet

My pH via apex and confirmed with Salifert is about 7.5. I’m running a refugium at night without much change. I added a recirculating CO2 scrubber and raised the pH to 7.8. Im using a RO Elite 150sss skimmer with the air on lowest setting to get a skim that doesn’t overflow tank (I have a filter roller on tank too). I bought a recirculating lid and have it connected to a BRS scrubber.

I then corrected the Alkalinity to 9 with BRS soda ash and I’m now sitting at about 8.1 pH

Should I raise my DKH to 10 to try to chase that 8.2-8.3 target of pH? Is there a better way to do it?

Stay where you are, alk 9 and 8.1 is perfectly fine! Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt is sitting at about alk 7.5 if i remember correctly.

Don't chase pH! Good things will happen, just have patience!

 

[Troylee]

I’d stay 7-9 dkh and let the ph fall where it does.. opening a door or window helps tremendously without dosing anything..

 

[aaron186]

I’d stay 7-9 dkh and let the ph fall where it does.. opening a door or window helps tremendously without dosing anything..

I live in Florida so it becomes kinda expensive to leave the window open in the summer but I have a huge slider near the tank. I didn’t notice much of a bump with it open

 

[CasperOe]

I live in Florida so it becomes kinda expensive to leave the window open in the summer but I have a huge slider near the tank. I didn’t notice much of a bump with it open

Then let pH be pH Reefers have been successful since long before it was fashionable to chase or even elevate this.

If you want to go with the Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt, try and keep alkalinity at the same level as the salt mix. Your pH will be whatever it is. Mine is sitting between 7.9 - 8.2 (with alk of 7.5 - 8) with the same salt with just a 'normal' Octo 150 skimmer.

I am dosing Triton Core/7.

I live in Scotland- trust me; my windows are rarely open

 

[Troylee]

I live in Florida so it becomes kinda expensive to leave the window open in the summer but I have a huge slider near the tank. I didn’t notice much of a bump with it open

I feel your pain! I’m in Vegas lol.. I punched a hole in my wall and ran my skimmer line outside it does help but opening my door for awhile is the best ph I’ll ever see!