PH and refugiums

[JsLevine]

a tone of advice out there says how a refugium will boost ph in a reef tank. I wanted to see if anyone has ever experienced the opposite of this. l am thinking my refugium was so dirty that it actually lowered the ph of the tank. The walls of the fuge had gha and not the best turnover of the good algae, was very much alive and I had to harvest it every now and then just dirty. I am just putting this out there because I know I am not alone when it comes to dirty refugium.


The refugium was taken out of the sump completely on the 10th I have changed nothing else recently.

 

[cloak]

Do you think you can achieve the same results without the refugium? Addition by subtraction?

 

[Formulator]

Were you running the fuge lights on opposite schedule to the display?

 

[JsLevine]

Were you running the fuge lights on opposite schedule to the display?

Yes I was running it opposite of the normal lights

 

[JsLevine]

I’m more just trying to point out that if you don’t have perfectly maintained clean refugium it might be hurting more than it helping at least according to my results.

 

[Formulator]

This is interesting. I’m at a loss to explain this one TBH. Looking closer at the graph, it does look like the fuge reduced your day/night variation, but its weird that the pH went up with removing it.

 

[Formulator]

I’m more just trying to point out that if you don’t have perfectly maintained clean refugium it might be hurting more than it helping at least according to my results.

Mine is pretty dirty and I don’t think it is hurting my pH. Do you have any theories on how the “dirtiness” would affect pH?

 

[JsLevine]

Mine is pretty dirty and I don’t think it is hurting my pH. Do you have any theories on how the “dirtiness” would affect pH?

well if you have Tank that dirty and stuff is breaking down it lowers ph is my understanding. So I’m just assuming the dark parts of the fuge that had die off or just detritus maybe lowered it.

 

[PharmrJohn]

This is interesting. I’m at a loss to explain this one TBH. Looking closer at the graph, it does look like the fuge reduced your day/night variation, but its weird that the pH went up with removing it.

Isn't it though! I'd really like to know the chemistry behind this! Maybe a Bacterial bloom? That would lower pH......

 

[Formulator]

Perhaps if there is a ton of decaying matter the added ammonia source was acting to decrease pH. I think there is a net increase in H+ in the nitrogen cycle which would lower pH. But I never would have imagined it could be such a large impact! Cool science

 

[JsLevine]

Isn't it though! I'd really like to know the chemistry behind this! Maybe a Bacterial bloom? That would lower pH......

Well I can’t complain it went up but yes I’m confused that’s why I’m trying to see if anyone else has ever done this and seen it happen.

I wonder how many people are told just start a fuge it will help and in the long run it hurts. Or am I just the anomaly

 

[PharmrJohn]

I think you're the exception to the rule lol! Be proud! It's great to be different!