pH Nano Tank Help

MB_Reef · Mar 17, 2023

I have a 10g nano tank about 2 months old.

Livestock:
Multiple Frags of Zoa
Duncan,
birdsnest
Silver Fox Favites
WWC plesiastrea
neon goni
2 Clowns
Mix CUC

I am struggling with raising pH and from my research, I have limited options to raise it. The tank has a Marineland HOB 125 filter with the marineland activated carbon cartriges and some filter pads that I replace every few days. I am in the Midwest so no I can't get fresh air from outside with how cold it is.

My other parameters are great. Don't remember the exact numbers of them but I have had them checked with my API test kit and LFS's hannah checker and everything is great.

I do a weekly water change, fresh salt water (IO Reef Crystals) has a pH of 8.2. Perfect. However, soon after adding to my display tank, it has a pH of 7.8. The good thing is that the pH seems insanely stable at 7.8. I have checked at different times of the day and always get 7.8. However, from watching BRS's podcast on pH, I know how detrimental this low of a pH can be to coral health and growth.

What are my options for fixing this issue? I know I may be chasing numbers a little bit and I have been told to just let it be, but I am wanting to get this tank perfect. I am okay with having to dose often if that is my only option. The only issue with his is that dosing for pH usually raises alkalinity (again, from my own research, correct me if I'm wrong) and this morning my alkalinity was 10. Don't think we want to go much higher than that. If I remember correctly calcium was in mid 400s, Nitrates 5-10, phosphate reads 0 on API but would most likely be slightly higher with a better test, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and Magnesium was good, I want to say it was 1300-1400?

Advice is very much appreciated.

FYI: Telling me my tank is too new for some of the corals is not helpful. I have been told this already and am now just doing my best to keep everything healthy. Besides the Goni, everything looks amazing, but absolutely no growth within the past 6 weeks of having the corals.

Thanks!

glb · Mar 18, 2023

I’d consider a Co2 scrubber if you can fit on in your setup. You add it so the air going into your skimmer is scrubbed of Co2. OTOH, a ph of 7.8 isn’t terrible. IMO it would be better to keep the ph more steady rather than try to raise it quickly by adding something. A stable alk is way more important to your corals than ph. Hope this help!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 18, 2023

BRS opinions aside, a pH of 7.8 is OK, but will have slower growth of certain hard corals than at higher pH. Whether you want to raise it is a different question.

How are you measuring pH?

The alkalintiy matters for pH. What is it and are you adding anything to maintain it?

MB_Reef · Mar 20, 2023

glb said:
I’d consider a Co2 scrubber if you can fit on in your setup. You add it so the air going into your skimmer is scrubbed of Co2. OTOH, a ph of 7.8 isn’t terrible. IMO it would be better to keep the ph more steady rather than try to raise it quickly by adding something. A stable alk is way more important to your corals than ph. Hope this help!

Update... I actually did not have a skimmer until yesterday. Should have included that to begin with but I was not aware of the effect a skimmer would have on pH.

The tank I currently have is very basic, no sump, no skimmer(until now), no wavemaker. 24 hours after adding my pH is 8.1. This was around 5pm so Im assuming pH was a little higher earlier in the day. Im happy with this at the moment. I would still consider adding CO2 scrubber if you think it would benefit. I was thinking I would try to get more pH measurements throughout the day to see if I even need one.

MB_Reef · Mar 20, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
BRS opinions aside, a pH of 7.8 is OK, but will have slower growth of certain hard corals than at higher pH. Whether you want to raise it is a different question.

How are you measuring pH?

The alkalintiy matters for pH. What is it and are you adding anything to maintain it?

Thanks Randy.
Measuring pH with API test kit. I will get Hannah checkers eventually but current budget won’t allow for that haha.

I didn’t have a skimmer until yesterday and now within 24 hours of adding skimmer my pH is reading between 8-8.2 in the evening (5pm)

i have alkalinity API test as well. I also had LFS measure alkalinity with Hannah and it was 9.1. This was 6 days after weekly water change.

I am considering CO2 scrubber with the HOB skimmer ( QQ1 Bubble-Magus), but not sure if I even need it at this point. Was waiting to get more pH measurements to see the pH trend first.