Alright I feel like I tried about everything to keep my ph high and stable. My tank will usually top out at 8.3 when the lights are on and drop to 8.1 lights out. I run a Co2 scrubber, I have plenty of water flow on the surface, have a refugium light stays on 247…I run Kalk…when I get home from work I open the front door which is right next to my tank. Just seems like I can’t get above this 8.3 mark. (Goal is 8.4-8.5) I do have a canopy on the tank not sure if that matters or not? Was thinking if I run a higher Alk level naturally that should raise my ph a little? (Currently 7.8) What are your thoughts and inputs?
Advise on keeping ph high
- Thread starter Veinz
- Start date
Tank pH cycles are pretty normal. I also run a refugium but on a reverse light cycle, and my pH goes between ~8 to 8.3 in a cyclical fashion within a 24-hour period.
What does your alkalinity run around? The higher the alk, the less "swing" and more stable the pH should be. If you really wanted to increase your pH you could consider dosing soda ash to give your tank a little boost of pH in the morning. Although, you might want to adjust your kalk if also doing soda ash since it would increase your alkalinity as well.
What does your alkalinity run around? The higher the alk, the less "swing" and more stable the pH should be. If you really wanted to increase your pH you could consider dosing soda ash to give your tank a little boost of pH in the morning. Although, you might want to adjust your kalk if also doing soda ash since it would increase your alkalinity as well.
My Alk usually stays around 7.5-7.8. I’ve been keeping it in the 7s to see how the sps react to it. So far so good with those numbers. I’m thinking if I shoot for high 8s-9 I might reach that higher ph but I kinda don’t want to **ck anything up. I dose pure soda ash I make my own concentration of it and a little goes a long way. I’m scared to squirt a little in the tank just to raise it up I messed up pretty bad doing that before and said never again.
The MH fixture has built in fans that turn on when the lights turn on. I also have 2 clip on fans that target the top of the water. The whole back of the canopy is open since it’s pushed back to the wall I’m thinking of putting more fans that blow the air out of the canopy. It gets hot as hell in there.
Make sure your skimmer is properly sized for the tank since the amount of air it draws in is proportional to the co2 scrubbing capacity. Also make sure the tubing you're using isnt restricting the air flow in to and out of the reactor. Basically when you detach the tube from the skimmer silencer you should not notice any difference in the foam height in the skimmer neck. How long is your scrubber media lasting? Are you using the color changing variety?
Fwiw I noticed a good bump in ph and coral growth after i hooked up my scrubber.
Fwiw I noticed a good bump in ph and coral growth after i hooked up my scrubber.
I have Sea Sides TS9 model and I run the tubbing straight from the pump to the Co2 scrubber and I have kept my air open to 5 on the skimmer with good foam coming through the neck. Here’s some pics of the setup. Right now I’m using Ice caps media and it usually last me 2-3 weeks. I’m gonna need to find another source for media cause it’s pricey
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If your pH is above 8 always, I wouldn't worry about it or change anything. This is where coral farming differs from hobbyist's home systems. Their goal is to grow coral as quickly as possible, our goal should be to grow healthy coral, the speed in which this happens shouldn't matter to us, as long as the coral is healthy. I'll put health above how fast something grows all day long.
If your scrubber draws in moist air, the media will last longer, but depending on the co2 in your house and how much DOC is in your system, will determine the pH drop. I'm with Brian, make sure your skimmer is sized for your system. I tend to always lean towards a skimmer that's rated for a heavy bio load for my size tank or slightly larger. This is where DC skimmers can really help you fine tune air intake.
If your scrubber draws in moist air, the media will last longer, but depending on the co2 in your house and how much DOC is in your system, will determine the pH drop. I'm with Brian, make sure your skimmer is sized for your system. I tend to always lean towards a skimmer that's rated for a heavy bio load for my size tank or slightly larger. This is where DC skimmers can really help you fine tune air intake.
I agree with the comments that your pH is good and likely doesn’t warrant any more effort.
high pH alk additives and CO2 scrubbers are useful, but have limits and downsides.
I manage my pH by aeration with outdoor air. This takes some planning because a dedicated aeration chamber is needed and routining airline from outside can be a pain but there is nearly zero maintenance. A humongous air pump and XL airstone has been my method for the last year. I don’t think I’d do a reef again without it. Indoor CO2 doesn’t have an effect anymore.
high pH alk additives and CO2 scrubbers are useful, but have limits and downsides.
I manage my pH by aeration with outdoor air. This takes some planning because a dedicated aeration chamber is needed and routining airline from outside can be a pain but there is nearly zero maintenance. A humongous air pump and XL airstone has been my method for the last year. I don’t think I’d do a reef again without it. Indoor CO2 doesn’t have an effect anymore.
