Should I Adjust pH?

[KellyJRN]

The pH in my tank has consistently been on the low side. (7.8) Is this something I should be concerned about and correct? If so, what is the best way to go about it? Also, the salinity is on the low side for a reef tank. If I correct that, will the pH correct itself? I'm trying (and failing) at not obsessing over the small things!

I have 2 false perc clownfish, 2 PJ cardinals, an anemone (I know! But I caved to the "cool" factor as a newbie) a star polyp and multiple clean up crew.


pH- 7.8
Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates-0
Alkalinity-10
Salinity (by hydrometer) 1.023

 

[bang guy]

If your Salinity was significantly low then yes, raising salinity would raise PH. In your case it's not really very low. What is the temperature?

For PH, there are several things to check:

1 - Alkalinity - Try to maintain this is between 3.0meg/L and 4.0meq/L. The more consistent the better. Products that claim to raise PH typically just raise your Alkalinity to very high levels. This is NOT healthy for the tank.

2 - Decomposing matter - this releases metabolic acids that will lower the PH. Keep detritus cleaned up and your filters clean. Don't overfeed.

3 - Excess Carbon dioxide - This is also a common issue. Be sure your skimmer is operating correctly. This time of year people in the northern climates have not aired out the house and more CO2 in the air means more CO2 in your tank water.

4 - Calcium reactor not tuned properly - not common but it does happen.

My short answer is NO - do not adjust your PH. Find the cause of the low PH and fix the problem at the root.

 

[KellyJRN]

If your Salinity was significantly low then yes, raising salinity would raise PH. In your case it's not really very low. What is the temperature?

For PH, there are several things to check:

1 - Alkalinity - Try to maintain this is between 3.0meg/L and 4.0meq/L. The more consistent the better. Products that claim to raise PH typically just raise your Alkalinity to very high levels. This is NOT healthy for the tank.

2 - Decomposing matter - this releases metabolic acids that will lower the PH. Keep detritus cleaned up and your filters clean. Don't overfeed.

3 - Excess Carbon dioxide - This is also a common issue. Be sure your skimmer is operating correctly. This time of year people in the northern climates have not aired out the house and more CO2 in the air means more CO2 in your tank water.

4 - Calcium reactor not tuned properly - not common but it does happen.

My short answer is NO - do not adjust your PH. Find the cause of the low PH and fix the problem at the root.

Hi! Thanks for the reply. I don't want to overreact to the numbers and make things worse!

The temperature is 79F. Alkalinity is 3.6 Meq/L

I don't have a skimmer yet, perhaps that's the problem. I don't have a calcium reactor either (in fact, I had to google what it was) but maybe down the road a bit.

I try very hard not to overfeed. Fish are tricky little fellows! They act hungry all the time.

Thank you for the guidance. I'll work on finding the cause.

 

[bang guy]

One other thought - Take the PH reading at three different times, morning, noon, night. Does it change a lot?

Take a small container of your tank water outside. Stir it up real good and let it sit an hour outside in the shade. Check the PH. If the PH rises significantly then part of the problem is excess CO2. A skimmer will help a lot with this. More waterflow might also help.

What size tank? Does it have a glass cover?

 

[KellyJRN]

Funny you say that, I took a sample to the local fish store to double-check my home readings and they got a much higher pH than I did at home(I got 7.8, they got 8.1). It made me think my test kit was bad so I got a new one. Same reading (7.8), different test kit, different brand. I wonder now if the difference was because the sample had set for a little bit on the way there. I'll try testing three different times today....I almost always test only in the morning.

It's a 55 gallon tank. Since we have cats, there's a half cover on the tank. The back is open. There's an air pump that releases a few bubbles at a time along the back of the tank to compensate for the cover. I have read mixed reviews on whether bubbles are harmful to the tank. What's your stance?

We have 2 powerheads flowing in opposite directions. It seems like the flow is good and consistent around the tank.

 

[beaslbob]

I would use macro algae and the diy 2 part system.

I think if you do both pH will be ok.

my .02

 

[pegasus]

Funny you say that, I took a sample to the local fish store to double-check my home readings and they got a much higher pH than I did at home(I got 7.8, they got 8.1). It made me think my test kit was bad so I got a new one. Same reading (7.8), different test kit, different brand. I wonder now if the difference was because the sample had set for a little bit on the way there. I'll try testing three different times today....I almost always test only in the morning.

It's a 55 gallon tank. Since we have cats, there's a half cover on the tank. The back is open. There's an air pump that releases a few bubbles at a time along the back of the tank to compensate for the cover. I have read mixed reviews on whether bubbles are harmful to the tank. What's your stance?

We have 2 powerheads flowing in opposite directions. It seems like the flow is good and consistent around the tank.

My pH always runs a "little" low as well. It's been that way over two years, so I don't fret over it anymore. I always thought it was due to carbon dosing, but since I no longer carbon dose, it hasn't changed. As long as my Alkalinity stays up, everything seems to be okay. One thing you don't want to do is raise the pH too quickly if you decide to use a buffer. While 7.8 may seem a bit low, it's certainly nothing to be stressed out about. Another thing that should ease your mind... pH is lower in the morning, and gradually rises as the day goes on. An evening test should show a slightly higher level.

I put two bubble wands in my mixed reef over a year ago when I was dosing Chemi-Clean to treat cyanobacteria. I left them in for several months, until I removed one of them. The other is still bubbling away in the tank. There's nothing wrong with oxygenating your tank water with bubbles. However, fine bubbles will be more beneficial to the tank than a few larger bubbles. Reef areas that have a lot of white capping of waves are highly saturated with oxygen rich bubbles... so I'm pretty sure bubbles are okay.

Good flow in the tank is vital to keeping detritus suspended so it can be removed by your filtration system... and it keeps your fish healthy by giving them plenty of exercise throughout the day.

 

[bang guy]

As long as you address the salt creep issue I don't believe a moderate amount of bubbles is a problem. It certainly increases waterflow. Personally, I don't like dealing with salt creep so no bubbles in the display tank for me.

 

[KellyJRN]

So, I took three readings today. All were 7.8. With the exception of the one I left outside in the shade for an hour. It was 8.0. However, it was 85 deg outside today. That may have affected it.

Looks like a protein skimmer is in my future.

Thank you for all your sound advice

 

[bang guy]

As a parting opinion, 7.8 isn't a bad PH reading. Especially if it's that stable. Ideally it would be nice to be 8.0 or above but I wouldn't worry too much about 7.8.

That said, a good skimmer adds a LOT of value to a saltwater system.

 

[pegasus]

As a parting opinion, 7.8 isn't a bad PH reading. Especially if it's that stable. Ideally it would be nice to be 8.0 or above but I wouldn't worry too much about 7.8.

That said, a good skimmer adds a LOT of value to a saltwater system.

+1.

 

[beaslbob]

Did you measure pH just before lights out?
pH rises during light on.

my .02

 

[KellyJRN]

Did you measure pH just before lights out?
pH rises during light on.

my .02

Yes, I measured it morning, afternoon and right before the evening feeding. I didn't see a noticeable change in the pH as the day progressed. Strange.

I was testing the tank water parameters daily....I think it was a little over the top! I skipped yesterday. I'll go to every other day for now until I feel confident in my tank. I never knew a saltwater tank would make me relive chemistry class on a daily basis! lol

 

[silverado61]

Once your tank is established and you get to know it better, you can work your way down to once a Month. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[beaslbob]

Yes, I measured it morning, afternoon and right before the evening feeding. I didn't see a noticeable change in the pH as the day progressed. Strange.

I was testing the tank water parameters daily....I think it was a little over the top! I skipped yesterday. I'll go to every other day for now until I feel confident in my tank. I never knew a saltwater tank would make me relive chemistry class on a daily basis! lol

If your pH is low and fairly constant IMHO that is a sign you have little algae at work. My old 55g during cycle had a constant pH of 7.8 or lower. One week after adding macro algae the pH was 8.4+ (api high range test kit) just before lights out. A very strong indication the algae consumed co2 to very low levels. Initially the pH would drop go 7.9 just before lights again due to the algae not consuming co2 at night. Later I started the diy two part system and bumped alk up with baking soda. Then the pH only dropped to ~8.2 or so at night.

Understand about feeling you're reliving chemistry classes. LOL

my .02