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Why fight with PH????

J

jazzsam

So...... Ever since I got my new tank running I have not been able to get the PH up. It will stay around 7.9 to 8.0 if I do nothing. I keep getting it up with some of the ideas from people but it will always go back to right around there. Everything in my tank is doing great! The LPS, SPS, Clam, Inverts, and fish are all loving it and growing and happy. You can see from my last picture that I have a very mixed tank and everything looks great.

So the question I have is........ Why fight to get it higher if everything is looking fine?????

And incase you are wondering.... Yes, I have testing with a testing kit and my aqua-controller and they both say the same thing.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Good question, Sam. Our PH is always right around 8 and I've never been able to do anything that would maintain it any higher. I just gave up and run it at 8. Sure wish it was higher though.
 
RichT

RichT

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
According to Randy Homes-Farley, PH at low levels, 7.8 - 8.1 are acceptable as long as the Alk and Ca are at higher levels.(above 4.0 and 440 is basically a waste and lends to easy precipitation of the compounds). The problem with low PH is it makes it harder for the corals to calcify, similar to how a Ca Reactor works by lowering the PH. Maintaining Alk and Ca levels at the higher end of acceptable readings conteract the adverse effects of the lower PH.

HTH
 
blange3

blange3

What Rich and Phyl said!

I run between 7.95 and 8.15 Keeping the other levels stable I still get decent growth. Stability is best, stop futzing and enjoy the tank!
 
A

AnDom1

Sam... I have the same problem, ie. pH between 7.9 and 8.0...Wasn't a problem when my alk/calcium numbers were in line and in the case of the latter a little high. But now I need to monitor and occasionally boost alkalinity. While coral growth is OK, it is notably less than a number of other reefers I know. While normally, I would sit back and enjoy as I've done in the past, the relatively weak alkalinity and now "just average" calcium numbers dictate that I try to elevate the big 3 levels to head off trouble.

Dom
 
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