I think I read somewhere that although a Ph level anywhere between 8.0 - 8.3 is acceptable for a reef aquarium, one will get better growth if the Ph level is maintained more at 8.2-8.3. ?????? All you SPS keepers - what has been your experience ???? I ask because mine currently runs about 8.0 and I've seen very little growth in the few SPS I have - I've had them for about 9 months now. I know that the reason for little growth can be many things - but was curious about how much impact raising the Ph level might have.....
PH levels for keeping SPS
- Thread starter beckerjm
- Start date
Yes, I run a Phosban reactor. My parameters are all good - 0 amnonia, - 0 nitrates, 0 phosphate, salinity 1.026, calcium 440, magnesium 1400, alk 9, temp 79.
I've got a Nova pro extreme - 6 bulb T5, individual reflectors. I bought the unit last July (right before I added the SPS). Based on recommendations from the T5 thread, I switched out the 3 blue bulbs (according to the grim reefer, they weren't any good), and one of the white bulbs - for 4 ATI blue plus (beginning of October). Didn't make any difference. I'm ready to switch out the other two bulbs, but thought maybe raising the Ph would make a difference. I'm at a loss what else to do. A friend of mine used the Current USA light fixture for a long time and had good growth.
Tank is 75 g with 20g sump. Been set-up for 6yrs. Started with fish & live rock. Started adding softies about 2 yrs ago, then some LPS, and last summer started to add a few SPS after I moved from Power compacts to T5.
I've got a Nova pro extreme - 6 bulb T5, individual reflectors. I bought the unit last July (right before I added the SPS). Based on recommendations from the T5 thread, I switched out the 3 blue bulbs (according to the grim reefer, they weren't any good), and one of the white bulbs - for 4 ATI blue plus (beginning of October). Didn't make any difference. I'm ready to switch out the other two bulbs, but thought maybe raising the Ph would make a difference. I'm at a loss what else to do. A friend of mine used the Current USA light fixture for a long time and had good growth.
Tank is 75 g with 20g sump. Been set-up for 6yrs. Started with fish & live rock. Started adding softies about 2 yrs ago, then some LPS, and last summer started to add a few SPS after I moved from Power compacts to T5.
nano427
Member
what type of sps are they? were they fresh cut frags? because sometimes frags may take forever to encrust but once they do then they take off. how is the flow in your tank? sps like high random flow. fwiw one last thought is maybe let your nitrates creep up to ~5ppm, although this might now effect growth it seems to help colors
The SPS are acropora subulata, tri-colored valida, green millipora, and purple millipora. Yes, they were new frags. Now I got a piece of pink pocillopora in November - and it seems to be doing ok.
As for flow, I've got a Koralia 4 and a maxijet 600 with the mod, plus the 400gph from the return pipe. So I think I have enough flow, although its not random.
Previously (over a year ago), I had nitrates around 10. Could never get them down and dosed vodka for about 9 months. Nitrates went to 0. I started cutting back on the vodka dosing - and eventually stopped altogether. Nitrates have never gone back up from 0 (at least not on my test kit). That was last fall. At the same time I was cutting back on the vodka dosing, I was adding some more rock - and I think that's what allowed me to cut back on vodka dosing.
As for flow, I've got a Koralia 4 and a maxijet 600 with the mod, plus the 400gph from the return pipe. So I think I have enough flow, although its not random.
Previously (over a year ago), I had nitrates around 10. Could never get them down and dosed vodka for about 9 months. Nitrates went to 0. I started cutting back on the vodka dosing - and eventually stopped altogether. Nitrates have never gone back up from 0 (at least not on my test kit). That was last fall. At the same time I was cutting back on the vodka dosing, I was adding some more rock - and I think that's what allowed me to cut back on vodka dosing.
Amphiprion
Premium Member
Technically, a higher pH boosts calcification rates up to about 8.4. pH values lower than that (to a certain point, obviously) won't outright stop it, as long as other parameters, like alkalinity, are within acceptable ranges or slightly boosted.
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