Possible pH emergency?

[PadresGirl]

Tested pH a couple of weeks ago; it was 8.2. Tested tonight, it's coming in at 7.8! I've noticed the last couple of days that my corals have not been their vibrant selves (polyps not extending on colt, cabbage, star polyps, toadstool, that sort of thing). Is this due to the pH swing? What causes swings in pH? Nothing has changed other than I added a GBTA and two bangaii cardinals today. Will my tank be okay until tomorrow morning when I can make it to the LFS to pick up some buffer? Thanks for any insights...

 

[Tang Salad]

Your tank is fine. Most tanks go through Ph swings between day and night. Measure yours first thing in the morning and then just after lights go out to see how big a swing you have.

But don't panic or add buffer until you do this.

 

[PadresGirl]

My actinics come on @ 10am and daylights @ 1; daylights off @ 7, actinics off @ 10pm. What times should I test?

 

[Tang Salad]

Check first thing when you wake up in the morning, and then again at 7 when you turn out daylights.

 

[Whaledriver]

Have you tested for the following?
Calcium
alklinity
magnesium
The first thing to do is to check if any of these are out of balance. These being out of balance can lower ph or cause other problems.
Ph testing equipment may be old or out of calibration.

 

[PadresGirl]

I don't have tests for calcium, alkalinity, or mag. I've never tested for these in the past, but I've also never had such a variation in pH. I don't think it's the pH test, it's part of the API saltwater master test kit and has yet to expire. I'll pick up a calcium, alk, and mag test tomorrow.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Blindly adding buffer is a bad idea. It will raise alk through the roof, and after a day or two your pH will be right back wherever it wants to be.

Low pH: Causes and Cures:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

do you have a refuge by any chance. if you do run the lights reverse you day lights.. i run my light on it 24/7 to grow macro algae but at night it helps to keep the ph up so it does not swing...but in the ocean at night there is no light so it seems normal.

 

[PadresGirl]

Thanks for the link, Lobster, from the reading I'm still in a fairly safe range, I'll be testing again tomorrow. I think my problem is aeration as I recently disconnected my air pump. I would have mentioned it earlier, but I didn't even think of it as being significant. Thanks, everybody, for your help!

 

[PadresGirl]

Paulie, I do have a fuge, but I have read that macro algae needs a dark period to properly complete the photosynthesis cycle.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

I did not know that...makes since though...brings me back to Biology class ahh...well you could turn you light off during the day and on at night...well wait is the fuge next to the tank or below it. Also make sure your buffer says raises to 8.3 or 8.4 and will not go higher. I have a 75 and bought some that did not say that and my ph jumped to 8.8(inverts do not like that at all) i wonder why i could not keep any snails alive...most just went dormant because once i realized it was so high i did serval water changes with 7.0 water to balance it out. Like they said above watch you alk...buffer will raise it. hope that helps...give that reverse light a shot i have heard it helps greatly...if i can fine the link someone in my local club has a PH probe and monitored it over night and saw how it started at 8.3 then dropped to about 7.9 and then back up when his halides turned on. then a week later he did the reverse lighting and it on went from 8.3 to 8.1.

-matt

like the beer chugging under your interest lol

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

i am tired its almost 3am here...find*

 

[PadresGirl]

The fuge is next to the tank, so the reverse lighting would essentially be 24/7 lighting...but thanks for the suggestion...and get to bed! (It's only midnight here...)

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

lol i am about to...been up reading about the closed loop i am going to be doing.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

if it is a hang on i have seen people use the black background as a light blocker

 

[ReefTECK]

My pH goes down to 7.85-7.95 at night and then will get upto 8.15-8.20 during the day, that's perfectly normal.

Plus running a calcium reactor will cause chronically low pH. But the acceptable extremes are said to be 7.8-8.5. Don't worry, but do check your kH and make sure that the tank is well buffered. If the kH is low, you could continue to have low pH swings, or more violent pH swings, and that would be bad.

ltz,
andy

 

[xtm]

Even on a reverse photoperiod, my tank dips from 7.75 to 8.25 everyday. Everything seems to be fine.. I also have a Ca Reactor.

 

[PadresGirl]

Thanks, everybody. Tested pH again this morning, and it's at 8.0. I must not have ever tested my pH at the time I did last night before. Still planning on getting calcium, alk, and mag tests today, but too busy acclimating my electric blue leg hermits I just got from LiveAquaria right now, yay!

 

[Whaledriver]

Salifert makes the best/easiest test kit that I have used, no counting!!!