Reef Experts, I need help with PH

[jason2459]

randy holmes-farley advised me once to not chase. If my pH is stable at 7.8-7.9, it's perfectly fine. It never dropped below 7.78, but if I could maintain an Alk of 9-11, with the 7.8 pH it would be just fine.

And of course RHF is perfectly correct and 7.8 should be just fine. But as I said above if I hit 7.8 constantly at night I would look at increasing it. It's a personal I thing. Chasing numbers to me is not a good thing either but I do look to be in a certain range. I do check pH through a controller constantly because there's two things I dose that directly effect pH and use the probes as a failsafe.

 

[WvReefJunkie]

Update everyone, I ran a line to the outside of my home this evening off the skimmer. I have a Reef Octopus 250 DC skimmer. Why does it have two intakes on the air intake housing? Anyways while I was doing that I noticed the air intake on my skimmer was blocked from crud in it. I cleaned it, let's see what does. Thanks everyone.

 

[WvReefJunkie]

Thanks for the link and info.

 

[nuxx]

Honestly just leave it...

 

[Allentown]

Drawing air from outside can help and is cheap but has risks of pollutants that GAC filter may help with hopefully and requires drilling a hole to the outside and make sure insects don't get into the line.

Like above a CO2 is easy to setup but does have the cost of Soda Lime. I setup an old BRS GFO/GAC reactor I had laying around. Other have gone even cheaper using old juice bottles or GFO containers etc. Doesn't need to be anything fancy as long as the air passes through the Soda Lime.

I was dropping to 7.8 and its hard to open windows at my house due to severe allergies. I don't trust the pesticides that are used around the neighborhood. So after setting up the scrubber I'm constantly above 8 at night and usually around 8.2 during the day.

I split my air intake so the skimmer isn't pull 100% of the air through the scrubber increasing the life of the Soda Lime I got from Medvet yet still being very effective.

I think this was around $80 and should last me quite a while.

I just ordered a 5g bucket from medvet. It was $87.00. If it even lasts 5 months its worth it.

Update everyone, I ran a line to the outside of my home this evening off the skimmer. I have a Reef Octopus 250 DC skimmer. Why does it have two intakes on the air intake housing? Anyways while I was doing that I noticed the air intake on my skimmer was blocked from crud in it. I cleaned it, let's see what does. Thanks everyone.

The other intake is there if you ever decide to run an ozone generator. You would hook up the Ozone hose directly to the extra intake of the skimmer.

randy holmes-farley advised me once to not chase. If my pH is stable at 7.8-7.9, it's perfectly fine. It never dropped below 7.78, but if I could maintain an Alk of 9-11, with the 7.8 pH it would be just fine.

I have never disagreed with an RH talking point and I do not want to try and speak for him here. But I do believe he was talking about generalities. If you have a house with poor circulation, run gas logs or gas heat, have tons of people around the tank all day etc. The PH dips can become unhealthy.

Actually I DID read where RH was involved in a discussion about CO2 scrubbers and warned that using gas heat WOULD/COULD drive your PH to dangerously low levels if left unchecked.

 

[jason2459]

No need to talk for him. Like you said he's commented about acceptable ranges and optimal ranges. But it is all ranges.

Just linked this in another pH thread.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

He's also mentioned that as long as you're not in extremes you'll probably be fine. Using your eyes is a good test kit.

Also the advice of ignoring pH and just make sure alk is in line can be misleading and misdiagnosing a potential issue. Just because alk is in line doesn't mean pH is. Just because alk is high doesn't mean pH couldn't be too low. And just the opposite. As an example my alk was creeping up to a good 12-13 but my pH at one point was plummeting below 7.8. So, tell me again that I should ignore pH and just make sure to keep my alk in line. If I tried to adjust my alk down with out fixing my pH I could have done some bad damage to some corals.

 

[Allentown]

This is not a cherry picked momemt, this was a random screen capture I took from my phone just in replying to the thread.

CO2 scrubber. Daily water changes. Wet skimming. No dosing yet, only kalk in ato. 3 day filter sock rotations and 2 reactors (GAC and GFO).

Tank is too clean, going to have to increase feedings and cut back on water changes.

Weird problem......I'm sure it won't last.

 

[Allentown]

^^^^Image didn't attach.

 

[jason2459]

This is not a cherry picked momemt, this was a random screen capture I took from my phone just in replying to the thread.

CO2 scrubber. Daily water changes. Wet skimming. No dosing yet, only kalk in ato. 3 day filter sock rotations and 2 reactors (GAC and GFO).

Tank is too clean, going to have to increase feedings and cut back on water changes.

Weird problem......I'm sure it won't last.

That second part wasn't towards you but to many others that say just ignore pH and focus just on Alk. Generally that could be fine except for when it's not.

 

[Bent]

That second part wasn't towards you but to many others that say just ignore pH and focus just on Alk. Generally that could be fine except for when it's not.

IMO if your pH is low and your alk is where it's supposed to be, you got bigger problems on your hands.

I don't think you can dip down to less than 7.8 with an Alk of 10 with only a co2 retention problem. What was your issue?

 

[jason2459]

IMO if your pH is low and your alk is where it's supposed to be, you got bigger problems on your hands.

I don't think you can dip down to less than 7.8 with an Alk of 10 with only a co2 retention problem. What was your issue?

I have no issues. And yes pH can dip that low and lower with higher Alk. My system has done it and I know of others that have as well.

 

[Allentown]

IMO if your pH is low and your alk is where it's supposed to be, you got bigger problems on your hands.

I don't think you can dip down to less than 7.8 with an Alk of 10 with only a co2 retention problem. What was your issue?

It can happen with basement aquariums, poor ventilation. I have seen it happen due to a house full of people exhaling CO2 like a Christmas party of super bowl party.

And as I mention, a couple hours of gas log fireplace and it will hit 7.8 Run it all day and you'll hit 7.5.

I am not even going to mention a Christmas party, WITH the gas logs on...on a very cold day where the house is shut up like a drum.....could probably do serious damage in just one day.