Need Help on pH Swings!

[sj miller guy]

I was just wondering what everyone does to prevent pH swings in their tanks.

My tank can swing down to 7.8 or maybe even lower. I have been using Seachem additive to help alkalinity and that helps bring it up.

My tank is a 55 gallon reef setup with wet dry filtration, a skimmer, and refugium. My tank is by no means over crowded by corals or fish for that matter. I'm not sure what other information is needed but any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Do you have your fuge on a reverse lighting cycle from your main tank? How big is your fuge and what ya got in it?

What is your cal, alk, and Mag levels?

What are you using to maintain you Cal levels?

 

[ouling]

Your "carbonate hardness" have something to do with the swinging, along with calcium and magnesium. all 3 being low could make the pH exciting to test, and you're sure to be in for a surprise everytime.

 

[FutureInterest]

I maintain a pretty consistent ph of around 8.0-8.2 by simply reversing the lighting schedule for fuge/tank and by adding kalkwasser to my top off water. I use a maxijet on a timer to keep the kalk stirred up, and the ATO unit does the rest. No additives necessary. One other thing is to make sure you have fresh air in your house. Most houses are loaded CO2 which will make it difficult to maintain a high ph. So open those windows . I find that opening my windows brings my ph up .1-.2 all by itself.

 

[mojo]

pH stability is usually determined by Alkalinity- the higher the Alkalinity, the more stable the pH will be. There are tradeoffs - you can't go too high.

Have a look at this article:

 

[jhutto]

Great article. This what I need to keep things even and right for my tank.

Joe

 

[sj miller guy]

Xyzpdq0121;48582 wrote: Do you have your fuge on a reverse lighting cycle from your main tank? How big is your fuge and what ya got in it?

What is your cal, alk, and Mag levels?

What are you using to maintain you Cal levels?

My fuges is on a reverse lighting schedule from my tank lights. It's a CPR hang on kit, just a little over a gallon. The substrates is made up of live sand and refugium mud. I've also got some live rock and different types of macro in it.

My calcium is about 440 right now

My alkalinity is about 11 or 196.9 ppm KH

Magnesium I currently do not have a test for. My calcium levels have always been ok. I'm using Seachem Reef mix and every time I've tested it, it has not been low.

 

[cameron]

I fight that fight as well. I mainly keep alk up with kalkwasser and that generally does the trick, but I find increasing the water changes has become a necessity to keep the ph consistently above 8.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

My guess is you are fighting a battle of an increased CO2 level at night because of a small fuge. I would try a two part with Mag additive to see if that stablizes things out a bit.

How often are you adding Cal and Alk to your tank? Do you add them on different days?

 

[sj miller guy]

Xyzpdq0121;48930 wrote: My guess is you are fighting a battle of an increased CO2 level at night because of a small fuge. I would try a two part with Mag additive to see if that stablizes things out a bit.

How often are you adding Cal and Alk to your tank? Do you add them on different days?

I'm actually now using the "Marine Buffer" from Seachem to treat the ph issues and alkalinity issues I have. I'm currently not dosing for calcium. I honestly don't have enough in my tank to deplete the amount brought in from the Seachem Reef mix.

I have been dosing every day for a few days and once it stabilizes I will taper it off to an as needed basis.