Random chemistry question for the experts

[triggerhappy8]

I am an engineer from GT and feel like I should know the answer to this but have never been able to figure it out with my chemistry background. Why is it that when your lights go off (granted that you don't have a refugium with a constant light) that your pH will swing depending on the light cycle? What does light have to do with pH and chemistry? This is mostly just the engineer coming out in me where I want to know how everything works...

 

[frewl]

There is no photosynthetic processes to take the CO2 out of the water and make O2. Everything is consuming O2 and putting out CO2 but then there is little conversion back from the CO2 to O2. So on and so forth.... There is a spike of CO2 and the more CO2 the more acidic the water becomes.

 

[FutureInterest]

Billy is right !!!

Just to add a tidbit, CO2 in dissolved form in the water is known simply as carbonic acid and acids of course lower ph.

 

[cameron]

This is why many people run the fuge lights at night and off during the day so basically they get 24x7 photosynthesis going on.

 

[triggerhappy8]

See, I knew there would be an answer that I should have known. Thanks for your help guys.