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nynikki
09-21-2009, 8:47 PM
Hello all,

It is my understanding that we want to the PH to be in the higher range for reef tanks (8-8.4 ppm). Mine has been steady at 7.8 since we put the tank up a little over a month ago. Alkalinity has been in the 4 range and CA is about 400. I don't want to tinker with anything because it would seem that a change to one parameter will likely cause an undesired affect to another. I have been getting my water from my LFS for changes, but using my own RO for topping off. Should I be concerned about the lower PH if the other parameters are within range?
NeonFlux
09-21-2009, 9:00 PM
I believe it will be okay.
Amphiprion
09-21-2009, 10:53 PM
7.8 will be fine, assuming your alkalinity stays high like that.
fsn77
09-22-2009, 10:20 AM
I would not be concerned about a pH of 7.8, either. The pH in our reef tank is rarely 8.0 or higher and we've had no issues since having our tank up. Maintaining the proper alkalinity is more important. I'm guessing that when you say your alkalinity is 4, that's in meq/L, not dKH? 4 meq/L is good, 4 dKH is quite low.
DoctaQ
09-22-2009, 1:10 PM
the lower your PH is, the higher your alkalinity needs to be in order for corals to calcify/ not lose thier calcium.
if your 4 alk means meq/l then youre good, but if its dkh then you do have to raise that
Conski
09-22-2009, 3:43 PM
alk of 4 is alright? i was under the impression you want it between 8 and 10
DoctaQ
09-22-2009, 3:45 PM
alk of 4 meq/l is about 11 dkh
nynikki
10-04-2009, 1:02 PM
yes, it is 4 meg/l - Thanks everyone!
Ken b
10-06-2009, 4:27 AM
Try a little experiment. remove a couple of cups of the tank water and measure the ph. Then aerate the the removed water with an airstone for 5 minutes and recheck the ph. If the ph level has risen then a higher ph is just a matter of better oxygenation
Ace25
10-06-2009, 11:42 AM
Great tip! I have always thrown a bubble wand in my sump and measured 24 hours later to see if pH is affected but your method is much easier and quicker for testing.
Amphiprion
10-06-2009, 1:20 PM
You don't even need an airstone. You can just sit it outside overnight and you should also notice a difference, though the airstone certainly hastens the process.