Maximum pH ???

[dtiedke]

Since searching for "ph" returns no results (problem with RDO???), I ask this simple question....What is the maxium for a safe pH?

I ask because I have put a Neilsen and a Korillin 1502 online and the pH has steadily gone up. I can take the Neilsen out (although it is plumbed for my top-off and would be a PITA to remove), if the numbers are getting too high.

My tank is topping out at a pH of 8.49 at lights out. I have a refuge on a reverse light cycle, but the Calerpa in it doesn't seem to be growing very fast (the hair algae in the display has no problem it seems.. :roll: ) and I am dripping the effluent from the Korillin reactor at the same spot as the Neilsen...

Oh, and the pH probe is less than a week old, and is at the entrance to the sump, with the drips at the exit of the sump...no chance really of a false high reading...

Any input would be helpful...

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

That's right where you want it to be. I can't comment on all your reactor questions, but several books list 8.40-8.45 as the ideal pH for calcification. My pH has gone as high as 8.9 without any coral death, and it went up to 9.5 or so in my nano once without any corals. All my tubeworms, bristleworms, pods, and stomatella survived but no corals were present when it happened. IMO, pH stability is much more important than the actual value.

 

[liquid]

Are you dripping at night or during the day time? I drip mine exclusively during the night time as pH drops significantly during that time due to photosynthesis.

When I drip kalk I try not to let it get too much above 8.5 as when I was at or above 8.6 I noted my sandbed was getting some cemented lumps in it. Check http://www.liquidreef.com/ for info about it.

Give dripping kalk some time to pull the phosphate out of your water column. I'm sure that's what's feeding your hair algae bloom. It took mine 2 months to subside after I started but it does work. One thing you may try is to drip the kalk right into your skimmer reaction chamber as that way the precipitated phosphate might be skimmed out.

Shane

 

[dtiedke]

WOW! I was worried about 8.4 being high and it sounds to be the middle of the range....


Thanks for the info...I will put my top-off on a timer to run only at night to offset the pH drop during lights out.


Thannks again.....


Dave

 

[damonbrodie]

Most of the reports I've read say the ph should be between 8.0 and 8.4 where 8.2 is ideal. The real key is to keep whatever value steady. A constantly variable ph is really hard on fish.

 

[liquid]

I set mine to start dosing about 1.5 to 2 hrs after lights out. That way the pH has come down a bit from where it was during the day time and it gives me a little bit more of a window to push my kalk additions.

Shane