pH levels

[cmhadden]

whats the best and safest way to lower pH levels. My pH is about 8.4 (im new at this) so I understand that it is better to keep it around 8.3. My tank is a 30gal and it has about 10 lbs of live rock with 3 yellow tail damsels. the tank has been going for about a week now. anybody?

 

[darb2]

pH is higher in late afternoon, just before lights out. Check it in the am and see what it is

 

[reefrunner69]

whats the best and safest way to lower pH levels. My pH is about 8.4 (im new at this) so I understand that it is better to keep it around 8.3.

8.4 is fine and within acceptable range for a reef tank, some consider it ideal.

To answer the question though, the safest easiest way to lower the ph is through water changes.

 

[cmhadden]

why is it that ph levels are higher in the afternoon?

 

[reefrunner69]

Gas exchange. During the nite, the CO2 levels rise, where as during the day the CO2 level drops due to photosynthesis, CO2 depresses ph, so high co2=lowered ph.

 

[Brisc0]

I wish I could get to 8.4 and be balanced. Make sure that your using a good test kit for PH, most PH kits (all I have used aside from salifert) have a huge margin of error which typically favors the high end. I have used a red sea and a marineland that both said my tank was 8.3 while my pinpoint meter showed 7.80. My general understanding is that most of us have a PH much closer to 7.8 although our test kits are telling us we are in an "ideal" range of 8.2-8.4. I have tested my PH monitor vs. salifert many times and its always dead on. I have even tested the coralife calibration solution (which is not even quality rated) and the coralife solution was so out of whack that calibrating to it made my true 7.8 read an 8.35. I guess my point is that its hard enough to chase PH readings without all the other variables involved. Make sure your using a good test kit before you start trying to adjust PH. The best bet for monitoring PH is to spend the 90 bucks for a pinpoint monitor and calibrate with their fluid (2nd highest quality rating for calibration fluid) You might be suprised at what you find. I would take liquid dye readings with the same confidence you take from a cheap swing arm salinity meter.

 

[Atari]

The meters are closer to 20-30 dollars these days.. no excuse not to own one!

 

[cmhadden]

obviously you can tell that I am "wet" behind the ears at this so i'll keep the elementry questions coming. I am using a red sea test kit. During the first few weeks of cycling does the pH fluctuate very much, continually rise, or what?

 

[Sparky]

I have an Extech PH meter. It's digital with tempature compensation. Although the temp for the chemical PH testing assumes you have a temp within certain parameters it is generally negligible but you normally won't get theat "exact" reading as you would with the digital models.

My Chemical test kits (I use two different ones) give me 2 different readings very close to each other but higher than I get with the digital. I use the digital for my actual readings. My digital gives me a reading of 8.145 pretty much all the time, while the chemical tests give me bewtween 8.3 and 8.6. I do all my testing in the evening after work FYI.

Mike

 

[fishman]

Can someone post a link from Ebay to show which one you have had good luck with? Im in for a meter if they are $20-30!! There are several on Ebay...I just dont know which one to get...
Thanks and sorry for the small high jack!!