Low PH

[Donw]

Good Morning,

Hopefully this will be a quick one. With the drop in temps my vent free gas heat is working overtime. I believe this is the cause of my low ph. 7.8 am 8.0 pm. Water volume is 150G total.

Ive tried: Running skimmer air intake outside.
Increased evap rate to 7G per day with kalk.
Fans and more fans.

I was considering, putting a air pump outside and adding an airstone to either the skimmer or filter sock. I dont think I can grow macro, so adding a refugium would be out.
In the mean time. What would be a good number for alk? My understanding is, when ph is down alk should be elevated to aid in calcification of sps corals.

Thanks
Don

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hopefully this will be a quick one. With the drop in temps my vent free gas heat is working overtime. I believe this is the cause of my low ph. 7.8 am 8.0 pm.

That could sure do it!

I'd keep alkalinity around 4 meq/L, maybe a bit higher. Limewater and fresh air is about the limit of what most folks can usefully do in such a case.

If you haven't seen this article, it explains what you have seen:

Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

[tasos]

My water has a ph of 7,85,and I aerated about 500ml with a airpump for a day,and the ph has not changed:mad: .Would it be a high percentage of CO2 to the surounding air,or there is an increase to the nitrates?(sorry I cannot measure them I gave the test kit to some who lost it:o .I measure the ph with a Milwaukee pen type ph meter,and checked the calibration twise!!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Try the same experiment with outside air, where it should rise. If it rises outside and not inside, then the pH is low because there is excess CO2 in the home air.