What does 8.3 Ph mean?

[Terry Martin]

I’m not asking for a scientific definition! I’ve read lots of those and they don’t stick in my 55 yr. old brain as long as I’d like.
My question is more pragmatic. My Ph swings about .3 on a daily basis. So When someone says 8.3 is a good Ph to aim for your tank, do they mean a daily average of 8.3 which would mean a swing from 8.15 - 8.45 or do they mean a peak of 8.3 which would mean a swing from 8.0 to 8.3?
Or something else?
(P.S. and yeah, i know you’re not supposed to ‘chase’ ideal ph levels....)

 

[Chris A.]

Most are talking about peak. You’ll always have swings of some sort but your swing is minimal compared to some.

 

[nemodan]

7.9-8.4 is safe. Outside of those ranges aren't good

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That is not exactly correct. The average is important. Range can be different.



Tank under that range.

 

[Chris A.]

8.66 wow
I envy you lol

 

[nemodan]

8.66 wow
I envy you lol

My reef tank had 2 ranges since it was assembled in 2014. First, for many years the range was 7.9 -8.4. Then shifted to what I posted above could be 4 years ago.

As you have probably read in my postings, after 2 big crashes on this SPS tank and from experience after more than 30 years in the hobby I decided to apply what I was doing before on all my tanks ..... the SPS that survived will be the only ones in my tank: "the survival of the fittest" in my tank co editions. I stop being crazy with the SPS (I never had a tank like this before), changing corsl position, flow, nutrients, etc etc.

I just keep control on Alk. Do standard cleaning maintenance once in a while and change 25% water every week.

I know the pH because the Apex came with the probe. But I never did anything to try to manipulate it.

Most Corals, if you leave them alone, in peace, they will adapt to the 2 ranges posted. If someone die, it was not meant for your tank conditions.

Cheers..... just my thoughts.

 

[nemodan]

I don't chase pH numbers though

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That is very good. Most of the time, when someone chase pH number unbalance the system

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/



Cheers
Daniel

 

[Terry Martin]

brs tv investigates had an interesting experiment on ph; they ran four identical tanks, 2 with ph at 7.8 and 2 at 8.3. They used a fancier method of keeping ph constant; they had a co2 skimmer attached to the protein skimmer and a solenoid that turned it on and off using apex probe to keep constant. They did find substantially better growth at 8.3 but was frustrating that they used a method few reefers can do.

 

[nemodan]

brs tv investigates had an interesting experiment on ph; they ran four identical tanks, 2 with ph at 7.8 and 2 at 8.3. They used a fancier method of keeping ph constant; they had a co2 skimmer attached to the protein skimmer and a solenoid that turned it on and off using apex probe to keep constant. They did find substantially better growth at 8.3 but was frustrating that they used a method few reefers can do.

My final 2 cents Terry :

if you have soft/LPS just forget about all. Do cleaning and water changes. Be consistent and keep a routine.

If you have predominantly SPS, use a 2 part solution, control your Alk and let the tank find its own equilibrium on the rest.

If you like to do experiments, by controlling 10 parameters, chasing number, no changing water in 1 + years etc etc, that is fine too. I have seen breathtaking tanks kept in that way. But be ready that as soon something goes wrong, you can have a crash and could be you lost all.

At the end is up to you what kind of reef you would like and how much time you want to invest..... for years to com.

Best
Daniel

 

[dz6t]

I will just leave pH alone.
Sea water is a big buffer. Anything go above 8.4 can mean the buffering capacity is near breaking. Ocean is at 7.8 to 8.1. Higher pH is not better. Daily swing of pH is normal.



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[dz6t]

I don't chase pH numbers though

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That is very good. Most of the time, when someone chase pH number unbalance the system

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/



Cheers
Daniel

The problem of this table is that most coral we keep are not at the surface of water.



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[dz6t]

Here is a plot for ocean pH for the past 94 years.



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[Terry Martin]

I will just leave pH alone.
Sea water is a big buffer. Anything go above 8.4 can mean the buffering capacity is near breaking. Ocean is at 7.8 to 8.1. Higher pH is not better. Daily swing of pH is normal.



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Hi Dong - I don’t obsess about ph as it’s always been in range for me since I started dosing kalkwasser 5 years ago. But it’s interesting to try to figure out what works best, no?
I do have a question about ph that I haven’t understood. My tank is on first floor and summer temp is 74 from airconditioning and winter is 68 from heating. The sump and frag tank are in basement with no heating or ac and is about in summer and 57-63 in winter. My summer ph is 7.8-8.1 and winter is 8.0-8.3 even though tank water temperature is constant across all twelve months. So the ph is responding somehow to ambient temperature of the room (or something, like humidity perhaps, that covaries with temperature). But the relationship is very consistent. Even in winter, if it gets really cold, ph goes up and vice versa. Does that make sense to you?

 

[Chris A.]

I think it’s more along the lines of your house getting sealed more during summer months and the ac recirculating the air vs in the winter fresh air getting in

 

[Terry Martin]

I think it’s more along the lines of your house getting sealed more during summer months and the ac recirculating the air vs in the winter fresh air getting in

I’d think it’s the opposite. In the winter storms are down and no fresh air is getting in. In the summer I at least occasionally am opening window (leaving back door open for dog).

 

[Chris A.]

Not sure , I know my ph drops drastically in the summer from tightening up for the ac

 

[dz6t]

Your observations are inline with natural seasonal pH swings.
This graph shows higher average pH in winter than summer.
It may have sometime to do with solubility of oxygen vs carbon dioxide under the influence of temperature.

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[dz6t]

It could means your house does not have many occupants and CO2 level is normal throughout the seasons.
And or the house has very good air exchange from outside.


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