pH adjusting

[loveforfish]

im running a 14g biocube. i have a large portion of the tank filled with soft coral ( zoanthids, ricordia, xenia, mushrooms, star polyps ) i had the light cycle running 12/12 and i was getting alot of red alage and other types of alage. i read on it and switched to 9 hour light period and it has deffenetly taken care of alot. my problem recently tho is pH, i had it at a steady 8.4 for a good 6 months but all the sudden its changing everytime i check it. i used 2tsp of buffer before i stabled it again after a water change throughout the day when my tank calls for 1/2 of that dose. i checked it this morning to see how it reacted to the light being of and its at 7.8

 

a few of my star polyps are showing signs of stress and discoloring and im nervous cuz i just aded a sally crab and 5 snails.

 

 

what can i do to help balance the pH throughout the day and night?

[Mr. Fosi]

Nightly drops in pH are normal and 7.8 is a common lower number. If you want to dampen the oscillation, you can add aeration (using an air pump or skimmer) and/or you can create/add a lit refugium packed with macroalgae and run it 24/7 or only when the lights are off.

 

You don't need to do this, however as these oscillations are normal.

 

You shouldn't be adding "buffer" unless you are also tracking your alkalinity.

[loveforfish]

thanks, every once in a while i go to the LFS to get supplies and have them test my water while im there for things i dont have testing for, like alkalinity. they have said its a little low most the time im there so i suppose thats something i need to look into. does anyone have a good page to read that focuses just on pH and alkalinity? they are both similar and go hand to hand am right?

 

as long as im on this topic what are the top most trace elements to test for when im doing alot of soft corals. i just recently collected new zoanthids and ricordia and the rest of my original corals are propogating like wild fire.

 

i just want to keep everything colorful and healthy as we all do

[Mr. Fosi]

they have said [my alkalinity is] a little low most the time im there so i suppose thats something i need to look into.

 

Get a test kit. Salifert is good and not too much $$.

 

does anyone have a good page to read that focuses just on pH and alkalinity? they are both similar and go hand to hand am right?

 

Not really similar but they are related: Link. pH is a product of alkalinity and dissolved CO2 concentration.

 

as long as im on this topic what are the top most trace elements to test for when im doing alot of soft corals.

 

I wouldn't bother. Do regular waterchanges and forget the "trace" elements.

[loveforfish]

im sorry i didint mean trace elements, i meant like things like calcium, phosphate, magnesium, all the bigger stuff thats more known.

 

thanks for the reply, i will get myself i test kit tommarow, even tho im useing API right now.

[lajz9]

Don't wanna hijack, but these questions seem relevant:

 

Why is it people monitor ph with controllers and not alk? Is it safe to assume that if your ph is low your alk is also low?

 

I test for both and dose based on my alk, but is this necessary if my controller is monitoring my ph?

[lakshwadeep]

Alkalinity is a portion of what affects pH. Alkalinity is not a simple thing, so a probe would be hard to develop for alkalinity (for hobbyist use). High alkalinity contributes to lower pH swings.

[Mr. Fosi]

Why is it people monitor ph with controllers and not alk? Is it safe to assume that if your ph is low your alk is also low?

 

Because pH is important even when alk is not and no, it is not safe to assume that. Read any of the recent "pH problem" threads and you will see that pH can be low even when alk is fine.

 

Alk is only really important if you have stony corals. If all you have are softies, you can let the alk slide (to a point) with no problems. pH, however, is another matter. It doesn't matter what you keep, if your pH shoots high, drops low or fluctuates too much things will start dying.

 

Because it is so important to the livestock in your tank, it is important to make the fewest assumptions possible regarding your water chemistry. In that vein, always test the separate variables.

 

Start a notebook and record your test results before and after dosing. This will help you develop an intuition about these issues and will save you much headache in the future.