pH swings

[ENGINEER]

I have a tank that has been up for 2 months. PH is swinging from 8.0 at night to 8.5 during the day. Will B-Ionic solve the problem? I have been using kalkwassar at night. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Physh1]

pH swings on a daily basis are totally normal. As long as your calcium levels are around 400-450, your alk is 3.2-3.5, and your magnesium value is around 1300-1500 your all good.

 

You'll need to est these also to figure out if your dosing the correct levels of chemicals.

 

Cameron

[ENGINEER]

What is a normal pH swing?

[tgrupert]

you may want to consider or at least research a refugium with vegatable filtration. a lot of people run it either 24 hours a day or when the main tank has it's lights off. the photosynthisis helps to even out the swings in PH.

[newreefers]

ph swings as the lights go on and off. off=low ph on=higher ph.

[Twins Guy]

the majority of your pH swing is accounted for by photosynthesis. CO2 is an acid and its concentrations are highest early in the day (before lights come on). throughout the day photosynthetic critters utilize CO2 and release O2-thereby raising pH. in the absense of light, organisms respire-basically the inverse process which utililizes 02 and converts it to CO2-thus lowering the pH. this is a quick and very dirty explanation because it neglects carbonate buffering but you get the point. fluctuations on the reef over the course of the day do occur-its normal-but the huge capacity of oceans absorb a lot of the blow and diminish huge shifts. the idea behind reverse photoperiod illumination in refugiums is designed to keep photosynthesis going somewhere in the system thereby limiting major shifts in pH. HTH! like everyone else suggested test your other parameters to insure you're dosing properly or get a calcium reactor!

EDIT: dose kalkwasser very slowly preferably when pH is its lowest-ie not right after your lights go out-ideally drip it in from the tank's bedtime until just before your lights come on in the morning.

[Physh1]

Originally posted by Twins Guy

the majority of your pH swing is accounted for by photosynthesis.  CO2 is an acid and its concentrations are highest early in the day (before lights come on).  throughout the day photosynthetic critters utilize CO2 and release O2-thereby raising pH.  in the absense of light, organisms respire-basically the inverse process which utililizes 02 and converts it to CO2-thus lowering the pH.  this is a quick and very dirty explanation because it neglects carbonate buffering but you get the point.  fluctuations on the reef over the course of the day do occur-its normal-but the huge capacity of oceans absorb a lot of the blow and diminish huge shifts.  the idea behind reverse photoperiod illumination in refugiums is designed to keep photosynthesis going somewhere in the system thereby limiting major shifts in pH.  HTH!  like everyone else suggested test your other parameters to insure you're dosing properly or get a calcium reactor!  

EDIT: dose kalkwasser very slowly preferably when pH is its lowest-ie not right after your lights go out-ideally drip it in from the tank's bedtime until just before your lights come on in the morning.

That's it. You can also read more on my web page here http://www.californiareefs.com/tanktechchemistry.htm

 

Cameron

[LiQuiD]

Vegatable filtration????

[tgrupert]

Macro algae basicly.