Ph issues

[steve 1965]

Hi I have a very strange issue happening that I cannot figure out. Every morning between 5 and 7am my ph plummets from 7.9 down to 7.6 and then lights come on at 9am and it’s takes awhile for the ph to come back up. DKH is 9.2 CAL 435. MAG 1365.

 

[steve 1965]

Here’s my apex

 

[visioned]

ph swings naturally at night due to the respiration period of the corals/algae/etc in lieu of the lighting period in the main display.

corals use co2 during the day for photosynthesis, at night everything respires and releases co2 which is why you're seeing the drop.

1. first thing and easiest change you can make is to crack a window in the room of the tank to vent in fresh air from outside. if your home is air tight and has little exchange... your own breath + pets will raise the co2 in the room and cause the ph to fall. this affect is more noticeable when everyone is home sleeping, then everyone wakes up in the morning telling each other what they have planned for the day over breakfast... hence your ph drop happens consistently at 5-7am.

2. if you have a skimmer; you can route your skimmer air intake line outside to bring in fresh air. this is going to aerate your water with fresh air. bonus: you can further this effect by co2 scrubbing it if you're not lazy about switching media. i hear it burns up quick, but maybe someone else can chime in.

3. if you have a fuge; you can run the light cycle opposite hours of the day time lights to fight the drop with macro algae photosynthesis.

4. if you're dosing kalk, you can do so at night to push your ph up in the evening hours.

no matter what, you're going to see a swing. use these options as ways to minimize that swing. i wouldn't chase it.

tldr: open a window, skimmer air intake from outside, opposite light schedule on fuge, dose kalk at night. don't chase it.

 

[steve 1965]

ph swings naturally at night due to the respiration period of the corals/algae/etc in lieu of the lighting period in the main display.

corals use co2 during the day for photosynthesis, at night everything respires and releases co2 which is why you're seeing the drop.

1. first thing and easiest change you can make is to crack a window in the room of the tank to vent in fresh air from outside. if your home is air tight and has little exchange... your own breath + pets will raise the co2 in the room and cause the ph to fall. this affect is more noticeable when everyone is home sleeping, then everyone wakes up in the morning telling each other what they have planned for the day over breakfast... hence your ph drop happens consistently at 5-7am.

2. if you have a skimmer; you can route your skimmer air intake line outside to bring in fresh air. this is going to aerate your water with fresh air. bonus: you can further this effect by co2 scrubbing it if you're not lazy about switching media. i hear it burns up quick, but maybe someone else can chime in.

3. if you have a fuge; you can run the light cycle opposite hours of the day time lights to fight the drop with macro algae photosynthesis.

4. if you're dosing kalk, you can do so at night to push your ph up in the evening hours.

no matter what, you're going to see a swing. use these options as ways to minimize that swing. i wouldn't chase it.

tldr: open a window, skimmer air intake from outside, opposite light schedule on fuge, dose kalk at night. don't chase it.

I also have two tanks and only the one is dropping in ph between 4 and 6am every morning.

 

[steve 1965]

I also have two tanks and only the one is dropping in ph between 4 and 6am every morning.

Could this be a precipitation issue when dosing Alk and Cal Mag around that same time?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Could this be a precipitation issue when dosing Alk and Cal Mag around that same time?

No.

Does anything happen around the home then, such as everyone waking up and being near the tank? Gas stove cooking breakfast?

 

[steve 1965]

No it’s usually after I’ve left for work and I get an alert from my apex and hydros both showing the same ph drop. I also have another tank within 10’ and it maintains a normal ph during the same time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No it’s usually after I’ve left for work and I get an alert from my apex and hydros both showing the same ph drop. I also have another tank within 10’ and it maintains a normal ph during the same time.

This happens repeatedly on many different days at the same starting time?

Assuming nothing gets added during that time, then I'd look for electrical interference of some sort. Try plugging the pH meters) in somewhere else and move the wires away from any other wires.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Does anything stop being added at the start time, such as overnight kalkwasser dosing?

 

[steve 1965]

This happens repeatedly on many different days at the same starting time?

Assuming nothing gets added during that time, then I'd look for electrical interference of some sort. Try plugging the pH meters) in somewhere else and move the wires away from any other wires.

Yeah that’s why I was asking because my cal mag alk and I dose tropic mirin NO bacto balance. I have my hydros ph probe in main tank and apex in the sump both read the same. Also have ground probes in both tank and sump. Always have. Could it be the Tropic Marin?

 

[steve 1965]

These are the lows the last few days but this has been going on for awhile but never got this low. Everything in tank looks great corals look great fish are fine. So not sure what o should do.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

These are the lows the last few days but this has been going on for awhile but never got this low. Everything in tank looks great corals look great fish are fine. So not sure what o should do.

When are you dosing the bactobalance?

 

[steve 1965]

Ok so I think I figured it out . I switched my BACTO Balance dose to 1800hrs. 5ml in 160g tank and it plummeted my PH just now.

 

[steve 1965]

When are you dosing the bactobalance?

I was dosing at 6am and I just switched to 1800 and it just dosed 5ml in 160g and it plummeted my PH

 

[steve 1965]

I’m not using that stuff anymore. It’s a shame because it really did work keeping nutrients in check

 

[Naturalreef]

I would also look for detritus hidden in back chambers or sump depending on what type of tank you have. Detritus is a breathing organism that expels co2 lowering your ph. Just my input….

 

[steve 1965]

Here’s my ph after dosing it

 

[steve 1965]

I would also look for detritus hidden in back chambers or sump depending on what type of tank you have. Detritus is a breathing organism that expels co2 lowering your ph. Just my input….

Yes I’ve looked into that and my back is pretty open and I have a goby in there that moves sand around like a bulldozer

 

[steve 1965]

I took the bacto balance off line and will see what happens tomorrow also increased my Kalk dosing

 

[steve 1965]

Lights are going down but here’s the tank.