PH question

[gwhook]

This may be a dumb question, but I have been using the Seneye unite to monitor my tank. I have noticed that at night my PH goes down then back up as the day goes on. Is this normal? I don't know why it would drop around 3/4 of a point at night.

 

[gwhook]

This may be a dumb question, but I have been using the Seneye unite to monitor my tank. I have noticed that at night my PH goes down then back up as the day goes on. Is this normal? I don't know why it would drop around 3/4 of a point at night.

I think I found my answer. I guess when the lights turn off the PH tends to decrease. Chemical exchange slows letting the PH drop.

 

[glb]

I think I found my answer. I guess when the lights turn off the PH tends to decrease. Chemical exchange slows letting the PH drop.

That's absolutely right. Not a problem at all.

 

[Gladfelter]

That's why a lot.of people.run their refugium lights opposite their tank lights.

 

[Mike J.]

3/4 of a point is actually very good. That's a small change, most tanks drop more than that.

 

[Downbeach]

Here's a good read. To answer your question directly, go to "The Daily pH Swing", in the article.

The “How To†Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners Part 3: pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[808jaymakoa]

I have a seneye as well and at night my ph drops to 7.9 and raises to 8.2 by the end of the day

 

[gwhook]

That's why a lot.of people.run their refugium lights opposite their tank lights.

I have read where people use the fefugium. Two of my tanks are 28 gallon JBJs the stands do not have much room. It might be hard to do.

 

[jabberkaycee]

Totally normal. I run my fuge light at night to minimize the swing.

 

[gwhook]

3/4 of a point is actually very good. That's a small change, most tanks drop more than that.

I do tend to leave the lights on more than most. This may be why the drop is minimal.

 

[EvilMel]

Your pH rises throughout the day because of the photosynthesis happening in your corals. They produce oxygen during photosynthesis. Then at night there's no more photosynthesis happening. Heterotrophic bacteria cosume this oxygen and produce CO2 during respiration. CO2 lowers your pH while O2 increases it. That's why if your power goes out, hook some battery powered air pumps to the system, which add oxygen and stabilize your pH.

I usually run a calcium reactor on my bigger tanks. Back a number of years ago, I didn't realize that my solenoid had gone bad on my CaRX. Solenoids are supposed to turn off the CaRX if the power goes out or if the pH gets too low (if they're hooked up to a pH controller...which mine was). Anyway, I woke up because the power had been out and the house had gotten kinda hot. I walked into the living room where my tank was and CO2 was bubbling like mad into the tank from my CaRX. I about died. I ran over to this battery operated pH monitor that I had mounted on the wall and watch my pH plummeting. I immediately turned off the CO2 and ran to walmart in the middle of the night. Bought a deep cycle battery and like 4 air pumps (each with two outlets so I hooked up like 8 airstones). I turned on the air pumps and watched the pH start to come back up...waited 20 minutes...and the ding dang power comes back on. hah hah. I was like "mother ffff"

But yeah, my tank was fine.

 

[jservedio]

pH is a pretty interesting thing - if your tank is really stable you will notice the weirdest things effecting your pH. If you have company staying in your house in close proximity of your tank you will notice the pH of the tank dropping a couple tenths, or if the windows are closed during the winter when the furnace is on your pH will drop. Opposite is true - when your family is out of the house, the windows are open, the skimmer has fresh air blowing on it, etc. the pH will start to go up.

You are really lucky the pH difference is so tiny on your tank - you really shouldn't need to do anything to negate it since that is such a small drop. A lot people see way more - like in the 0.3-0.4 range between day/night.