What is your pH and how to keep it above 8

I find lately that i am having a hard time keeping the pH above 8. What are you doing and what is yours. Is anyone dripping Sodium Hydroxide?

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@wsoldier
😎 Cool KidsAquascaper
Joined Aug 202632 posts140 pts📍 Burbank, CA
Oct 1#2
Excluding hot summers when the windows need to be closed, my pH is usually between 8.2-8.5. I use All For Reef and run a skimmer which is all I usually need. Kalk is also a good solution. Are you running a calcium reactor? Or have a lot of pets/humans in your household and/or poor ventilation?

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@BackbayReef

SCRM😎 Cool KidsReef Guru

Joined May 2026265 posts1,033 pts★5.0(2)

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Oct 1#3

Here is mine — peak at 8.3. I got a big skimmer and just doing BRS soda ash. I used to dose Kalk via the K2 at night but my calcium is close to 500ppm hence backed off for now. I used to do kalk, 2-parts, and CO2 scrubber on my 150gal and was able to pet pH to 8.3-8.5. Anyway, didn’t see any difference tbh.

— /yolo

@IvanW

SCRM😎 Cool KidsCoral NerdOP

Joined Aug 20267 posts44 pts📍 Irvine,CA

Oct 2#4

I have a large skimmer, sump system is outside so lots of fresh air and I do run a calcium reactor. I am planning on replacing the probe this weekend as the one in there might be drifting, I will report back.

@Drexl

SCRM😎 Cool KidsSPS Slinger

Joined Aug 202688 posts364 pts📍 Porter Ranch, CA

Oct 3#5

Elevated co2 in the room and dissolved organics will decrease pH. If running a refugium with macro algae, when the macro is not photosynthesizing it's expiring co2, which during the day, can drop pH levels. The more macro you have, the more co2 will be released in the tank. Quick tip about pH probes before replacing one, simply check that it no longer holds calibration by checking with calibration fluid. If the probe is close to the calibration level, simply re-calibrating it should do the job. But if doesn't calibrate properly, then it's time to replace. Most pH probes are good for a year or two, after that I don't find them that reliable.

— Clams and acros

@Pandoras_Box

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Joined Aug 20264 posts19 pts

Oct 3#6

The macroalgae decided to have a growth spurt while I was away. Alkalinity dropped below 7 and phosphate zeroed out, resulting in very unhappy corals. I pulled out a lot of the macroalgae but could not save some corals, including 3 torches. 😭

@BackbayReef

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Joined May 2026265 posts1,033 pts★5.0(2)

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Oct 3#7

@Pandoras_Box wrote: The macroalgae decided to have a growth spurt while I was away. Alkalinity dropped below 7 and phosphate zeroed out, resulting in very unhappy corals. I pulled out a lot of the macroalgae but could not save some corals, including 3 torches. 😭

Bummer - sorry to hear. I would feed heavy and Reef Roids to bring PO4 up. Alk: you’re not auto dosing to keep Alk stable? If not, slow, incremental BRS Soda Ash (Sodium Bicarbonate) would raise it back up. That’s the reason I don’t do a fuge: kinda messy and you gotta harvest frequently to remove nutrients from the system. It’s like socks & filter floss — the crap is still there in the water column until you physically remove it! lol

— /yolo

@Pandoras_Box

😎 Cool KidsHobbyist

Joined Aug 20264 posts19 pts

Oct 6#8

@BackbayReef wrote: Bummer - sorry to hear. I would feed heavy and Reef Roids to bring PO4 up. Alk: you’re not auto dosing to keep Alk stable? If not, slow, incremental BRS Soda Ash (Sodium Bicarbonate) would raise it back up. That’s the reason I don’t do a fuge: kinda messy and you gotta harvest frequently to remove nutrients from the system. It’s like socks & filter floss — the crap is still there in the water column until you physically remove it! lol

It is a Biocube so the closed system doesn't have an opening to add an auto dosing unit. I have been dosing with sodium bicarbonate to slowly bring the alkalinity back up. It is a fishless tank with mostly photosynthetic corals so I don't do that much feeding except for the recently departed torches, duncans and candy canes. This hot weather has not helped because the water parameters keep fluctuating due to increased evaporation. The tank does not have a refugium. I added a small clump of macro in the tank because I liked the way it looks without realizing it would take off so quickly and have such a big effect on the phosphate levels.

What is your pH and how to keep it above 8

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