low pH - uh oh!

my pH is at 7.8 on all my tanks. I struggle all the time to keep them up. On my nonreef tanks I dose with Aquavitro 8.4 (which works well!) but if I miss a dose or two back down to 7.8.

My reef tank is at 7.8 to 8.0. It has helped since I took off the glass lids that I had on. I dose 2 part every night and my kH is 11, calcium 500, and last test pH was 8.0. I can not seem to get above that point, but everything is doing awesome so I am not concerned.

 

wow, thanks everyone. I shall pick up a test kit for Ca, Mg and alkalinity tmrw at the LFS. Im not too worried anymore. I have a crab, some polyps and mushrooms that seem unaffected by the pH so i guess its not that bad.

 

Just be careful if you decide to step it up on the coral side of this hobby......some corals are sensitive to Ph swings.

 

are you running a fuge by chance?

 

7.8 ? Thats interesting. I have mine at a constant 8.3
For the last 3 months I've been using a reef buffer and its been working wonders...

Anyone else doing this or am i pointlessly buying this buffer haha?

 

Constant at 8.3 regardless of whether the lights are on or off? Not sure that's possible? What test kit are you using? Also, are you testing for alk, ca and mag?

 

not pointless at all, i use a PH buffer as well, allways have been. It is a must for me and keeps me at about 8.4 ish if i read the test right.

 

Pointless perhaps in the reallity of Baking Soda does the exact same thing for pennies!

 

Indeed! forgot about baking soda, good call. That will save you mucho denaro down the road.

 

my pH read a week ago at about 8.0-8.2. It then read last night at 7.8. It is my understanding that it is satisfactory to have a pH of 7.8 but its better to have a higher pH of around 8.2. Why is it better to have it higher? what are the effects towards fish and/or corals and/or inverts?