pH dropping -hello winter

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Hmmm, really?? I dose Seachem Reef Buffer (and have for a couple years) and keep my dKH around 8 or 9 (API, which is a single reagent test). I have in the past also tested with Elos or Salifert (can't remember which one), but the results were basically the same (just a finer granularity), so I went back to the API.

I have a lot of SPS in my tank and so far no problems. But now you have me worried. I may have to go out and buy another KH test kit. Is Seachem the one you recommend?

And I also have not tested pH for a year or more.

It's their Reef Status Magnesium test kit, comes in an obnoxiously large white plastic case with a red label. In addition to mag, that test kit does total alk and borate alk. You subtract borate alk from total alk to get your carbonate alk.

It's the only test kit that I've seen that has reagents to test for borate alk, all the other kits you just mentioned test for total alk only, so it's good that they agree. I'm just guessing, but I bet they make it specifically because of their reef buffer product.

Keep in mind that this was in... 2008 I think, so it's possible that reef buffer's formula has been changed and the ratio of borate to carbonate is different now. I was also a serious idiot back then and had no idea what I was doing, as referenced by the fact that I managed to get in to a situation where it was that out of whack. That was the same year I destroyed all of my pumps in a runaway precipitation reaction because I didn't know the first thing about reef chemistry. Looking back at pictures of that tank makes me cringe now.

I'd just be aware of it. Obviously if you've been doing what you're doing for that long things are working, but I'd still want to know how that total alk number broke down.