DkH

[untamed]

Once you have concluded that your low pH is caused by too much CO2...solving that is difficult. My tank is just too sealed up and doesn't breathe well. The herbie overflows eliminate a lot of natural aeration that would normally help. It is a brand new house that is tight and even in the summer the air conditioning keeps the house cool and closed up. I need to feed my skimmer outdoor air somehow.

In my case, the Ca reactor has been shut off for quite a while and Kalk alone has driven up my Alk..thereby solving my low pH problem for the time being.

A number of my coral lay down more tissue at peak pH above 8.2 than they did when I couldn't get the pH above 8. I don't think there is much doubt that higher pH is better than lower (to a point of course).

I would be happier at an Alk around 8-9...but I'll push that higher in order to keep the pH above 8.

[whatcaneyedo]

I'm actually fine right now, my pH is in the 8.0-8.2 range. Two days ago I measured my alkalinity (Elos test kit) and I was sitting at 10dkh. Like I was saying, in the winter my house is too closed up and I have a lot of CO2 build up which drives down my tanks pH. In the summer I open up the downstairs windows and everything is fine. I dont think many of those guys on the Reef Central TOTM live up in the frozen north like I do. Many of their tanks are running chillers while my heater is still kicking on each day.

I run an old down flow PM 622 Calcium Reactor with course ARM media and a DIY 6" diameter 1' tall effluent chamber with fine ARM media. pH in the reactor is between 6.5-6.6 and controlled by an AquaController. There is enough flow through to maintain my tanks calcium and alkalinity at constant rates of ~420ppm and 11dkh respectively. I also run all of my top off (about 2 gal a day) through a knock off of a PM Kalk Reactor.

Do you see anything that I could do differently with regards to my reactor?