best way to maintain PH with a reactor??

[Marlin65]

I have my calcium reactor running now and my levels are great on my CA and KH but like it is supposed to do my PH is running at 8.00 in the day and 7.70 at night. I know Kalk at night is recommended but I would prefer to just dose.
I was thinking of just adding some PH buff ones in a while.
Just wondering what other people with reactors are doing??

[Dez]

Originally Posted by Marlin65

I have my calcium reactor running now and my levels are great on my CA and KH but like it is supposed to do my PH is running at 8.00 in the day and 7.70 at night. I know Kalk at night is recommended but I would prefer to just dose.
I was thinking of just adding some PH buff ones in a while.
Just wondering what other people with reactors are doing??

I just leave mine. My PH goes 7.8 at night and 8.1 during the day. I have my controller set that if the tank Ph goes below 7.75 that the calcium reactor's CO2 feed would just shut off. I've thought about running my air intake for the skimmer to feed from outside, this would raise the PH with fresh air going in. I might still do that someday when it's warm out.

[amoreira]

My DT pH ranges between 8.3 evening and 8.5 daytime with alk running at 10 dkH. I find higher alk tends to reduce this range and lower the levels (e.g. 8.2 to 8.4 when I'm running alk at 12).

pH varies with the amount of free CO2 and other organic acids in the water column. I find the following will help increase your pH (in order of importance).

1. Don't overstock the tank. Too much fish emit CO2 and other acidifiers.

2. Lighting, more intense lighting gives plant life in your DT energy to produce oxygen and reduce CO2 levels, which elevates pH. For my 180 gal I use 3x250 Watt MH + 4x80 Watt Actinic T5's. For the evenings I use a refugium with macro algae + T5's to sop up the CO2 from the DT and avoid the pH dropping too much.

3. Tons of aeration. Use a big protein skimmer and direct the sump return into a small area in the sump where air is mixing well with the water.

4. Frequent water changes (10% per week).

A well controlled calcium reactor will help stabilize alk and pH. It won't raise the pH. In fact it will do the opposite. I've heard of some setting up a pH controller for the DT using a dosing pump with kalkwasser or caustic soda solution. I don't have any experience with this. I'd try 1..4 first before doing this.

[Marlin65]

No fish in the tank no algae or plants of any kind and no refugium on this one. I have 250w De plus T5 and a decent skimmer and do regular water changes so that rules out the first 4 for me. Maybe I will just leave it for a bit to see what happens.

[mark]

Looking good now so would say if your reactor is keeping the Ca and alk levels where you want, don't worry about the pH.

On mine find even with a reactor the pH is fairly steady around 8.1 but have macro fuge lit 24/7.

[whatcaneyedo]

I range between 7.9-8.1 right now. To keep my pH up I:

Run a Kalkreactor in addition to my Ca Reactor
Draw my skimmers air from outside the house
Grow macroalgae on reverse lighting
Have a lot of open surface area for gas exchange in my system
Try to keep my Alkalinity in the high range
Use an oversize becket skimmer
Live alone most of the time
Own a lot of house plants
Added DIY second stage to Ca Reactor

[untamed]

I've managed to get my pH to bounce daily between 8.15 and 8.0, even though my Alk is only about 8.

The two-stage Ca reactor runs only during the daylight cycle. Reactor is at pH 6.5, but exits the 2nd stage at more like 7.2.

The Kalk reactor runs only during the night. pH of supplied Kalk is about 12.5.

Refugium lit on opposite cycle to display tank.

BIG skimmer breathing in-house air.

I went after controlling pH in a big way some months back and this is the result. I don't think controlling pH fixed the problems I was having... but I suppose I'm better off for the effort.

[fkshiu]

I have no clue what my pH is at night but I do run a fuge on the reverse light cycle and use kalk in my top off. I also have an exhaust fan sitting right over the tank which probably helps a bit to in evacuating CO2.

My GEO reactor is single chambered.

[christyf5]

Personally I wouldn't worry about it. My tank had that swing for years with no problems, pH is always lower at night anyways.

[Bryan]

Having the same problems. Going to put mine on a controller so it shuts off at 7.80. I have heard of some users overdriving the CA reactor a bit during the day and shutting the Co2 off at night. Supposedly works well

Originally Posted by Marlin65

I have my calcium reactor running now and my levels are great on my CA and KH but like it is supposed to do my PH is running at 8.00 in the day and 7.70 at night. I know Kalk at night is recommended but I would prefer to just dose.
I was thinking of just adding some PH buff ones in a while.
Just wondering what other people with reactors are doing??