How low of ph becomes a concern?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Could the salt brand play any kind of a roll in this? I used to use reef crystals and ph was always over 8. Ever since I switched to tropic Marin it's below 8. Granted the time of year and I used to test with API vs salifert, and now one of my tanks has a probe.
The thing is, I have two tanks inside. I plumbed both skimmers to the outside Sunday morning. I'm still 7.78 today via apex on my one tank. Last night I did a salifert test on both tanks to compare. Color charts are hard to read but they were both the same color none the less. So I'm ruling out the kind of skimmers, length of the hose. Now wondering if it's related to how much air the skimmer can import in relation to how hard my furnace is working right now. So if I buy a reactor and use soda media vs the outside air, is it going to change anything? What would you do?

Salt mix won't impact pH unless you do large water changes daily, or the salt mix is driving the pH.

pH is determined mathematically by the alkalinity and the carbon dioxide level, neither of which are usually controlled by the salt mix.

The effect of skimmer air inlet CO2 levels will depend on how much aeration is via the skimmer compared to higher CO2 aeration locations such as the tank top and overflows.

If pH 7.78 is the low, I wouldn't agonize over it.

 

[quik95lt1]

I had this same issue for about the first two months on my 47 column, but after that it seemed to stabilize it self as the tank matured, I used to dose buffer quite a bit in the first two months to keep it above 7.9-8, I also saw the 7.7-7.8 readings, the tank now runs 8.1-8.3 all day basically by itself. Once a week I add buffer just for alkalinity purposes. My freshwater also did the same thing when I first started it pH bounced around in the mid 6's even low 6's then after a few months it just sits at 7.0 now. Never moves no matter what just regulates it self basically. It may be that the tank is still just not matured yet, just my two cents.

 

[Scott.h]

Salt mix won't impact pH unless you do large water changes daily, or the salt mix is driving the pH.

pH is determined mathematically by the alkalinity and the carbon dioxide level, neither of which are usually controlled by the salt mix.

The effect of skimmer air inlet CO2 levels will depend on how much aeration is via the skimmer compared to higher CO2 aeration locations such as the tank top and overflows.

If pH 7.78 is the low, I wouldn't agonize over it.

Sunday early AM it was 7.69. Increasing hose diameter on the skimmer from 3/8 ID to 5/8 ID brought it to 7.8 along with my other tank. It looks like it still occasionally dips lower then 7.8 flat at night.

Out of curiosity, being the salt is only capable of achieving 8.0 outdoors, and my skimmer is plumbed outside, would you personally keep it at 7.8, change salts, or like the salt company recommended me, use their alkalinity mix that has a ph buffer?

I've read somewhere where you've talked against buffers, but I'm not sure why.

At this point the tank is too new to dose any significant amount of kh to really go that route anyway. Just trying to understand why we want to stay away from buffers.

 

[Scott.h]

I had this same issue for about the first two months on my 47 column, but after that it seemed to stabilize it self as the tank matured, I used to dose buffer quite a bit in the first two months to keep it above 7.9-8, I also saw the 7.7-7.8 readings, the tank now runs 8.1-8.3 all day basically by itself. Once a week I add buffer just for alkalinity purposes. My freshwater also did the same thing when I first started it pH bounced around in the mid 6's even low 6's then after a few months it just sits at 7.0 now. Never moves no matter what just regulates it self basically. It may be that the tank is still just not matured yet, just my two cents.

I was hoping that was the case but if you go back a page and look at the test colors, my second, mature tank, also plumbed outside, is even a touch lower then my new tank.

If a salt mix starts out higher at say 8.2, when winter comes for us in the northern states and it dips lower, even with outside air plumped to the skimmer, it's no big deal. But when a salt mix starts out lower to begin with that might be an issue.

What I am wondering though, if any typical salt brand with a specific salinity and alkalinity, how much that ph number would very from brand to brand given the same house/co2 levels

To make it worse, I won't let the wife use the gas fireplace at all. Lol she's not impressed

 

[quik95lt1]

I was hoping that was the case but if you go back a page and look at the test colors, my second, mature tank, also plumbed outside, is even a touch lower then my new tank.

If a salt mix starts out higher at say 8.2, when winter comes for us in the northern states and it dips lower, even with outside air plumped to the skimmer, it's no big deal. But when a salt mix starts out lower to begin with that might be an issue.

What I am wondering though, if any typical salt brand with a specific salinity and alkalinity, how much that ph number would very from brand to brand given the same house/co2 levels

To make it worse, I won't let the wife use the gas fireplace at all. Lol she's not impressed

lol I hear you I'm in RI so its cold here as well we are windows closed all the time but even with that after some time the ph stabilized for me....I use IO Reef Crystals when I mix a batch of water its right at 8.4, in the tank it drops slightly but always rides that 8.1 to 8.3 area.......we have a gas fireplace too but its a direct vent that pulls air from outside so it doesn't affect inside O2 levels.......im in the process of upgrading us to a 90 gallon, taking my time doing it nice nice, but even after I get it running and seeded with live sand and rock from my current tank im still going to give it 2 months to stabilize at least before moving livestock over into it........I hated chasing parameters on my tank when I first set it up.....I just assume be patient let it stabilize then add stuff

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sunday early AM it was 7.69. Increasing hose diameter on the skimmer from 3/8 ID to 5/8 ID brought it to 7.8 along with my other tank. It looks like it still occasionally dips lower then 7.8 flat at night.

Out of curiosity, being the salt is only capable of achieving 8.0 outdoors, and my skimmer is plumbed outside, would you personally keep it at 7.8, change salts, or like the salt company recommended me, use their alkalinity mix that has a ph buffer?

I've read somewhere where you've talked against buffers, but I'm not sure why.

At this point the tank is too new to dose any significant amount of kh to really go that route anyway. Just trying to understand why we want to stay away from buffers.

Do not use a buffer.

If you want to raise pH, there are much more potent ways per unit of alkalinity added. Limewater or a product containing hydroxide is best.

Half as good is sodium carbonate.

A buffer, being a mix of carbonate and bicarbonate, will have a smaller effect, or possibly none at all.