Purely H2O Forum

Ph is an ongoing concern for reef keepers and aquarists. Typically it is a concern more focused towards reef tanks because fish tanks can tolerate a larger flux in Ph levels before causing irreversible damage. In contrast a reef environment must maintain a constant Ph level in order to sustain life. The best Ph level in a reef tank ranges between 7.6 and 8.4 and best suited to the higher side of that range. The normal behavior of Ph in a saltwater tank tends to be on the acidic side (low) Here are some reasons for this. 1)Nitrification 2)Too much carbon dioxide 3)Natural acids created by metabolic waste Sea water contains natural buffers like bicarbonate, borate, hydroxide and others that restrict any drop in Ph levels. One easy fix for a drop in Ph that is often used is baking soda which contains bicarbonates. Another dreaded method is to do...