Ph is an ongoing concern for reef keepers and aquarists. Typicaly it is a concern more focused towards reef tanks because fish tanks can tollerate a larger flux in Ph levels before causing irreversible damage. In contrast a reef environment must maintane 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 a water change, this should replenish the natural buffers and minerals in your tank. One big reason for a drop in Ph is left over food and fish excrement so removing these things from time to time could be of some benefit.

Note: These facts are posted as a response to questions asked by customers and this is a free service. If you did not find what you were looking for in this article please feel free to contact us with your questions and we will post the answers to your questions as additions to this article. Thank you for choosing H2O Science to help you with your pH concerns!

Bryan Crenshaw