Low pH may not be the end of the world

OK, the title is a bit sensationalistic but maybe it will get more hits on the search function.

I'm just reposting a link to this article because I hope that maybe it will save some people from freaking out over having a pH less than 8.3 at any point during the day.

The gist of it, as I understand it (please feel free to post other ideas/opinions this is just based on my understanding of what I've read), is that there are several main parts to alkalinity that our test kits measure, bicarbonate, carbonate, and borate. Coral calcify best with higher levels of bicarbonate out of the three, and the level of bicarbonate is determined by pH, more specifically lower pH.

We can't directly affect the amount of bicarbonate that makes up our total alkalinity in our tanks because the levels of all three are based on the pH of the water. The higher the pH the lower the percentage that is bicarbonate, the lower the pH the higher the percentage that is bicarbonate.

This is all percentage based as I understand it so if your pH is higher like 8.3 you can raise your total alkalinity to maintain higher levels of bicarbonate. So really having pH on the lower end of the scale isn't horrible because you have a higher percentage of bicarbonate that corals like more.

For those visually inclined, courtesy of reefkeeping.com and Randy Holmes-Farley I'm guessing by the URL:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15966019&postcount=9
CO2 = Carbon Dioxide
HCO3- = Bicarbonate
CO3- = Carbonate


So it sounds like if you have a higher pH, in the 8.2 or 8.3 range you may consider maintaining a higher alkalinity level to keep higher bicarbonate levels. I know lots of people have said to maintain higher alk levels forever but I haven't ever seen this stated as reasoning for it.
Those who have pH on the lower end, don't tear your hair out, you have awesome bicarbonate ratios (although trying to raise your pH AND total alkalinity levels doesn't sound out of the question).

The article:
Wiley InterScience :: Session Cookies


And just some other stuff by Chris Jury:
Reefkeeping Online Magazine - Chris Jury
Other articles about the carbonate system:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/pdf/AdvancedAquarist-2008-12.pdf
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Aquarium Chemistry: The Carbonate System in the Aquarium, and the Ocean, Part II: The Interacting Carbonate System
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Aquarium Chemistry: The Carbonate System in the Aquarium, and the Ocean, Part III: Methods Available to the Aquarist.

 

informative post Screwtape
some interesting links and articles in there

Steve

 

My PH is always a little on the low end. I don't worry to much about it, seems I'm doing ok.

 

good post! I know my PH never goes below 8.0 even without adding any buffer for months.. so im not worried about..

 

I top-off with Kalk and run reverse lighting in my sump/fuge and my Ph swings from 8.3 in the day to 7.9 at night.. My alk is around 3-3.5 meq/L or 8.4-9.8 dKH, calcium at 440ppm, mag at 1440ppm and salinity at 1.025.

I don't worry one bit because all my SPS grow soo fast, I can literally sit there and watch them grow. Polyp extension is amazing too!!

After reading that artical, it gives me more reason not to worry (Not that I was worried before)..

Thanks Screwtape!!

 

Glad to see some other people found it interesting too!