# Ph changes/meters/sad nem help



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

How much Ph swing is considered "normal" from morning to night in a reef tank? I'm having trouble with my anemone, he deflates during the day (to the point where I thought he was dead last night), then gets happier once the lights go off. I've been blaming it on the lights...I made a significant quality upgrade from coralife to ATI and Geismann tubes a few months ago, but maybe not??? He's best in the morning before lights on, then declines during the day. I'm not sure, but from my API test kit, I think my swing is fairly significant (7.8 to 8.4ish) but I have a really hard time reading the colors. I'm going to get a Ph meter today, I hope.

Is this one good enough or do I have to spend more?

http://www.aquariumsupplies.ca/test...p-5561.html?osCsid=cj3mev35c45nk24lq2hgtura50

This one's 3 x the price, is it 3 x as good?

http://www.aquariumsupplies.ca/waterproof-digital-meter-p-1552.html

Here are the details, in case anyone has any input on what could be upsetting him...He's been with me since May, introduced to my mature reef, and has been great until the last few weeks. He is hosted by 2 sebae clowns.

90g tank with 125lb LR asst soft/LPS/SPS corals, 
Remora Pro HOB skimmer
Tek 6 x 54w lights
I do Vit C 1/2 tsp morning and night. Just started Kent 2 part as needed approx 3 weeks ago, and just started adding (slowly) Seachem reef magnesium (level tested low and I saw some tissue recession on a chalice). I stopped all supplements several days ago just in case...

Ca 380
Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 7.8 in the morning
SG 1.025
Kh 7

A couple of months ago, I switched out (2 at a time) my crappy coralife tubes for geismann and ATI tubes, I'm running (front to back)

DD Actinic +
DD Aquablue +
DD Actinic +
ATI Blue +
DD Actinic +
ATI Blue +


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

and its a lovely tank. 

Although my question is off topic, as I have little info on ph swings. admittedly some of my corals go flumpy just before night too. (possible same issue?) Where did you get your bulbs?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

The first will work fine. A sump with a macro and a reverse lighting period tends to help the ph fluctuations.

What vitamin c product are you using? Marine or pharmaceudical grade? Make sure it is buffered to fit your tanks need.

NOW makes a buffered vitamin c that is buffered to 8.1-8.2 This is what we use.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

I think your Ca is little low. 

I recommend continuous monitor. I use Ph probe attached to Reef Keeper Lite, and it's been great. My Ph swing is significant too (7.8 before lights on, 8.3-8.4 before lights out), and the small refugium full of chaeto doesn't seem to help much.

However, I heard this sort of Ph swing is perfectly normal. What you want to worry about is Ph going out of normal range (7.8 to 8.5).


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

One thing is to turn the refugium light on early enough that the macros can begin to photosynethsize before the lights go out on the DT.

As for your nem, do you feed it? Has it moved in the last little while?


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I got home around 6:30 and he was out and looking better than I've seen for a while. Now, at 7:25, he's starting to deflate and hide. My photoperiod is 1 actinic and 1 blue + from 10am-8pm and all lights from 11am to 7 pm. I wonder if that's longer than he wants...

Hope this answers all the questions and isn't too confusing... Sorry, I'm not sure how to quote multiple posts 

Unfortunately, I don't have a sump or fuge and would need a good divorce lawyer if I pushed it :-( He's already not thrilled with having 229 gallons of water in the living room 

I'm using iHerb buffered vitamin C, as per the long, ongoing RC thread...

I do feed him, but recently he's been really off his food, which I attributed to the clowns shoving every morsel the can spare into his mouth!

Unfortunately, MOPS was low on their Ph monitoring/testing equipment, the only one in stock was the more expensive hand tested, which Dan didn't think was necessary. He assured me that that swing wasn't particularly abnormal, especially in the winter with the house closed up. He did recommend Seachem marine buffer, which I got but haven't used yet. I was going to get the cheaper one when it came in, but may reconsider a continuous monitor...

I know my Ca is low, I have a really fast-growing monty and a really fast-growing acro, that's why I was going to get into adding the 2 part, but now I'm a little nervous so I might just up the WC's for a while...can't hurt anything with that...

I got some of the lamps at MOPS and some at ORG...and thanks, Sunstar  As stated here, 7.8 to 8.4 isn't that abnormal, so that could maybe be what you're seeing?


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

ameekplec. said:


> One thing is to turn the refugium light on early enough that the macros can begin to photosynethsize before the lights go out on the DT.


Great advice, will keep that in mind when I get my tank going.


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