[C.S.]

well i tested my ph and it at the moment is 7.7!
what would cause this and how would i fix it add calcium or some DKH buffer? wow i am amased anything is alive.

 

[DLBerlin]

PH drops at night.
Whats your set-up? Fuge?
Do you drip calc at night? That would help keep the PH up.

 

[matt stevenson]

at night, when the lights are off, photosynthesis isn't occurring therefore, disolved carbon dioxide which is usually being removed by the process of photosynthesis, is building up in your tank as fish and other creatures respire. it probably happens every night and you just haven't noticed it before. After your lights have been on for a couple hours, it will probably correct itself. You could try to get your fuge lights to come on when your tank lights turn off so that photosyntheses is occurring in you tank durring the day and in your fuge at night. or an easier method would be to make sure you have adequate water movement at the top of the tank. The surface tension of water doesn't allow for much gas exchange. So if you shoot a powerhead at the water surface, you breake the surface tension and allow the Carbon Doxide to be released.

 

[Sylock]

That's one reason that I have my refug lights on at night, to help the PH not drop.

Check your PH a few hours after main lights are on. That's a pretty big swing for just photo synth.

 

[eelman]

pH drop

How did you test your pH? Was it a test kit? or Meter? If a test kit, is it in date? Are the chemicals good? If a meter, when was the last time you calibrated it?

 

[Newts]

Always check any parameter of a tank at the same time of day, do to changes through out the photo period. PH is the one that usually changes the most though. I always check mine late in the photo time period.

 

[C.S.]

that makes sense because i checked it right before i turned the lights on