Light on my refugium and PH fluctuation

[Alexnyc22]

I've noticed over time that even though I have a t5 on my fuge my PH still drops dramatically at night. Isn't the light meant to keep the PH from fluctuating?

 

[fredro]

It certainly does help, but compared to the amount of light in the DT during the day, it is not the same. But IMO, the sway that you're seeing isn't that big and shouldn't be much of an issue. I don't know if you dose at all, but if you do, wether manually of with a dosing pump, you can try and dose your Alk in the evening hours, which will also help to lessen the ph drop during the night hours.

 

[Alexnyc22]

I'm still working on figuring out the whole dosing process but it's still dropping and my t5 on my fuge is on. Can't figure it out for the life of me

 

[fredro]

The light is smaller on the fuge for one. Also, the amount of time that the water in the sump spends in contact with the light at night is less than the amount of time that the water in the DT spends in contact w the lights up too during the day. Because the sump area is smaller, the water moves faster through it, spending less overall time in it, under the light at night than it does up too in the dark during the evening. THIS IS NORMAL. You are just trying to keep the ph swing as low as possible, which yours is fine imo, not that you have to eliminate it all together. Hope this makes sense to you.

 

[Alexnyc22]

It does thanks!

 

[JavyJaverson]

look into a co2 scrubber with soda lime, it plugs into the air intake of your skimmer and keeps ph steady. its cheap to make.

 

[lrasser]

your swing is VERY small. Nothing to worry about at all. I use the soda lime in the winter months when the house is sealed up and it raises my PH from about 7.9 to 8.2. I got a cheap $30 reactor and medical grade soda lime. $45 worth of media has lasted me all winter.