Ph Fluctuations

[N1z]

Hey now i know ph levels change during day and night but is it normal for say it to be 7.8 at 8am and then about 8.1 at 5.30pm to then 8 at 10pm?

 

[SkiFletch]

Hummm, what's your light cycle like? And when are people home in your house? Do you employ any offset heating schedules for your home?

A 0.3 point swing isn't unheard of but just on the high side of normal... I'd say no swing to 0.2 swing is typical.

 

[steelhealr]

That's a pretty large swing...do you have a refugium? SH

 

[N1z]

Yer well atm my halide on comes on at 4 till 10pm due to im having livestock for a while cos of cabinet issues therefor i dont want too much algea issues. But i do have a refugium of a bit of cheato. I was running it 24/7 but i might do a opposite night cycle but dunno with my halide routine atm.

Got an idea how to have the time plan for both lights?

Oh as for heating, at night the heating goes down to about 16deg c then depends if people are home during day but night time usually 21.

EDIT- cant spell lol

 

[Crazy fishes]

Leave the refugium on 24/7 that should sort that problem at the moment. Check the water chemistry and make sure alkalinity is on the higher end of the range say 11-13 (NR 8-13), but the fact that it is low in the morning and highest in the middle with a slight fall in the third reading later at evening/night, it sound like CO2 issue. Also surface aggitation have plenty of this. The slight dip at night is possibly explained by people in the house and if corals in the tank slight photo inhibition. The former is the most influencial though.

Hope this helps

Regards

 

[SkiFletch]

You might want to try an opposite cycle for your refugium then... Have it's light come overlap the display cycle just a bit. Say something like 9pm till 5pm. Might smooth things out a bit...

 

[N1z]

Well ive tried it and seems to work, plus it should stop too much pest algea growth but ive realised too that i shut my door when i sleep this creates higher Co2 so since ive stopped closing my door in the morning i wake up its about 8.0.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, that makes sense. It doesnt really take much CO2 to lower pH a little bit. Especially if you have radiators instead of forced air heating, when you close that door your metabolism is building up the CO2 in the room. If you have forced air systems though typically they exchange enough air for you.