What is pH?
The pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline water in your aquarium is. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. Very acidic water is pH 0 and very alkaline water is pH 14, while water that is neither acid or alkaline is pH 7 and described as neutral.
Why test for pH?
Most marine organisms have evolved to optimally live in a narrow pH range. Deviations away from their preferred pH can result in stress, poor health and ultimately, death. As aquarium water tends to acidify with age, regularly testing the pH of the water is the only reliable method of ensuring that the pH is correct for the aquarium’s inhabitants.
What is the correct pH level in my aquarium?
The pH in a marine aquarium should be approximately 8.3. In addition to meeting this pH range, a stable pH is equally important. Rapid fluctuations in pH can be just as detrimental as the wrong pH. As KH (carbonate hardness) is strongly correlated with the stability of the pH, KH should also be monitored at the same time as pH.
What to do if my pH is wrong?
If the pH is outside of the desired range, test and ensure that the KH is also correct. To safely increase the pH and the KH, use Marine Buffer Powder. When the KH is correct, the pH should return to the normal range. Excessively high pH (and KH) can be caused by inappropriate décor or overuse of some calcium supplements; identify the precise cause and carry out partial water changes to dilute high KH and restore the pH to the required range.
How to test for pH?
Add 5 ml of water to be tested into the test tube provided. The middle mark on the test tube indicates 5 ml.
Add 5 drop of the pH reagent to the test tube, cap the test tube and then shake.
Immediately view the test tube from the side and compare to the colour chart to determine the pH of the water.
To find out more about water quality and parameters in saltwater aquariums, click here.
