Ideal pH for coral growth

[kayden]

I'm new to this, but my LFS told me 8.0 to 8.4 is safe. My tank's at 8.1, and the mushrooms are spreading. Not sure about the fancy stuff though. What's the lowest pH you'd risk for SPS?

[plocka]

Anything below 7.8 and SPS will start sulking. I've seen Acropora bleach at 7.7. If you're dipping that low, check your alk first. Low alk plus low pH is a death sentence. You running a calcium reactor? They can help buffer pH if set up right.

[Lardy]

Preach, plocka. My tank crashed once when pH hit 7.6. Lost a killer Torch colony. Now I've got a CO2 scrubber on the skimmer air intake. Problem solved. Worth the cash if you're battling low pH.