This tool provides a general estimate and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
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What is the Coral pH Dosing Calculator?
The Coral pH Dosing Calculator calculates how much pH adjuster to add safely to coral tanks. Water quality is the single biggest factor in aquatic animal health. Far more animals are lost to poor water parameters than to disease introduced from outside.
A well-cared-for coral usually lives somewhere between 10 and 50 years. As a filter feeder, what a coral needs from its diet changes across its life stages. Corals are colonial animals, not plants, and depend on stable salinity, alkalinity, calcium and strong lighting. They are the least forgiving part of a reef tank, where stability matters more than any single value. Keep an eye out for bleaching from heat or light stress, tissue recession from unstable alkalinity, brown jelly infection. These are the conditions corals are most commonly seen for.
Coral quick facts
| Measure | Coral |
|---|---|
| Typical lifespan | 10–50 years |
| Diet | Filter feeder |
| Mature at | About 3 years |
| Clutch size | 0–0 eggs |
How does the Coral pH Dosing Calculator work?
The figures are based on commonly cited aquarist rules of thumb and safe parameter ranges for corals, scaled to your tank or livestock details. Use it to know roughly where you stand and what to ask about, not to rule anything in or out on its own.
What affects the result
- Tank size and current stocking level
- Filtration capacity: which affects how much waste the system can safely process
- Feeding habits: since overfeeding is a leading cause of poor water quality
- Source water quality before treatment, which varies by location
How do you use the Coral pH Dosing Calculator?
- Enter the current pH
- Enter the tank volume in whichever unit you use (US gal, L, UK gal)
- Answer "How did you test?"
- Press Calculate, then read the result alongside the sources listed below
Use this alongside your own observation, not instead of it. You notice changes in your coral that no calculator can pick up.
For related questions, see the other water tools or browse every coral tool.
Before you rely on this
Averages hide a lot of variation. The figure here reflects what is typical for corals, but your coral may sit well outside it for perfectly ordinary reasons. Use the result to spot changes over time in your own animal rather than to compare it against other people's pets.
Sources and references
The formulas, reference ranges and species data behind the Coral pH Dosing Calculator come from these veterinary references, professional bodies and published research.
- University of Florida IFAS ExtensionAquacultureedis.ifas.ufl.edu(opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary ManualReptilesmerckvetmanual.com(opens in a new tab)
- ARAVAssociation of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinariansarav.org(opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary ManualExotic and Laboratory Animalsmerckvetmanual.com(opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary ManualRoutine Care and Breedingmerckvetmanual.com(opens in a new tab)
- Built on veterinary referencesFormulas and ranges come from veterinary manuals, university research and welfare bodies, listed above for you to check.
- Instant resultsNo page reload, no waiting and no account. Enter your details and the result appears straight away.
- Private by designCalculations run in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored on our servers or shared with anyone.
- Always freeEvery XpertsPet tool is free to use, with no premium tier and nothing to sign up for.