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Low pH can be caused by poor gas exchange (which can be exasperated by the glass tops) and/or high levels of CO2 in your home. You can test for this fairly easily with a cup, a small air pump, and an air stone. Take a cup of your tank water and put it next to your tank. Put the airstone in it with the air pump running for about 30 minutes and then measure the pH of the water in the cup. If it’s significantly higher than the pH of the water in your tank, then your tank isn’t getting enough gas exchange.
If the pH hasn’t gone up significantly, then take the cup and the air pump and put them outside and let it run for another 30 minutes, then test the pH again. If it’s gone up this time, then it’s likely caused by high levels of CO2 in your house. If this is the case you may be able to help with the pH levels in your tank by running your skimmer’s air intake to the outside.
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