Having trouble with my KH, pH, and Calcium levels, help please!

tirtza

tirtza

Member
I just tested my water today and I'm afraid that I have some issues...

  • calcium seems really high: 520 ppm (from my understanding it for a reef aquarium it should be between 400 - 500 ppm)

  • KH (alkalinity)is: 8 dkh or 143.2 ppm (this seems okay, since I think it should be between 8 - 12 dkh or 140 - 200 ppm) Am I right?

  • pH seems kind of low: 8.0 ppm
I tested the calcium and KH 3x and kept getting the same results.
I know that pH and KH are connected, but with my lack of chemistry knowledge I am completely unsure how they relate to each other.
Other water parameters:
Temperature = 80
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 0
Tank info: it's 7 months old, and houses 3 fish, 2 kenya trees, 1 mushroom, and a little candy cane coral. I do weekly water changes of around 20%, the last time I did a water change was 6 days ago.
Hopefully the above info. will help you answer my questions below:
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[*]
Is the calcium level a big concern, if so how do I lower it?
Do I need to raise the pH, if so how?
Is the KH level alright where it is? If not, what should I do about it?
I have Sea Chem Marine Buffer that claims to raise and maintain a pH to 8.3, should I use it?
What are your thoughts or suggestions regarding my water quality??
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, in avance for all of your help!! Any and all input is incredibly welcome! I'm really worried about my litte piece of ocean
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
I say you are fine. You don't need to do any thing. If you want you can use the buffer just use the drip method to add it and use less then the directions recommend till you learn what you are doing.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Add a small amount ( a pinch or so) of baking soda and see what happens.
look up dr randy holmes-farley's improved diy 2 part.
FWIW pH rises as carbon dioxide decreases. So balancing out the tank with more algae (macors or algae truf scrubber, or even just corraline) will raise the pH. Also you should check pH just before lights out. It rises with lights on and drops with lights out.
my .02
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
Thank so much!
Quote:
you should check pH just before lights out
I'll check it out tonight, as soon as the lights go off and see if it's different.
Quote:
algae truf scrubber
What's that?
So adding some macro algae will help? I can buy some at my LFS, does it need to be put in a QT? I've bought it in the past and never put it in the QT, but I now I'm becoming more cautious. I don't have a fuge, so it'll have to go in the main area (probably anchored down by some rocks....will that work?
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tirtza http:///t/390624/having-trouble-with-my-kh-ph-and-calcium-levels-help-please#post_3460676
Thank so much!
I'll check it out tonight, as soon as the lights go off and see if it's different.
What's that?
So adding some macro algae will help? I can buy some at my LFS, does it need to be put in a QT? I've bought it in the past and never put it in the QT, but I now I'm becoming more cautious. I don't have a fuge, so it'll have to go in the main area (probably anchored down by some rocks....will that work?
An algae turf scrubber basically is a box with screens in it so turf algae grows on the screens.
IMHO macro algae is the single best thing for marine tanks.
You might consider a partition in the display to protect the algae from algae eaters. Just an egg crate (1/4" plastic grid lighting diffusers) will do. Cram a peice in a corner with the macro between the egg crate and glass. you may have to add a small light to help as well. but you get the idea.
my .02
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
I'll test again tonight after I turn the lights in the aquarium out. The lights are always on from 4:30 - 9:30.
I usually test during the middle of the day (when there's plenty of bright natural light outside) so that I can go next to a window and compare the color in the test tube to the color chart more accurately. Hopefully when I test tonight the lights in my apartment are bright and natural enough to get a good reading.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
Thanks for the smile guys!

Okay, here's my results from tonights tests:
pH = 8.2 ppm (up from 8.0 three days ago, I never added the buffer)
ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
nitrates = 0
Calcium = 520 ppm (same as it was 3 days ago)
KH (Alkalinity) = 8 dkh or 143.2 ppm (same as it was 3 days ago)
Temperature = 80.2
Spec. gravity = 1.024
* So the only thing that changed was the ph. Three days ago when I tested the water it was around noon, and the lights had been out since 9:30 the previous evening. When I tested the water tonight, it right after the lights had been turned off, after they had already been on for the usual 5 hours.
So what do you all think? Is the water alright? Is there anything I should do or not do??
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
That is normal. What changed was co2. During the lit part of the day photosynthesis by algae and corals convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and that raises pH. At night with no light there is no photosynthesis and the pH falls.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by tirtza http:///t/390624/having-trouble-with-my-kh-ph-and-calcium-levels-help-please#post_3461280
Thanks for the smile guys!

Okay, here's my results from tonights tests:
pH = 8.2 ppm (up from 8.0 three days ago, I never added the buffer)
ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
nitrates = 0
Calcium = 520 ppm (same as it was 3 days ago)
KH (Alkalinity) = 8 dkh or 143.2 ppm (same as it was 3 days ago)
Temperature = 80.2
Spec. gravity = 1.024
* So the only thing that changed was the ph. Three days ago when I tested the water it was around noon, and the lights had been out since 9:30 the previous evening. When I tested the water tonight, it right after the lights had been turned off, after they had already been on for the usual 5 hours.
So what do you all think? Is the water alright? Is there anything I should do or not do??
What you should not do - add a buffer to raise your PH
What you could do - add buffer to raise your Alkalinity.
What I suggest - monitor Alkalinity and do nothing if it's not dropping. If it drops much further then add some of the buffer to maintain it where it is or even a little bit higher.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I think you're fine. When was your last water change? I'd do a water change and monitor my alk before adding a buffer. Some tanks just suck up alk (like mine).
 
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