I'm back and better than ever (almost)

clown-keeper99

clown-keeper99

Member
After (almost) getting out of the hobby I was looking at my scummy algae infested tank and thought "my tank could be so much better". That was 2 months ago. Now I "nuked" my tank (Drained it, changed all the live sand, and dried all my rock) and things have been going great. I now just started adding corals but I can't keep my pH and Alkilinity in check. I cant get it above 7.8 and my Alkilinity above 140. I just started dosing Kalkwasser, but now my Calcium is over 500ppm (my solution to this is to buy more hard corals
) but I would like some other tips on controling pH.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
What salt brand do you use? It could be as easy as switching.
But of course, you would have to do so very slowly.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
You should see what it's like straight after mixing (make sure to mix it very slowly). A guy at my lfs noticed a marked difference when he added his salt (Reef Crystals) slowly rather than in one big glob. You might also look at the ventilation in your home. If it is poor, then your home's CO2 levels will be higher and your pH will be lower. You might also check your source water. I have never heard of problems with Reef Crystals having low pH (except for the guy at my lfs). Of course there are always bad batches. If the levels of your freshly mixed salt is good, then move on to looking at the aeration in your tank. Your animals consume oxygen and create CO2 which can build up. You have to make sure and aerate it so that it matches the chemistry of your air. More O2 in means more CO2 out.
Finally, raising the temperature of your tank has the potential to drive some of that CO2 out and raise your pH. Obviously don't do this if your tank's temperature already runs at the upper end.
 
clown-keeper99

clown-keeper99

Member
When I test my pH and Alkilinity in my salt water before it goes in the tank it tests about 8.4 and 300+ respectivly, but it has no effect on the main tank for more than a couple of hours. I tested my water after adding Kalk and my pH is now 7.9 and alkilinity is about 120....
so wierd....
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by clown-keeper99 http:///t/393059/im-back-and-better-than-ever-almost#post_3493866
When I test my pH and Alkilinity in my salt water before it goes in the tank it tests about 8.4 and 300+ respectivly, but it has no effect on the main tank for more than a couple of hours. I tested my water after adding Kalk and my pH is now 7.9 and alkilinity is about 120....
so wierd....
What time of the day do you test your PH?...Early AM is usually lowest. To get a more accurate test result, test in the afternoon.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
I'm not sure what in your tank would lower the pH so staunchly. Do you know what could be driving those values down? What type of test do you use? If your tank's temperature is low and you are required to shake your test kit, then CO2 can dissolve into the solution and cause the pH to drop.
What of your sand?
 
clown-keeper99

clown-keeper99

Member
Its starting to get cold here in wisconsin and the house is all sealed up. I use an API test kit, not the best but its the only kind my LFS carries. I have about 2 inches of sand in my tank and a little bit of algae growth
 
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