ph ca kh question

[hariii2]

Sorry, I have been searching and reading ph threads all day and I can't find my answer. My ph meter needed batteries so I haven't been testing it lately. I started testing my kh and ca and I was adding superbuffer from Kent to raise my kh and I got it up to where I wanted it, about 8.8. So then I started adding Calcium, but I can not get it to even show up above 0. I have a Salefert (-1 spelling) test kit. i did get some batteries and now my ph is only 7.5. I don't think these numbers are very good at all. I can't find what to do. I tried taking the water outside to test it for co2, still came out at 7.5 ph. I plan on adding an air stone to my sump to try to get a little more O2 in my tank. Maybe my ca test kit is bad? I don't add magnessium but I do have a test kit for that and I will start to test it and ad it also. Any ideas??
Thanks,
hari

 

[murph145]

sounds like a faulty Ca test theres no way it has zero calcium in it
adding buffers can mess up a system for sure IMO
what i would do is do a 20% water change check your values again
get a new Ca test
stop adding buffers instead use a 2 part balanced Ca and Alk combo like B-Ionic that way it will keep your Alk and Ca ionically balanced without dropping your Ph like adding a buffer alone will do

 

[hariii2]

Thanks, anyone else?

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by hariii2
Sorry, I have been searching and reading ph threads all day and I can't find my answer. My ph meter needed batteries so I haven't been testing it lately. I started testing my kh and ca and I was adding superbuffer from Kent to raise my kh and I got it up to where I wanted it, about 8.8. So then I started adding Calcium, but I can not get it to even show up above 0. I have a Salefert (-1 spelling) test kit. i did get some batteries and now my ph is only 7.5. I don't think these numbers are very good at all. I can't find what to do. I tried taking the water outside to test it for co2, still came out at 7.5 ph. I plan on adding an air stone to my sump to try to get a little more O2 in my tank. Maybe my ca test kit is bad? I don't add magnessium but I do have a test kit for that and I will start to test it and ad it also. Any ideas??
Thanks,
hari
First off, how are you mixing your salt water? 24+ hours before adding it?
Calcium test definitely seems faulty. You should absolutely be registring SOME kind of calcium, even if it is low. All salt mixes, even if they are low (IO for example) will have calcium.
Mag usually is fine in all salt mixes. IO is usually a bit low in this respect too, but not by enough to have to dose often unles syou have a big draw.
Are you overfeeding the tank? THis will lower pH, as well, what kind of filtration do you use? Whats your bio load (include tank size).
What is your GPH (gallons per minute) in the tank?
Open top or enclosed hood?
Answer thses so we can pin point potential problems...

 

[hariii2]

OK, well I have a 100 gallon tank.
No glass top but it does have a hood with 2 fans.
I have 440 watts VHO lights, lights on from 2 to 10 pm.
My sump has about 20 gallons of water.
My refugium is a 5 gallon tank, light on 24 hours.
Protein skimmer.
HOB bio wheel filter also.
Don't know the flow, I have a big double ended pump and 2 power heads in the tank.
Fish:
1 Pacific Blue Tang.
1 Atlantic Blue Tang.
1 pair mated Clowns. (They have laid eggs many times. I am working on my rotifer tanks so I can try to raise them.)
1 pair mated Yellow Tailed Damsels. (They have laid eggs many times.)
1 pair Blue Damsles.
3 Cardnals.
1 Mandarin Goby.
1 Cleaner Shrimp.
1 Fire Shrimp.
Crabs, snails.
2 clams.
1 Brittle Star.
1 Feather Star.
Corals:
Hammer Head.
Torch.
Frogspawn.
Leathers.
Many mushrooms.
Many zoos.
Xenia.
2 small Acrapora frags.
I think that is all.
Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia is 0.
ph is low: 7.6
Ca: 0 :notsure:
Alk: 8.8
Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I definetely don't over feed, in fact I probably under feed.

 

[mudplayerx]

Hey Murph, when I'm too lazy or don't have time to drip kalk, I use Purpleup to dose calcium, alk buffer, and baking soda for the ph. You see any problems with this?

 

[murph145]

i dont know if its too much of a problem to me it would just seem hard to know exactly how much of each to add to keep them balanced ionically...
thats y i preffer the 2 part method when i didnt have a CA reactor...
this was when dosing Alk and the Ca it would maintain Ph and not get all outta wack
if u can figure out how much of each u need and it seems to be working for u then id say its fine...

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by murph145
i dont know if its too much of a problem to me it would just seem hard to know exactly how much of each to add to keep them balanced ionically...
thats y i preffer the 2 part method when i didnt have a CA reactor...
this was when dosing Alk and the Ca it would maintain Ph and not get all outta wack
if u can figure out how much of each u need and it seems to be working for u then id say its fine...
When I do it I dose minimally and test the very next day. Kalkwasser into the skimmer is what I normally do. Thanks for the input.
ps- can anything go wrong with the shortcut that I sometimes use that would be undetectable to ph, alk, calcium tests?

 

[murph145]

does ur tank seem to use alot of calcium?
if i were u id look into gettin a reactor they are so easy set it and forget it

u can look at local reef clubs and pick up a used set up pretty cheap probably 200-300 for everything
i have mine set and its so easy to mess with as long as my Ph coming outta the first chamber is around 6.3-6.5 im fine
my Ca is right at 420 and my Alk is at 8.3 dkh
i dont even test my Ph anymore

 

[mudplayerx]

I don't have a sump and I already have a humungous skimmer hanging off of the side of the tank, so a reactor is pretty much out of the question until I upgrade my tank. I graduate in a year and will be making some good money, so in a year a reactor shall be mine

 

[murph145]

very nice!
a sump makes things so much easier i had a tank with no sump before im sure u seen pics of my old 100 and now with the sump its so much cleaner lookin and runs a lot nicer!