ph craziness

[hookedonreefs]

I've been monitoring my tank for a while now and decided I needed more calcium. It was hovering at 350. So I read all of boomer5's info on calc, alk & ph. I also read other posts on calc. and decided I would try dosing with Kalkwasser. I mixed up 5 gallons worth and let stand overnight. The I did a top-off with it. (About 3.5 gallons). The first thing I checked was Ca level. It went up to 400. Next, I decided to check PH - off the charts. Above 8.8 (it's usually between 8.2 & 8.3)
Luckily I had also bought some superbuffer. I mixed up the suggested dose and poured it in. It says to wait 24 hours to re-check ph. I also don't have an alk. test, but I'm picking it up on the way home tonight.
My shrimp & snails all seemed to be OK this morning. So are both of my feathers. My corals are all acting normally, but I haven't seen my brittle star. (I never see it though) I know brittles are sensitive to ph fluctuations. Here are the rest of my water param.
amm. 0
trites 0
trates 5
sel. 1.025
temp. 82
So how bad did I hurt my tank? and in the future how should I dose without the spike? FEI: I added the water over the course of 1 & 1/2 hours.
One last OT question: I got a bubble coral on Sun. Every day I come home it's almost totally shrunk, but once the MHs are off it opens up until nighttime. Is it just getting used to the powerful lights? From what I've read they can handle MH lighting, it just needs a week or so to get used to them. Is this true or false?
Thanks alot for any help.

 

[bang guy]

You shoud have dripped the Kalk in over 12 - 24 hours. If you aerate your water (temporarily) the PH spike will subside quicker but please drip it in from now on. If you have a skimmer then dripping it into the intake of the skimmer is ideal.
Your ALK is probably out of balance now after adding the buffer. You might want to check it.

 

[hookedonreefs]

Thanks alot Bang Guy. I will drip into skimmer intake from now on.
Any thoughts on the bubble coral issue?
And, if my alk is out of whack, what should I do?
Thanks.

 

[bang guy]

Bubble Coral - Move it further from the light for a week and then inch it back a little every week until it's where you want it. They can handle intense light but they need to acclimate to it slowly.
ALK - If your ALK is high then reduce the amount of Kalk you use and add Calcium chloride to maintain the Calcium level. Once the ALK is back down where it should be you can resume using Kalk to maintain both Ca and ALK.

 

[haze]

Why is high alkalinity bad when all other water chemistry values are good? I have a hard time maintaining high ph and add buffer which raises the alkaliniity, but do not overfeed? Why would my ph not stay high?

 

[bang guy]

Because your Ca is probably low.
You should read Broomer5's post on Ca and ALK relationships. Raising one and not the other can spell disaster.

 

[timo]

As I understand it, Ca at 350 should be good for just about all corals. Above that proves expensive and unneccessary, and as you have found out, unstabilizes other levels.
Not that I am an expert of any sorts, but my Ca stays around 320 (If I perform the Salifert test accuritely) and mine grow as well as any I've seen.
Relax, and "let it grow" LOL

 

[haze]

In response to Bang Guy: my ca is around 500+, it is just my alkalinity that is high-7meq/l

 

[broomer5]

Haze,
Many would agree that both your calcium and alkalinity levels are very high, although somewhat still balanced. Saltwater can only "hold" so much of these dissolved ions and compounds ... and eventually can hold no more.
If you continue to add more .. you run the risk of causing a fallout or precipitation of calcium as calcium carbonate .... a solid white powdery substance that may cloud the water and even settle on the rock, sand and any other surface in the tank.
If this happens, you may very well end up with far less calcium, carbonates, bicarbonates and magnesium left in solution.
In other words - the chemistry drops - the pH may be hard to maintain and you end up with a very unbalanced unstable condition.
I would consider a series of small water changes - to bring these levels down.
Word of caution - do not do a large water change at this time.
New saltwater will add both calcium and alkalinity components to the tankwater - and may cause precipitation to occur.
A series of many small 5% water changes over a long period of time ( weeks ) would be better than a couple 25% water changes in my opinion.
TimO - I don't disagree with your reply, but I don't totally agree either.
It all depends on what one keeps in the reef tank regarding creatures that demand both calcium and carbonates.
The rate of calcification, the number of sps/hard corals, the amount of growing coralline algae other creatures that "use-up" calcium & carbonates during their growth ...... all would influence how one would approach their own tanks saltwater chemistry.
If keeping your calcium at 320 works for you - that's fine.
For many other hobbiests - that level would not be sufficient.
Again though - it all depends on the tank and the alkalinity/pH.
Many hobbiests focus on calcium - and make attempts to raise their level - without considering that when doing so the may offset the alkalinity causing it to drop.
Bicarbonates/carbonates/borate and to an extent magnesium all contribute to the total alkalinty of the saltwater, as does OH- hydroxil ions found in kalkwasser.
Dosing large amounts of kalkwasser ( calcium hydroxide ) too fast will flood the tankwater with these OH- ions ....... and drives the pH up fast.
As Bang Guy mentioned - it's far better to dose the kalkwasser at a very slow rate - dripped over a 24 hour period - and dosed according to your evaporation rate. Using kalk for top off evaporated tankwater is normally an excellent thing to do .... if it's done properly. Also .... it's normally agreed that kalkwasser is best used to "maintain" your pH, alk and calcium ..... not raise these levels.
One last point worth mentioning ....... saltwaters buffer capacity works both ways.
It's true that maintaining a high ( sufficient ) alkalinity will help to prevent a drop in pH ......... but it's also possible for the tankwater to resist pH changes going up scale as well.
At any given time - all of these levels in the tankwater chemistry are affected by carbon dioxide gas as well. This is the "hidden" player we rarely measure. CO2 gas is the one factor that can drive our levels in either direction. It does it all the time - and often flucuates during a 24 hour period
CO2 gas is the reason Bang Guy recommends aerating the tankwater as a temporary way to lower the pH of 8.8
I couldn't agree more.

 

[timo]

Very well said, Broomer!
And excellent info.
Tim