PH is low calcium is high should I add buffer??

[milomlo]

HI all -
Just tested my parameters and I need to do a water change. I am mixing salt now so I can't do the water change until tonight or tomorrow.
on 12/17 my water tested at this:
Sal - 1.026
PH 8.4
trite 0
trate 0
ammonia 0
dKH 9.4
calcium 580
Yesterday I messed with my substrate some trying to get the sand a little clearer so I probably caused the change but here are my tests for today.
12/21
Sal 1.026 - after top off
BEFORE TOP OFF TEST ARE
Sal 1.028
PH 8.0
trite 0
trate 5.0
ammonia .25
dKH 9.3
Calcium 620
Should I test these again since I topped off? Will that make a difference?
Should I add a buffer to help my PH go up and make that calcium come down? The only coral I have is a green hairy mushroom. I don't know if they use calcium or not. What is the best salt to use for less calcium??

 

[birdy]

your pH looks just fine to me, 8.0 with a Dkh of 9.3 and a Ca of 620 is fine.
You do need to topoff to drop your salinity level.
Are you using Oceanic salt by any chance?

 

[milomlo]

Right now I just mixed up the last bit of my coralife salt -so this new mixture will only have 1/2 cup of the oceanic I just bought.
Why? What is wrong with Oceanic?

 

[birdy]

very high calcium levels, every tank I have ever used Oceanic on always had calcium levels over 600, with low alk and pH levels.

 

[milomlo]

Well with corallife my calcium was in the high 500's. Good grief. I just bought this huge bucket of Oceanic. What is a good salt with lower calcium. I think calcium is for hard corals right? I don't have any. All I have is a hairy mushroom right now.

 

[rainfishy]

My understanding of buffers is that they raise your PH by actually raising your alk. In this situation your alk is fine, so I wouldn't use buffer (actually I hate buffer all together, but thats just me)
The key is a stable PH, 8.4 is a little high and 8.0 is a little low, either would be fine if it always stayed in that range ie 8-8.1 or 8.4-8.3. There are a lot of good threads about how to create stability in the archives section of this forum

 

[birdy]

well before you do anything make up a batch of Oceanic salt let it age for 24hrs, then test the pH, alk, Ca levels if they are in a good range then go ahead and use it.
Honestly I like Instant Ocean, the calcium levels are lower, but the pH, alk, Ca are in pretty good balance, that way it is easy to add ALk and Ca buffers if needed.

 

[milomlo]

Well I have an entire bucket of this so I have to use it. I do have some water mixing now. I will test it this evening and see where things are and then do the water change. I need to get my ammonia down.
So you are saying not to worry about the calcium being so high and that my PH is fine with the dKH?
What does your calcium usually check as when you mix your IO?
I guess I need to know what the best salt is for less calcium. I don't know why they don't put all that on the bottles. It would make all of our lives so much easier wouldn't it??

 

[puffer24/7]

i agree with birdy 100 percent and good luck

 

[jupoc911]

once everything is stable you can use an additive like the 2 part b-ionic which will keep everyhting stable.

 

[milomlo]

Originally Posted by Jupoc911
once everything is stable you can use an additive like the 2 part b-ionic which will keep everyhting stable.
I thought everything was stable until this morning. I was understanding from this thread, not to add anything.

 

[rainfishy]

Once everything is stable again, you could use something to create continued stability, like b-ionic (a lot more info about that in archives) but using buffers wont create stability, in fact it will lead to more instability with water perameters

 

[milomlo]

Originally Posted by Rainfishy
Once everything is stable again, you could use something to create continued stability, like b-ionic (a lot more info about that in archives) but using buffers wont create stability, in fact it will lead to more instability with water perameters
OH ok - that is actually what I thought the buffer did. I was under the impression that it would raise the pH and keep it stable.
Now as far as the water getting stable again - does that mean the calcium as well? As my calcium is always high. Do you just mean when the PH and dKh are good again?
Thanks for all your help. I know you guys get the same questions over and over again and you are so sweet to everyone and don't get all crazy and mean because you answer all the questions OVER AND OVER. You guys are so patient with us newbies.
I just want to say thank you

 

[milomlo]

Ok I read a little on this B-ionic and it is a calcium buffer right? My calcium is already to high so shoudl I be using this? Sorry for the stupid questions I would just like to get my PH a little higher and stabalized.

 

[tizzo]

b-ionic is a two part buffing system. If you have a million corals that are depleting your calcium level then your alk will be lowering also. You add these only if your calcium is being depleted. Your alk AND calcium are both high, although not dangerously high.
I can think of a couple things here...
1. Get different test kits or have your LFS test it and see what results they get.
2. Leave it alone and check it in a couple of days.
3. Test newly mixed salt water and see what the results are BEFORE you put it into your tank.
I can't help but think SOMETHING is wrong. Something as in the test kits or the salt mix. If you are dosing nothing and I mean NOTHING-no coral vite, no buffers, no "coral enhancing crap" then I would hafta double check your kits and salt.

 

[milomlo]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
b-ionic is a two part buffing system. If you have a million corals that are depleting your calcium level then your alk will be lowering also. You add these only if your calcium is being depleted. Your alk AND calcium are both high, although not dangerously high.
I can think of a couple things here...
1. Get different test kits or have your LFS test it and see what results they get.
2. Leave it alone and check it in a couple of days.
3. Test newly mixed salt water and see what the results are BEFORE you put it into your tank.
I can't help but think SOMETHING is wrong. Something as in the test kits or the salt mix. If you are dosing nothing and I mean NOTHING-no coral vite, no buffers, no "coral enhancing crap" then I would hafta double check your kits and salt.

A couple of weeks ago when I posted about this the new water I tested Corallife was
dKH 10.4
PH 8.2 (after 2 days)
Calcium 660 (after 2 days)
I mixed some Oceanic and it was
PH 8.0
Calcium 660
dKH 9.3
The only thing I put in my tank besides food is Zoe (and the food is actually soaked in that), Garlic Xtreme (food is soaked in it), Zooplex (twice a week) - Just started this for my mushroom only been doing it since Saturday.
I am mixing some water now. I will test it and post the results

 

[tizzo]

Holy crap!! I'm switchin' to coralife!! Just kidding, but I wish I could find calcium like that. Which brand test kits are you using??
(gotta go see Santa now, I'll read your responce later tonight)

 

[milomlo]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
Holy crap!! I'm switchin' to coralife!! Just kidding, but I wish I could find calcium like that. Which brand test kits are you using??
(gotta go see Santa now, I'll read your responce later tonight)

Ok well after 7 1/2 hours of mixing this is what I have
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.023 (added about 1 tbsp as I like my salinity to be 1.026)
Calcium 600
dKH 8.4
This is mixed with 1 cup corallife and 1/2 cup oceanic to 3 gallons of RO water
So you like the calcium huh? I guess I shouldn't worry about it. I just want my PH higher. I would like it to be at least stable at 8.2 - I was shooting for 8.4, but someone else said that was high. I thought that was where a reef should be.
Also as far a my dKH you say it is high. I read it is suppose to be between 8-12 dKH. Is that not correct?

I may be going in circles here I am just trying to clarify.

 

[mudplayerx]

You can get cheap ph, alk, and calcium by going to the grocery store and buying "pickling lime." It is almost identical to kalkwasser and you dose it the same way.

 

[birdy]

With those salt mixes you just have to do water changes, in tanks with Oceanic salt I have never ever had to add a calcium supplement, occasionally I have had to add a alkalinity buffer but never a pH buffer.
Look at your corals and the general condition of the tank. I never had a problem with Oceanic, but the high levels of Ca and the lower pH and dkh, made me nervous so I switched back to IO. If your corals seem to be fine and your pH and dkh don't drop anymore than don't worry about the high calcium, If the dkh and pH get too low and the Ca gets too high then the tank will precipitate the Ca from the water (basically it will look like it is snowing chunks of Ca). That is what you want to avoid. I never had it happen even though I had tanks that were around 8.0 pH, 8 dkh, and 600+ calcium.