setting up QT tank - help please

[otfurball]

Setting up a QT to hold my inverts while I dose the main tank with copper for ick.
in the QT
Water temp 79 (same as main tank)
Salinity 1.022 (same as main tank)
Used RO water
My question is the PH is off the charts 8.8 (that is as high as the test kit goes) How can I lower the PH?
I am going to put a chocolate chip star, hermits (red and blue leg) narcissus snails, feather duster, and a cleaner shrimp into the QT. will PH this high hurt them when this set up is all new and all levels are at zero?

 

[cyclops]

Originally Posted by otfurball
Setting up a QT to hold my inverts while I dose the main tank with copper for ick.
in the QT
Water temp 79 (same as main tank)
Salinity 1.022 (same as main tank)
Used RO water
My question is the PH is off the charts 8.8 (that is as high as the test kit goes) How can I lower the PH?
I am going to put a chocolate chip star, hermits (red and blue leg) narcissus snails, feather duster, and a cleaner shrimp into the QT. will PH this high hurt them when this set up is all new and all levels are at zero?
First of all I would not dose your main tank with copper casue it will stay there for a while and can kill your inverts. Use the QT tank for the fish and lower the salinity there is a tread on the disease forum that talks about QT and Lowering the salinity to kill ich. it is from Beth she know what she is talking about so start there and good luck

 

[otfurball]

Thanks, but I can't hypo my tank. the fish are too big for my qt. I am looking to lower the ph in the QT bc this is the opition I have right now. Any other suggestions?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by otfurball
Thanks, but I can't hypo my tank. the fish are too big for my qt. I am looking to lower the ph in the QT bc this is the opition I have right now. Any other suggestions?
I suggest you take the advce of the above poster. He is absolutely correct. You will NEVER be able to put the inverts back into your main system if you put copper in there. Any live rock or live sand that you currently have will be dead as well. You would be better off hypoing these things then dosing them with copper. They will die either way, but your inverts would be able to go back in at least. I strongly suggest you just get a rubbermaid tub and put all of your rocks and inverts into it and hypo the main system.

 

[beth]

You can not dose your display with copper and then have inverts or even live rock in the tank. Move your inverts and live rock to a large rubbermaid square container, then do hyposalinity in the display tank.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by Beth
You can not dose your display with copper and then have inverts or even live rock in the tank. Move your inverts and live rock to a large rubbermaid square container, then do hyposalinity in the display tank.
Yep, I fully agree.
As far as the pH goes, are you buffering the pH at all with anything? What is your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate reading?