raeh1 Posted August 12, 2006 Report Share Posted August 12, 2006 Its sits at about 7.8- 8.0 midday- late afternoon. I don't check it in the morning as I am to scared..... I am adding ph rasing stuff daily, (Reef Buffer, and baing soda, and Waldeys ph increaser) Does anyone know why it would drop all the time. (My water top up is part of the reason but i'm sure that cannot be the only thing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted August 12, 2006 Report Share Posted August 12, 2006 what is your kh level? if kh is ok then it should keep ph in check. you could run a light on your sump at night in the meantime to stop it dropping so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted August 12, 2006 Report Share Posted August 12, 2006 dont worry about ph. mine goes between 7.8-8.10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 Raeh1, A good plan would be to drip some kalkawasser at night. Do this instead of adding the buffer, however as kalkawasser will add alkaliniuty & calcium in balanced proportion, you should get these levels right first. My corals have not been doing so well recently, but it never occured to me it might be pH. Then I bought a pH probe, and found that at night pH was dropping to 7.7, and even during the day was staying below 8.0! This was partly because I use Zeovit and have quite low alkalinity. So a couple of weeks ago I've started dripping a small amount of Kalkawasser with vinegar each night, now pH never goes below 8.0. Even the first day after starting there was a noticeable improvement in my hard corals, and now they are looking much better. BTW we are not supposed to drip Kalkawasser when using zeovit, so I am mixing with vinegar, and just dosing a very small amount, the minimum needed to maintain pH above 8.0. The main source of alkalinity and calcium is still from the calcium reactor, which now only runs during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 what test kit are you using? i tried a few and most show different readings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 """The techos will say that low pH equals acidic which means too much CO2 not enough o2 in your tank/air. Keeping the house shut up too much or using gas heaters???? """" Thanks Rossco. We have been pumping the gas heater in our little home all winter.. Interesting as last year my ph never really moved (we didn't have a gas heater then) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 """The techos will say that low pH equals acidic which means too much CO2 not enough o2 in your tank/air. Keeping the house shut up too much or using gas heaters???? """" Thanks Rossco. We have been pumping the gas heater in our little home all winter.. Interesting as last year my ph never really moved (we didn't have a gas heater then) It's the gas heater, it pumps out kg's of CO2, and can significantly raise the CO2 levels in a room very quickly, which then lowers the pH of the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Wow. I also found that my strotium levels hardly register on the test kit, and magnesium is at about 800. I have added a reef booster, and a few other additives over the last two days... The results are looking good really, REALLY fast. (I am worried though, I noticed my clams shell has some cracks, in it... ... Poor guy been battling for months now..., But he has looked far happier in the last two days, as I increase my magnesium slowly, and strotium, and keep my KH high, and calcium high, as well as his home directly under the halide. So fingers crossed he will grow as fast a JDM's His maxima clam was outgrowing my clam by 3-4 cms a month... every month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I also found that my strotium levels hardly register on the test kit That's normal. Strontium is depleted rapidly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDM Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 So fingers crossed he will grow as fast a JDM's His maxima clam was outgrowing my clam by 3-4 cms a month... every month WAS is a very good way to put it, i lost him yesterday, no idea what happened, my other 2 clams are doing really well and were within 2 inches of each other, came in to see my yellow tang eating his receded mantel, crazy stuff. such a shame cos he was a great color and his growth, i dont have a strontium test kit, the ca additive i used to use had strontium in it but now im using a reactor i guess i should check what my levels are. what dose strontium do? how important is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 All the steorids must have taken their toll :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossco Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 A wise man once told me with great delight "Strontium makes your coralline algae grow like crazy" (those yanks call it 'purple up' I believe). :lol: I now a believer - mine is halfway to the nuthouse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Got some purple up. did not seem to do much to my corraline algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossco Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Just to clarify - I used the good ol strontium in a bottle. NOT the branded purple up. The strontium has certainly worked in our tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 what brand did you get and where? i was going to get some today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I have no trouble growing corraline algae. My tanks got rocs coated completed. When my levels come up, I don't think I will even be able to see any rock.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I'm tracking down a bulk source of strontium if anyone is interested. Could take two or three weeks to get here though. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I'm tracking down a bulk source of strontium if anyone is interested. Could take two or three weeks to get here though bulk? how much strontium should we typically be adding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 When I say "bulk" i'm talking about 1 or 2 kg. It's not as cheap as 2 part chemicals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 sweet, could be keen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Don't use strontium and corraline well you just have to look at my photos it is strong and purple as. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 waterchanges would be cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 can't see why you need more coraline Chimera??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 waterchanges would be cheaper nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2003/chem.htm http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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