Does ClorAm-X cause PH to drop?

[Lou Young]

I have been using 1/2tsp in 10g larvae tank daily to get rid of ammonia but I have noticed that my PH level has dropped from 7.0 to 5.0 over the course of 15-17 day causing my clown babies to die. Is this drop in PH caused by the use of ClorAm-X?

 

[GreshamH]

I could very well be. ClorAm-X does cause a small pH shift.

 

[Lou Young]

Hmmm. How could I go about determining if this is correct, in a scientific way?

 

[GreshamH]

Test pH
Dose X amount of ClorAm-X
Test pH

 

[Lou Young]

Ok. I will do that. Thank you.

 

[reefstew]

If your doing 30 - 40% water changes every day it should not drop that much.

 

[Lou Young]

I siphon out 2g a day starting on day 3. I think the issue is my salt is low grade IO and it's only PH 7.7-7.9 when I mix it up. I have noticed that the larval tanks with more babies seen to have low PH faster than the tanks with less babies.

 

[ernieq]

Put a piece of cured dry rock into your nursery it will serve as buffer and keep the PH steady.

 

[Lou Young]

What's the smallest piece of LR I can get away with using in a 10g tank?

 

[cobra77]

1/2 a tsp is too much for a 10 gallon tank. Try using a pinch instead.

 

[Lou Young]

1/2 a tsp is too much for a 10 gallon tank. Try using a pinch instead.

Thank you for the advice What is your review/experience with this product?

 

[cobra77]

it works well but you have to dose it accordingly. Too much is just as bad as none at all. Its expensive stuff. If your going to siphon and do a water change daily then its probably not going to help much. You can definitely use them on big systems to keep parameters in check without water changes. Heres the dosing calculator to to figure out how much you need to use for your specifications.

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/product_cloram_x.php#tab_use

 

[GreshamH]

At correct dose it still drops DO.

FWIW please be aware of what type of test kit you are using to test ammonia when using ClorAm-X.

 

[Lou Young]

What test kit do you recommend?

 

[GreshamH]

drat... I knew that was coming... :lol: Sorry, I really wasn't working on all my cylinders this AM.

salicylate and phenol/hypochlorite test kits are to be used. Nessler will give a false reading. Let me ask Eric which brand of test kit he recommends. I know its one of the cheaper ones actually. I think its Aquarium Systems.

http://reedmariculture.com/product_cloram_x.php#tab_use

Water treated with ClorAm-X will give false (high), off-scale readings with ammonia test kits that use Nessler's reagents. Water treated with ClorAm-X is compatible with most salicylate and phenol/hypochlorite test kits. Contact AquaScience if there is a question about ammonia test kit compatibilities.

Water treated with ClorAm-X is compatible with all known nitrite and low-range nitrate test kits.

Water treated with ClorAm-X is incompatible with Winkler and modified Winkler dissolved oxygen (DO) test kits. These kits will give false, low, or zero, readings. However, water treated with ClorAm-X is compatible with indigo/carmine dissolved oxygen test kits and with dissolved oxygen meters.

 

[Finsky]

Api

 

[Korak]

If used to remove large concentrations of ammonia (>1.0 mg/L as Nh2) in water with little (<50 mg/L as CaCO3) or no alkalinity the pH should be monitored. If the pH declines (by more than 0.3 units) simply add sufficient sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to boost both the pH and the alkalinity.
I GOT THIS FROM this link: http://apbreed.com/product_cloram_x.php#tab_use

 

[shifty51008]

wow a 2 year old thread lol.