going pH'kn nuts!

[sillygoose]

I'm at my wits end. I've tried everything people have suggested and I can't get my pH to stay up. It always wants to dip to around 7.5. This is happening in both my 90 and my nano. The nano has hardly anything in it so I know it's not bio-overload. I've buffered it and blown fans and increased surface turbulence. We do water changes and gravel vac. Nothing helps for long. I have used different pH kits and different monitors so I don't think it is a measurement problem. My corals look rough and I am totally loosing my elegance. I almost want to quit the hobby out of frustration - almost. :headwallblue:

 

[aquaph8]

Have you dripped Kalk yet?

 

[sillygoose]

no but my carbonate is on the high side - around 14

 

[brannock_16]

Don't chase Ph. It will always fluctuate. The key is to maintain a VERY constant Dkh and Ca.

What are you other parameters? Temp, SG, Ca, Dkh, Mag, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, ammonia, etc.

Calcium should be around 420-460 and dkh should be around 9-11 dkh.

And on a side note, unless the elegance is of Aussie derivation it will more than likely perish. Jakarta and other such elegance corals have dismal survival rates.

 

[brettinteriors]

Yep, dkh and calcium! I rarely measure ph but keep my dkh 10-12ish. I check my dkh/calcium/mag every few days when I add coral and a little less when I get a idea of my corals use. Water changes are the best immediate fix. When I start seeing more fluctuation I know I am late on a change. With an elegance dkh and magnesium are vital.

 

[oscarslr]

goose, when did you notice the corals turning? what type of coral is looking rough? and what is rough? My tank hovers around 7.5 in the morning to maybe 7.9 during the day. I also went crazy trying to keep it over 8. Finally I just focused on on ALK, and even that is sitting around 7.7 dkh. All corals look fine (SPS/LPS). You might be stressing the tank by fluctuating PH up and down trying to keep it high.... On a side note I had Dino's twice and the key to killing them is high PH, I got my PH to 8.5 by using half a container of Mrs.Wagers picking lime(Kalkwasser) dosing a slurry every 2 hours and it would drop to 7.9 overnight.... at that point i knew it would be almost impossible to keep the tank over a ph of 8 on a regular basis. I think its the fact that we live in Tucson with 90 degree weather that does not allow for open windows or doors increases the Carbon Dioxide in the house and lowers PH.... (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php) link explains it all. Carbon Dioxide increases with more people/pets inside the house.. I would say pick an ALK level and shoot to keep that constant. Just my 2 cents.

 

[sillygoose]

My dKh is between 12 and 14 most of the time, Ca is >400 most of the time. NO3 is 5-10 (but it used to be zero). I can't read the K test so I never know how much I've got.

As far as some corals looking rough, it's my SPS and LPS. My frogspawn started with bleaching heads that would slowly die. My candy canes look decent but some of the lower ones seem to be shrinking. My elegance that did great for a couple of years is just retracting further. My millis looked great until about 2 weeks ago same for my red planet. My scroll has no extension now. The only things that looks good are my mushrooms, a cynaria, and my red cap.

In the nano, I have a frogspawn, a cynaria, and a beautiful bubble. Things are OK in there - no SPS.

 

[oscarslr]

when did your ph start to drop?

 

[sillygoose]

I've struggled with it for months. In fact, it was perfect for the first year or so but now for the last year plus it's been an issue. My corals have been going downhill for a couple of months now.

 

[Jmnazari]

I can't recall where I read this, but from what I remember, the substrate in a tank can be depleted of it's important elements and chemicals within a year. Perhaps your substrate lost it's ability to buffer your pH?

 

[oscarslr]

if the PH has been under for 1yr+ but corals going down over the last two months....... something else might be the culprit, You also mentioned NO3 is now higher than before, what has been your water change schedule lately? If you have done quite a bit and your NO3 is 5-10 now it could have been really high before the current water change

 

[brettinteriors]

Just trying to think of anything else. I keep me fuge light on 24/7. What is your sg? Water change schedule?

 

[sillygoose]

My fuge light schedule is off 6, on 18, reversed from the show tank.

NO3 goes btw 10 to 5 after a water change.

Is the test kit a straight colorimetric or it is a titration?

 

[Tucson Reef]

Have you been doseing to adjust the pH? I've said this before, trying to med/adjust SW most times does more damage then good, riding it out is usualy better. I would just do water changes and get any dieing stuff out before it pollutes.

Your pH as said above probably started out as a CO2 issue, but after doseing it might have turned into a chem problem. Playing with pH and ALK can cause elements to percipatate out of solution, caseing more problems. Example, never put salt mix in container and then add water, as the concentration might cause some elements to percipitate out causeing Alk and pH problems