High PH In A SPS Tank

[reefer334]

I need a little help with a PH problem.

A little history on my system,
120 Oceanic Tech series,
40 gal sump/refugium
bare bottom tank
120 pounds live rock( from a 2 year old predator fish only tank)
ASM G-3 skimmer
Mag 9.5 return
tlf phosphate reactor
3 k-4's
korallin cal reactor

Lighting is 2X 250 watt DE XM 20K'S with 2X65 watt PC 10 K hamilton's and 2X65 watt act PC hamiltons. Hallides are run on a generic electronic ballast.
Lights run about 9 hours for the hallides and 14 hours for the PC's.


My sump/ refugium has live rock and chaeto in one side and the skimmer in the other side with both sides poring into the middle return area, each side has its own overflow line with a filter sock on them.
I run my chaeto light 24/7.

The tank is almost 4 months old now.



My PH keeps staying between 8.5-8.7
Kh 10.5-11.5
phos .25
no3 8-10
sal 1.024
temp 77-81
mg 1320
ca 420

I just added the cal reactor about a week ago,
the KH was staying the same with it going but I decide to turn it off to lower my KH to around 8-9 Kh and then starting it back up to maintain those levels after they drop naturally.

My PH has been 8.5-8.6 since before the reactor was hooked up, and after it was hooked up it went to 8.5-8.7
Is this to high,I think it is or am I just worrying over nothing?
If this is to high, how can I lower my PH to around 8.2?


I have a fare amount of SPS in the tank, I have also been having some tissue recession on a couple of acros in the last couple of weeks and some digis and mille's have been browning out on my me,I am assuming it is from the phos being at .25, but could it be from the PH and the high KH as well or just the phos.

I also do not run any sand any were in the system is this bad?
Could this be part of my problem?

I have also been told that the live rock I used maybe leaching phosphate is this possible, could this be my problem with the PH to?

I have about 7 fish in the tank and feed lightly with cyclops and PE mysys shrimp ounce a day, so I do not think this is the problem either.

Well that is all of the info I can think of that some one may need to help me out.

If you need more info please let me know.

Thanks in advance for reading this and any help you can pass my way,



Chris

 

[reefer334]

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[-=Efrain=-]

I don't think a Ph of 8.5 - 8.7 is a bad thing. Your new CR should bring that down soon. Most of us who run a CR would love to see 8.7 as bringing down your Ph is a lot easier then getting it up..

 

[reefer334]

Thanks for your input.
What about the other issues in the tank I am having with the phos and the browning of the corals,is this just because the tank is so new?

Just getting frustrated with my system, I am happy with it until I see some pics of other SPS tanks, they are just jaw dropping and mine just does not do that for me.

Chris

 

[poknsnok]

I would check you ph probe for accuracy.. thats way high to be running a calcium reactor.. but the ph range itself isnt bad

 

[reefer334]

I have checked it for accuracy with calibration fluid.
I have also checked it against samples of other water that was testing 8.2 on another PH monitor and mine tested it the same.

Thanks for the reply,

Chris

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12433169#post12433169 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefer334
I have checked it for accuracy with calibration fluid.
I have also checked it against samples of other water that was testing 8.2 on another PH monitor and mine tested it the same.

Thanks for the reply,

Chris

Are you adding any other supplement than the calcium reactor?
Using RO/Di?
Which salt are you using?

 

[reefer334]

I dose with Kents coral vite about ounce every 2 weeks.
I do use ro/di water.
I am using reef crystals.

I just got the ca reactor about a week ago, before that I was dosing every other day with b ionic.

I have read a thread on my ca reactor and they strongly suggested I get my KH stablised were I want it before staring it.
I read this after I started it and my kh was 11 then and it pretty much stayed there.
That is why I turned it off and I am now waiting for my KH to drop naturally and then restart it to maitain it at those new levels 8-9 kh.

Thanks again for the reply,

Chris

 

[mpoletti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12432880#post12432880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefer334

Just getting frustrated with my system, I am happy with it until I see some pics of other SPS tanks, they are just jaw dropping and mine just does not do that for me.

Chris

That is your main problem Chris. This tank is new, it is BB and it is your 1st attempt at keeping SPS coral. You have been adding a lot of pieces trying for the "instant reef" look.

Patience is so hard to learn, but your wallet will teach you as it has taught the rest of us.

 

[mpoletti]

Another thing Chris, If you drop your alk that much, I think you will get some alk burn. I would shoot for 9.5-10. After a week shoot for 9 if you still want to go lower. You might like it at 9.5-10.

 

[reefer334]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12433320#post12433320 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Marko9
That is your main problem Chris. This tank is new, it is BB and it is your 1st attempt at keeping SPS coral. You have been adding a lot of pieces trying for the "instant reef" look.

Patience is so hard to learn, but your wallet will teach you as it has taught the rest of us.

Thanks Mark, I agree I am not buying any more SPS until my system is dialed in.
I have been lucky so far and have only lost a few pieces and that was from falling on a lps coral.

Chris

 

[reefer334]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12433340#post12433340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Marko9
Another thing Chris, If you drop your alk that much, I think you will get some alk burn. I would shoot for 9.5-10. After a week shoot for 9 if you still want to go lower. You might like it at 9.5-10.

Mark,

I think you are right so as soon as it reaches 9.5 I will restart the ca reactor.




Chris

 

[volcom69]

I would also look to see why your no3 and po4 is running alittle high to, that could have something to do with your browning out or corals.

 

[jdieck]

Chris:

Once your alkalinity drops to the 9 to 10 dKh levels your PH will drop a little bit but the main effect on the PH will be from not using the B-Ionic any longer because B-Ionic tends to keep a high PH.
Once you dial the calcium reactor again I am almost certain you will be running in the 8 to 8.1 PH level.

As mentioned by volcom above, phosphate, which has no relationship to PH, is still high at 0.25 ppm as you are looking for it to be below 0.03 ppm. I see that you are already running a phosban reactor. If you just started it just keep on going if you see the phosphates dropping. If the phosphate level is not dropping any more, I think you may want to replace the media, use more media and/or use a diferent media brand.