How are these levels for SPS?

[jimrawr]

Are they too high?

Ca: 500
Alk: 9.5dkh
Mg: 1350
pH: 7.7-8.0

Should I let them come down a bit or should I try to maintain where they are?

 

[t4zalews]

Ca is a little high...it won't hurt anything tho.

 

[john90009]

looks good many people have great sucess with a higher clacium like 500- tho it will drop along with the alk over time you will need to dose to keep the levels around that
i run calcium 425 alk 9.2 ph 8.0-8.1 mag 1400. these levels are maintaind by my two part which bright wells has magnesium in with there calcium so i dont have to add in a third ingredient

 

[Allmost]

why is PH so low ?

I get optimal growth at ca of 420
Dkh at 7
MG at 1300
and PH at 8.3

do you use a calcium reactor ? if you do then its normal

 

[john90009]

what salt mix are you using? you may need to add some stuff to make the ph go up alittle. i dont think he has a calcium reactor yet.

 

[MechEng99]

Do you have good aeration in your tank? Are you running a reverse photoperiod refugium/sump? Both of those might help you get your pH up and constant.

 

[jimrawr]

I do have a CA reactor, but no sump. Its going back into the main DT over a powerhead. Thats why the PH is running low right now. The tank has a canopy with 4 120mm PC fans built in as to try and get some circulation into the canopy, and the water has plenty of flow..

I use IO salt.

 

[Allmost]

what salt mix are you using? you may need to add some stuff to make the ph go up alittle. i dont think he has a calcium reactor yet.

Ive tried MANY salt mixes and none have that low of PH,

Perhaps its a water movement problem, no surface skimming or .... or that the room that the aquarium is in, is not aeratated enough. eventually if skimming and surface skimming wont help, you might have to try a CO2 scrubber. the PH of 7.7 is right at the edge of falling off to REALLY low values and might even dissolve the rocks ! lol, when I first moved into my new condo, I ran the skimmer air line all the way to the balcony to stabalize my PH. now its fine though, summer so I pulled it back in


good point by mecheng about reverse period lighting for Fuge, a must for SPS tank I say.

 

[Allmost]

I do have a CA reactor, but no sump. Its going back into the main DT over a powerhead. Thats why the PH is running low right now. The tank has a canopy with 4 120mm PC fans built in as to try and get some circulation into the canopy, and the water has plenty of flow..

I use IO salt.

I hate saying this, but change your salt mix before its too late ....

1. IO has vitamines in it, I dont like the Idea of vitamines in salt mix, it will cause algae.
2. high CA
3. are you sure about your KH ? it usually about 11 for IO.

I used it for years before changing to Tropic marine Reef pro. it has perfect parameters,

there is a thread on chem forums with all the salt mixes.

you basically want to keep your water same as ure salt mix, so when doiung water change, you just replenish all, not change anything

balling method would help u mich better and will be much simpler than CA reactor

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505

 

[tgray3]

+1 on running the skimmer intake outside. I couldn't get stable PH above 7.9. I ran the skimmer intake outside through the trim on the french doors to my deck. Within an hour the PH went up to 8.06 and stabilized between 8.05 and 8.1.

 

[jimrawr]

I dont have a sump guys, its a HOB remora skimmer..

Also regarding the IO 11dkh, I dont know where you got that info from.. IO always gives me around 7.7dkh.

I dont mind changing salts, but many people use IO without problems.