How do i stop a snow storm????

dugg

dugg

New member
I have an emergency situation going on here. I have been having heat problems for a few days, and had a very low PH 7.5. I increased my lime drip to try and boost the PH, now it is snowing in my tank. It has gone from crystal clear to milk in the last hour or two. What if anything can i do?
 
Carbon seems to be clearing it. Nothing seems to be distressed at this point, maybe i will dodge a bullet here. I'll read that page and see if i can make sense of it. I haven't run any test yet. I thought the PH issue was just co2 due to the heat issue. It was at 86* at one point 2 days ago. I got the temp back down, but the PH is still just dropping. It was at 8.13 when i turned the drip off a few hours ago, and is already back at 7.8 and still dropping with the lights on.
 
I don't have a calcium kit right now. The only thing i put in my tank is a limewater drip for top off. I don't ever dose chemicals. Just do regular water changes. 50% once a month. I'll have to go and get a new calcium test. All i have right now is no3, KH, and PH. PH is now at 7.75. Lights go out in 20 minutes.
 
50% in one shot is not that great of an idea for the inhabitants. I am surprised that much of a change at once does not start a new cycle.You can count on the ph and alkalinity crashing before it gets equalled out. Balancing the ph, kh and calcium is not dosing chemicals. It is but it isn't. I consider it water balancing. In my opinion, strontium, iodine, molybendum etc. are chemicals. All of the components are chemicals but some are a necessary evil.
 
I guess i did add some Kent superbuffer DKH last night which also didn't do anything at all for the PH. I did a 50% water change monday night after the temp hit 86* earlier in the day.
 
I have always done 50% changes. The bacteria in the tank aren't in the water colum, thier in the rocks and sand. I mix my water a day ahead and match everything.
 
That works great for the KH. I know, I know they all say it is for PH too. Ph is not something that is directly controlled. If you balance KH and Calcium the PH will mind it's manners. People get in a bind by dumping buffer and trying to control the PH. Before they know it the KH is reading 20 and it locks the PH so there is 0 chance of it moving.
 
I know where the bacteria is, but I am still not comfortable with taking half of the environment away at one time. I also don't like getting my tank that low, putting the new water in disturbs things etc. If it works for you then do it. I am just not that gutsy.
 
Put a fan over your tank. The moving air will cool the tank and raise the PH due to O2 exchange. It must be cool and humid there. I bet you have had the doors closed to keep warm which has traped CO2 and moisture in the house. The CO2 will lower the PH and the humidity will make your tank difficult to cool. Try getting some fresh air in the house too and a fan.
 
I have a fan on my sump 24/7 for cooling. LOL i live in Florida, we have been running A/C for a month to keep cool. I thought it was a co2 problem, due to over heating, but it just keeps going south. I'm sure after the snow storm tonight that it is a calcium alk issue, but don't have any test to check tonight.
 
dugg, I pretty much agree on what rdonchann has been saying. I wouldn't add any more of any buffers/additives until you get your Ca and Alkalinity tested.

Though limewater is a great way of dosing Carbonate and Calcium in equal values, your tank might not use it. Your tank might be using more Carbonate than Calcium. Therefore, as you do water changes and add limewater, the Calcium slowly builds up on you. And as your Calcium climbs, your carbonate can't catch up and keeps dropping and then advertently effects your pH. Now, I think you might have low Alkalinity and high Calcium. You are seeing the Calcium percipitating out of your tank. Do you see a lot of gunk forming on warm structures like powerheads and the heater?

See these links for details:
Ideal Parameters - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
Solving Alk/Ca Problems - http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
How to keep your Ca/Alk balanced - http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

Basically, limewater is a great, cheap, and effective way to add proportional amounts of Carbonate and Calcium back in to the aquarium. But on an occassion, you will see a tank that needs a helping hand. I recommend having a two part additive system ready on hand as back up. You can choose between Kent system, B-Ionic, Randy Holmes-Farley's home made, or a slew of others.
 
Well, things aren't looking good today ata all. Everything in the tank looks fine. (how i don't know) This morning the PH was at 7.14, i just changed 5 gallons of water out, and it came up to 7.23. What should i be doing now? Anybody? I have been and am so busy with the grandkids, i haven't had time to breathe, muchless keep up with my tank. I can't possibly get out to get anything until 3pm or so today, and i don't have any additives at all.
 
The superbuffer that you had will work great for the KH. You need to get a test for KH and a test for calcium. I use reef complete by seachem. But you can't raise the levels that much all at once. It needs to be a gradual thing. Stop worrying about the PH. Get your underlying problems with the KH and calcium fixed and the PH will take care of itself. If it were mine and I had no other kits I would stir up 1 teaspoon of the buffer in a glass of water and add it. Then wait until you can get a couple of test kits this afternoon.
 
dugg, you have a bit of good news as well. Your aragonite sand (I think that's what you had) in your tank is actually acting like a buffer right now helping you out. In lower pH situations, it will dissolve and release Alk/Ca back to the aquarium.

I would definitely not worry about things so much until you can get Ca/Alk tested. I don't think you will lose any livestock if it stays like this for a couple days. You may also want to see if your pH monitor is working correctly. Also, though your Alk Buffer will work fine, it might not me the Alk that is low, but rather the Calcium. Hence, why you need to test before you can make a plan of attack.

For what it's worth, for about a month or so I was battling high (16-18 dkh) Alk and low Ca (280-320 ppm) because I added too much pH buffer. Things were doing decent and growing, but not much. Once it got fixed, everything was back to normal. No casualties were involved. Also, pH wise, it isn't uncommon for people that run Ca reactors to have a pH of about 7.8 while all their water parameters are perfect and balanced.
 
The alkalinity HAS to be real low or the PH would not be reading low. After a storm the ph and alkalinity will both be low.
 
It will be later today before i can get to a calcium test kit, but i just tested the KH, and it is at 9
 
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