How do i stop a snow storm????

[dugg]

OK, i did some test on the monitor. First i took a cup of tank water out and tested it in the cup to make sure i don't have some stray voltage affecting it. The monitor measured the same in the tank and the cup. Then i added an airstone to the cup, no change. Then i tested a cup of saturated limewater, 11.08 reading. Back to the tank, 6.74

 

[captbunzo]

I'd compare against some cheap test pH kits, just for good measure...

 

[phetish]

if i remember correctly, aragonite sand dissolves when the pH hits 7.9, doesn't it? also, once dissolved, it acts as a buffer to keep the pH from dropping even further.

also, in order to cause a snow storm that burned itself out at 260ppm Ca, the alkalinity couldn't have been too far out of whack. extremely high alkalinity would have forced more Ca out of suspension.

my thoughts? bad pH meter. possibly bad batch of salt, but less likely.

the 50% water changes actually should be supplementing the Ca and Mg levels (remember you're adding in water that has all of the good stuff still in it). done properly (as he seems to be) big water changes shouldn't be a shock to the tank.

just my thoughts....

derek

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

phetish, yes, aragonite begins to dissolve at about 7.9 and very slowly. It buffers the pH by adding Carbonate and Calcium back into the aquarium. If there was a Carbon Dioxide issue, it might not be so effective.

I actually don't think the pH monitor is off. I could be wrong. Dugg, don't worry too much about the pH. The pH is just a measurement of the concentration of Hydrogen ions. The Calcium and Alkalinity is what you need to worry about at the moment and the pH will fall into place. I promise. It's going to take a good three weeks to get the Calcium above that "point of no return". If you were to use limewater, you can only get your Calcium to a certain point, and then it will just drop again. You got to use the Calcium Chloride to get it above that point. And you already got what you need.

 

[dugg]

This morning the PH is at 6.23. I can't believe i still have life in my tank. The lights aren't on yet, but the snails are on the front glass, so i guess everything is still ok. I expect the snails to be the first to go. I didn't think the PH could drop that far without killing everything. I guess i won't be so worried next time i wake up and it's 7.7 or so lol. When i dose the calcium/alk , the PH rises about .10 and then falls right back within a minute or two. I am just going to take it slow, and dose the calcium, and hope for the best. I am starting to wonder if something didn't crawl off into my sump and drown or something. The lizard population is booming this year. Also i found last night that my son sat an open bottle of car wax right by the intake for the fan that blows into this room, so maybe the fumes from that have something to do with it.

 

[dugg]

Ok, now i'm just mad. I went and bought some more calibration fluid and a PH test kit. When i test the probe in the fluid, it reads perfect, when i place it in the tank it reads 6.25. Then i ran a test with the test kit, and it reads 8.3. I guess it is a problem with the monitor, but why would it read right in the solution, and not in the tank? Well atleast i can stop worrying about the tank, and figure out what is wrong with my monitor. I was really stumped as to how everything could look just fine with a PH of 6.25.

As for the cal/alk, today it is at 12 dkh and 300ppm cal.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6978572#post6978572 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dugg
Ok, now i'm just mad. I went and bought some more calibration fluid and a PH test kit. When i test the probe in the fluid, it reads perfect, when i place it in the tank it reads 6.25. Then i ran a test with the test kit, and it reads 8.3. I guess it is a problem with the monitor, but why would it read right in the solution, and not in the tank? Well atleast i can stop worrying about the tank, and figure out what is wrong with my monitor. I was really stumped as to how everything could look just fine with a PH of 6.25.

As for the cal/alk, today it is at 12 dkh and 300ppm cal.

You're getting there. Just keep adding Calcium. Once you get it past about 350ppm it gets a lot easier. Don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow with 14dkh and 280ppm Ca. :thumbsup:

 

[dugg]

If the dkh goes too high, should i just keep dosing equal amounts until it all comes into balance, or do i dose more calcium then alk?

 

[phetish]

hehe - bad meter i was thinking that would be your problem

in my opinion, don't dose equal amounts. your alkalinity is already in a desirable range, but i'm guessing you want to raise your Ca levels.

if your Alk gets too much higher you'll be setting yourself up for another snowstorm.

by the way, regarding your 50% water changes. have you tested your Ca and Alk in the water you are adding into the system? if you get your tank Ca up to 450 and the water you are using in your water changes is at 200, then your tank will immediately drop to 325 upon completion of the water change.

just my thoughts...

derek

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

What he said When dosing a two part system, you only dose what your aquarium is missing or has used. Since you lack Calcium, just dose the Calcium component and keep an eye on the Alkalinity. If the Alkalinity starts to fall, then add a little Alkalinity buffer. Other then that , just keep dosing a little bit at a time, and you will get back to normal.

 

[captbunzo]

Actually, I got to disagree with you Travis, sort of. I mean, it is necessary to adjust them INITIALLY, however, after that, BOTH parts should be dosed every time. From this article...

      http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

...in the section titled Dosing Instructions, read as follows:

Resist the temptation to keep jiggering calcium and alkalinity independently. They will need occasional corrections, but that should not be the normal course of dosing unless there are substantial outside influences, such as water changes with a salt mix that does not match the tank's parameters or an error in making the mixes.

Of course, it would be good to define "occasional" in perspective of these corrections.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6996419#post6996419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by captbunzo
Actually, I got to disagree with you Travis, sort of. I mean, it is necessary to adjust them INITIALLY, however, after that, BOTH parts should be dosed every time. From this article...

That's what I meant But the clarification should be well noted.

 

[captbunzo]

 

[dugg]

Thanks for the help everyone . I have been dosing both still and testing every day. So far so good. The DKH = 12 and calcium is at 320. The PH is staying stable at 8.3 so far. I have a milwakee PH monitor on the way, until then i have plenty of tests to keep a watch on it.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I would definitely stop dosing Alkalinity until you can get your Calcium just a little higher.

What does your new saltwater test? It might prepare you about what happens to your tank when you do water changes.