Ineed an answer to Ph and ALk ?

[mbell09]

I have a 40 gal tank with a cpr hob skimmer heater power head and mechanical filttration with a penguin w/biowheel in the tank there are flourecent green star polyups flourecscent green mushroom and a yet to be id'd frag of coral water params are : 0 ammonia: 0 nitites: 0.1 nitrates: ph is over 8.2 alk reads high I use a reef buffer that is supposed to keep ph at 8.1-8.3 noproblems the first month now it is spiking I have been using ro water from lfs never a problem how can i safely lower ph without killing off the few plants and coral i have ? Any help i was told to post here did water change of 20 % still is up what gives

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm sorry, I'm confused.

You want to lower pH? Why? pH up to 8.5 is perfectly fine.

Stop using buffers for pH control (up or down). They are never the best option, and often just end up with excessive alkalinity.

What is the alkalinity now? An actual value would be good, not just "high". it may not actually be high in our opinion.

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 1: The Salt Water Itself
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

The "How To" Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 3: pH
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners,
Part 4: What Chemicals May Detrimentally Accumulate
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/rhf/index.php
This has more:

 

[mbell09]

ok took another reading it is digital auto temp salinity 1.0243
alkalinity2.772 ph comes in at 8.499

 

[mbell09]

sorry I thank you and will read those threads you referred too I just here all these water problems and am thinking somthing bad is about to happen spend a lot of money and time to kill something is something i can not justify these are my kids lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I suspect the pH may be reading higher than it really is, but if it is accurate, and the alkalinity is accurate, then simple aeration will drop the pH if you want to. If it were perfectly aerated with normal air, the pH would be about 8.2 at that alkalinity.

How recently did you calibrate the pH meter?

 

[mbell09]

was cal this am used first on tank in living room everything was as it had been yesterday reset then recal using ro water for 0 got salinity then switch to a ph and alk scale cal with fluid got norm on test reset then did the "bad one" still new to this so read instructions each time as to do it right and to familirize my self with the proceedures for each

 

[NCNBilly]

Liquid pH tests aren't particularly accurate. I wouldn't worry about it.

On another note, you should calibrate your refractometer with a standard seawater solution (like Pinpoint) to 35ppt (SG 1.0265) rather than ro/di to 0ppt (SG 1.0000) - especially not just RO.

 

[mbell09]

ok thanks was told to set it that way

 

[maynor]

NCNBilly,

Is this what you are suggesting?

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...~view~idProduct~AM1437~idCategory~FITECL.html

Hope it helps.

 

[NCNBilly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13967385#post13967385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maynor
NCNBilly,

Is this what you are suggesting?

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...~view~idProduct~AM1437~idCategory~FITECL.html

Hope it helps.

Yep, thats it.