Need help with alk, ph, coming from softener asap!

[reefpimp#1]

So i have been battling low ph.
Now zoos r dieing shrooms melting and sps making me nervous.
Didnt start having problems till this past year.
I tested water and found problem with water i never noticed before. (Used to use alot of ro from store)
Water before softener -alk 7.5 meq ph 7.4
Water ahter softener -alk 7. 5 meq, ph 7.4
Water after softener and RO unit - alk almost 0 meq and still ph 7.4
I did read ro unit would lower alk 1-2 magnitude (not sure how much that is)

So is there anything i can do to vet good or atleast better alk or ph from ro unit?
Or i am looking at buying 55 gallon plastic drum to place in room, fill, adjust to good alk, ph and put pump and float for ato.
Is this the way to go?

Any help, ideas or corrections would be great.

 

[bertoni]

The pH of the RO water is not important. It has no buffering, so it will conform to the pH of the tank when added.

What is the pH in the tank? It's very unusual to have the pH drop low enough to harm soft corals like zoanthids. What kind of meter or kit is being used for the testing?

 

[reefpimp#1]

Ph in tank is 7.8 - 7.9 cant seem to get it higher. Been using two different test kits. One with powder packets and one with drops.
Guess it seems to me that low ph with lower ph being added through ato is keeping it low or making it worst.
Was hoping buffering ph and alk first then adding to tank would help raise and maintain better.

 

[bertoni]

That pH range is very typical for tanks in houses with the windows shut. The corals should be fine with that pH. Many very nice tanks run at that pH.

The cause of low pH in a cycled tank always is carbon dioxide, assuming that the alkalinity is in the normal range, 7-11 dKH. This article has details:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

 

[bertoni]

If you post your other water parameters, we might be able to help more.

 

[reefpimp#1]

Everything else in looking good
Temp 79
Amonia 0
Nirite 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 450
Alk 6-7 meq this was coming down but used buffer for ph and it came up a bit.
Ph 7.9

Sps still look good but zoos closed upand a few mushrooms disappeared. Ph is only thing i can see. I thing it is getting worse since ato water going in has ph of 7.4.
I figured co2in house since tank is in own room was reason but after retesting ato water it has me nervous. Thinking i should run water into barrel and buffer first and then use as ato water to keep ph up instead of pumping worse water straight off ro unit.
Maybe im wasting time but seems like it make sense to me.

 

[disc1]

The pH and alkalinity are set entirely by the salt in the tank. None of it comes from the fresh water you make the salt mix with or the fresh water in your ATO.

Unless you are dosing the tank through the ATO, like with kalk, then the alkalinity of your top off water should be zero and the pH is absolutely unimportant and will have absolutely no effect on the pH in the tank.

 

[reefpimp#1]

I have well water and it tests 7.5 meq alkout of tap so i DO have alk in water before salt.
I did latge water change without ro and sent alk through the roof.
I just find it hard to believe alk anph in ato water doesnt affect tank at all.
I guess thats why u guys r here.
Ill just leave it alone if thats what everyone is saying it just doesn't make sense to me.
Thanks

 

[disc1]

I have well water and it tests 7.5 meq alkout of tap so i DO have alk in water before salt.

That alk gets removed by your RODI. Or it had better be anyway. If not then the RODI isn't working.

I did latge water change without ro and sent alk through the roof.

Yes, if your well water has that much alkalinity in it, then using without filtering first is not a great idea.

I just find it hard to believe alk anph in ato water doesnt affect tank at all.
I guess thats why u guys r here.
Ill just leave it alone if thats what everyone is saying it just doesn't make sense to me.
Thanks

The alkalinity in your tank consists almost entirely of bicarbonate and carbonate salts. These are coming from your salt mix, and are only consumed by corals and coralline algae. Think of it as baking soda dissolved in the tank water. Just like any other salt, you don't have to replace that with top-off since it doesn't evaporate. It works just like the salinity in your tank in that respect.

The pH is a little more complicated. In your tank water, carbonate and bicarbonate form what is called a pH buffer. A buffer resists changes in pH. The top-off water has no buffer, so a very small amount of acid will make the pH of the pure water change by a large amount. But this same amount of acid or base when added to the tank doesn't change the pH because of the carbonate buffer system in the water. The pH in the tank is completely set by the relative concentrations of CO2, carbonate, and bicarbonate. And none of those things should be coming in with the top-off.

I can understand it being really confusing to someone who hasn't studied it. pH does not work in intuitive ways.

 

[reefpimp#1]

Ok. Yes as alk is 0 after ro if ph is ok at 7.9 ill let it be.
I will do a large water change to try and fix whatever seems to be ****ing off my zoos.
Thanks for ur patience and info. I appreciate it