pH and Calcium levels

[Cunningham]

Hey so everythin has bin alot better since I've bin switching to ro/di water and not using any chemicals but I have noticed my pH is a bit low at 7.9ppm it's not that much lower than the usual 8.3ppm but should I add some buffer? Also my Calcium is at 460ppm usually it stays at about 400ppm so it's a bit high is that something I should worry about I only have an anename and two types of polyps in there and a few red mushrooms

Other than that my salinity and temp and nitrite and nitrate and phosphate r all good and ive got enough substrate and live rock
Ive done 5 water changes so far almost dailey of 20 gallons each time on my 80gallon tank so it should be mostly ro/di water now

 

[mr_X]

don't worry about the calcium level. you don't have anything in the tank that would be effected by it. aim a power head upward towards the surface to help with PH. you need surface agitation for gas exchange.

 

[melosu58]

don't worry about the calcium level. you don't have anything in the tank that would be effected by it. aim a power head upward towards the surface to help with PH. you need surface agitation for gas exchange.

Great advice.

 

[Cunningham]

I have my trickle filter and the protein skimmer that both make small bubbles in the water is this good enough or should I just aim a power head that's at the bottom to the top? Or should I put the power on the surface and let it stir the water up that way?

 

[mr_X]

aim a power head up for a couple days and see how that effects ph. when are you testing ph BTW? you will have a different reading depending on what time of the day/night.

 

[Cunningham]

really ? a different reading? so whens the best time to test it and whens the most accurate time of day to test then?

this is all soo interesting to me it seems like im learning something everyday on here and ive had my tank setup for about 2 years now but its bin a constant struggle but since ive switched to ro water and no chemicals things r way better

 

[Cunningham]

so i just went and put a good strong power head that hangs on the top of the tank and spits water across the top but one question just so im clear should i attach the air hose so it puts lots of air too? or just the water is good?

thanks

 

[Ziggy953]

To get an accurate reading of how high your PH gets during the day you will want to test just before your lights go off for the day. To see how low it drops over night check the PH in the morning just before you lights come on.

Don't put an air line on the PH, that will cause a lot of micro bubbles in the tank and basically turn your display into a big skimmer. I would have the PH submerged and have the outlet pointed towards the surface, you don't want to make a fountain just get the surface of the water rippling nicely.

 

[Cunningham]

so which one should i go with then ? the morning or the night reading?
or do i average it?

 

[Ziggy953]

I would check both. The evening reading is going to be your "high" and the morning is going to be your "low" It shouldn't be a huge difference but enough that you will see it.

I would do it over a couple days and get an average of both high and low and then an overall average.

 

[Cunningham]

awesome!!!! thanks alot to everyone thats bin helping me
i wish i wouldve just came on here from the start
prolly wouldn't have spent 4 thousand dollars and still have an empty tank for of live rock lol

 

[mr_X]

copied from another poster:
"When lights are on photosynthesis happens in which algae and things, taking in CO2, combining it with H2O to produce glucose(C6H12O6).
when lights go out, algaes and things respire by using the glucose made during photosynthesis, like we do in our muscles, they need oxygen for this and releases CO2 which lowers the PH"