PH problem - Help

[Guest]

For some reason since I upgraded from a 55 to a 125 gal tank I can't seem to get my ph up to an exceptable level
My ph always stayed around 8.0 / 8.2 now It seems to drop as low as 7.4 / 7.6 which scares me and I already lost a fish, I've used the kent ph buffer in my 55 and im out so today i'm thinking of getting some more and trying it out unless some one cna give me a better solution which I would be more then happy to except as I don't know what to do

 

[CBRGuy]

What are your ALK and Calc levels?

 

[Guest]

This will sound stupid but I never checked, no one ever told me, I was just checking ph-nitrites-nitrates-ammonia

 

[malkore]

Alk and pH are closely inter-related, and as I understand, Ca plays a role in helping Alk stay stable too.

Also, weird variations between alk, pH and Ca can indicate Mg problems.

are you using tap water or R/O in the tank?

 

[Guest]

I use ro water

 

[Guest]

What would be the best way to get ph up, I added some Kent ph buffer this morning, from what Im reading it shoud resolve all of what your talking about if it works

 

[Atari]

Salt mix contains buffers.. how much/often do you do water changes?

Also, how much LR in the tank? And do you have a carbonate based substrate?

 

[Guest]

I have aprx 100/125 lbs of live rock and I do a 10 gal water change per week, its easy for me to do it that way vs once a month changing 31 gal at a time
I have live sand for the bottom

 

[CBRGuy]

PH is made up of ALK and Ca. The ALK is like a storage system for Ca. When you dose Ca will drain from the "ALK storage" if you don't buffer the ALK drops and as a result your PH drops. Sorry for the strage explanation, but it's kind of a weird subject. This would also hold true if you don't dose Ca and you have a Ca drain, This drain can be anything that uses Ca mostly corals, but it could also be Snails,Coraline Alage growing on rocks etc.

 

[Guest]

speaking of that since the upgrade and the re cycle of my tank I've been getting allot of the brown allege but I do clean it as soon as I see it, it is all over the live rock though, someone at the pet store mentioned could be from lack of 02 like maybe I'm not venting enough of the carbon dioxiod but then again all the stores tell you something different, one guy is telling me a skimmer will resolve that, not sure I believe that or not
I mean I know a skimmer would be a good thing to have but I don't do corals just fish and live rock ,I am a fanatic with my tank, any left over food or fish waste I net out asap and for the most part I keep the tank pretty clean

 

[Atari]

The LFS is actually correct in that if you don't have enough gas exchange at the surface of the water then there will be a lot of trapped CO2 that will drive the pH down. The main cause of this is usually glass tops followed by lack of surface agitation. How's the ventilation over the new tank?

As mentioned, it would really help to get the Alk/Ca tested too.

 

[Guest]

I have a glass top but the back where there were plastic flaps ,I removed them since I had to add power heads and filters so there is 3 inch wide opening across the whole back of the tank which I believe is 7 ft long
Now I do have a 400 gal per power head blowing up that makes waves at the top of the tank not sure if thats big enough, that's in the center ,on both sides of the tank I have a 300 per aiming down and I 900 per on the other side aimimg down
I really didnt want a 900 but they were out of the smaller ones and I figured hey the more the better and the fish do seem to love it

 

[CBRGuy]

speaking of that since the upgrade and the re cycle of my tank I've been getting allot of the brown allege but I do clean it as soon as I see it, it is all over the live rock though, someone at the pet store mentioned could be from lack of 02 like maybe I'm not venting enough of the carbon dioxiod but then again all the stores tell you something different, one guy is telling me a skimmer will resolve that, not sure I believe that or not
I mean I know a skimmer would be a good thing to have but I don't do corals just fish and live rock ,I am a fanatic with my tank, any left over food or fish waste I net out asap and for the most part I keep the tank pretty clean

The skimmer won't resolve that issure, but you really should have one if you have lr.

It sounds like Diatoms. Caused by PO4 which can come from many sources. Mainly Tap Water Or RO water with a high TDS. If can also come from some processed fish food and some GAC puts out P04 too.

But Agreed trapped Co2 will lower your PH. Like Atari said a glass top will add to the trapped Gas Co2.

 

[Guest]

do you think the power head I have aiming up is big enough?

 

[Atari]

Probably, but I'm not sure if it's doing much good with the glass top on there.. would it be possible to replace the glass top with eggcrate? That would definitely help..

Still need that Alk/Ca tested though..

 

[Guest]

Hwats weired is I had a plastic top on my 55 gal and it was closed in more then the 125 and I didnt have a problem ,a glass top will really do this?
also what do you think about maybe adding some crushed coral or some dolomite, I heard that really helps the ph

 

[darb2]

The way to test for gas exchange is to remove some water from the tank. Agallon or so in a 5 gal bucket. Add an air stone, and dont cover the bucket. Test the pH in like 12-24 hrs. If the pH returns to normal. Then You have a problem with gas exchange.

 

[Guest]

Wow that's different, I would of never thought of that ,I will try it, thanks, do most people use air stones in there salt water tank?

 

[darb2]

No I don't use airstones in the main tank. I just have an extra one laying around. MTS will do that to you.