luckycat
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hello,
I've had my 90g setup for about 4-5 months; pH has been typically a bit low - around 8.0 or so... it is now, however, 7.4, the lowest measurable value in my test kit. I also tested my tap water (just a shade darker than 7.4 but I'd still put it in that category), RO water (7.4). I use IO for my salt mix, no additives.
My other params are S:1.022, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrates, 0 Nitrites. I have experienced nuisance hair algae in the display tank that I'm trying to get rid of by pulling/siphoning, and I have a fuge in the basement w/chaeto that is growing very nicely (I need to trim now once a week or so).
Tanke is bb - well - epoxy/sand mix - and fuge has 5" dsb.
I'm freaking out about this low pH... I've read that this can be caused by lack of gas exchange - I have a canopy top but no glass on top of the tank, water goes down to the basement for my sump/fuge, hob air skimmer (css), and water moves from display downstairs through pvc which goes through mechanical filtration - with all of this movement I thought I'd be getting good gas exchange.
One other thing - I have a green star polyp that was put in the tank about 2 months ago - it has been thriving, seemingly, until just recently - hasn't come out in about 2-3 days. I'm wondering if this is related to the low pH? All fish and shrimp seem to be fine.
BTW I'm getting alk and ca test kits today. I'm also going to get a separate pH kit, maybe a monitor, to validate my pH readings.
I have kalkwasser mix that I might be able to use as well...
I've had my 90g setup for about 4-5 months; pH has been typically a bit low - around 8.0 or so... it is now, however, 7.4, the lowest measurable value in my test kit. I also tested my tap water (just a shade darker than 7.4 but I'd still put it in that category), RO water (7.4). I use IO for my salt mix, no additives.
My other params are S:1.022, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrates, 0 Nitrites. I have experienced nuisance hair algae in the display tank that I'm trying to get rid of by pulling/siphoning, and I have a fuge in the basement w/chaeto that is growing very nicely (I need to trim now once a week or so).
Tanke is bb - well - epoxy/sand mix - and fuge has 5" dsb.
I'm freaking out about this low pH... I've read that this can be caused by lack of gas exchange - I have a canopy top but no glass on top of the tank, water goes down to the basement for my sump/fuge, hob air skimmer (css), and water moves from display downstairs through pvc which goes through mechanical filtration - with all of this movement I thought I'd be getting good gas exchange.
One other thing - I have a green star polyp that was put in the tank about 2 months ago - it has been thriving, seemingly, until just recently - hasn't come out in about 2-3 days. I'm wondering if this is related to the low pH? All fish and shrimp seem to be fine.
BTW I'm getting alk and ca test kits today. I'm also going to get a separate pH kit, maybe a monitor, to validate my pH readings.
I have kalkwasser mix that I might be able to use as well...