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Low PH High Calcium Problems

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by rverbeck, Feb 14, 2008.

  1. Feb 14, 2008 #1
    rverbeck

    rverbeck Inactive User

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    Well, I am having a problem. I am new to corals first of all. My problem is that my PH is low 7.6ish and my Calcium is high 500ish. So here is some info:
    75 gallon tank
    PC lighting
    Uv sterilizer
    Mechanical Filtration
    Back Pak protien Skimmer
    About 60 Lbs live rock
    2 power heads in tank for movement
    (heres the info you said to provide Anna)
    I use Coralife sea salt
    I do water changes once every two week after letting my salt/water mix 2 days
    I use RO/DI water that I just purchased and have only had the unit itself about 2 months
    I dose Kent Marine coral-vite 1 x per week 2 teaspoons
    My testing kit is API
    I test for Calcium, Nitrates, Nitrites, PH, Amonnia ( I can bet I need to start testing my Alk)
    I test right after I get off work wich is about 6:30-7pm after the lights have been on all day.
    This is about all the info I know to provide to everyone. If you have any suggestions, please feel free, I'd be more than happy to take any help I can get.
    OH and my Nitrates are between 0-5 ppm Nitrites 0 Ammonia 0.
    Thanks,
    Ryan
     
  2. Feb 14, 2008 #2
    Lee

    Lee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Alk and Magnesium would help. Your low PH might be from a build up of CO2. This is typical in the winter time when there is poor ventilation in the house. Try aiming a powerhead at the surface to try and aerate the water a little better. Other ideas would be to stop breathing in the house /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif
     
  3. Feb 14, 2008 #3
    Travis

    Travis Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    You need to know your alk for sure and I would want to know my Mg also, because Mg acts as a natural buffer for Ca and Alk. Crazy swings in pH can cause Ca and Alk imbalance, but typically it results in the Ca precipitating out of solution (Looks like it is snowing in your tank). High Ca and Mg levels are also found in Coralife salt, so I am leaning more toward Lee's answer of high CO2 or a bad pH test.
     
  4. Feb 14, 2008 #4
    Coralfreak

    Coralfreak Inactive User

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    Definitely going to need to know your alk level to really help much with this.  My guess is that if your Calcium is actually that high, your alk is very low which can lead to severe pH swings. 
    Knowing your Mg level, as Travis said, would also help as it does interact with your alk, calcium and to some degree your pH.
    It is true that your pH will tend to be low with all the windows shut etc, you can offset some of this by increasing surface agitiation to allow more oxygen into the water and at the same time push out excess CO2.
    Allen
     
  5. Feb 15, 2008 #5
    rverbeck

    rverbeck Inactive User

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    Thanks everyone. I took one of my powerheads to the top of the water to help with the ariation. I will take my water and get it tested probably tonight or tomorrow and bring my test kit along when I do it,so I can compare my test results to theirs. Plus pick up a Alk and Mg test while there.
     
  6. Feb 15, 2008 #6
    Coralfreak

    Coralfreak Inactive User

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    Let us know the results, this is actually a fairly easy problem to fix once all the parameters are known.
     
  7. Feb 15, 2008 #7
    kgehrke

    kgehrke Inactive User

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    I've also heard that if you have cheato in your sump with a light on it, on a reverse lighting cycle, it can balance your PH swings.
     
  8. Feb 15, 2008 #8
    Travis

    Travis Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    Posted By kgehrke on 02/15/2008 2:44 PM
    I've also heard that if you have cheato in your sump with a light on it, on a reverse lighting cycle, it can balance your PH swings.
    This will help resolve the typical night time/ dark period swing caused by the lack of light halting photosythesis.  Little known or at least thought about fact is that oxygen producing plants actually use oxygen and expire CO2 at night.  The increase in CO2 will decrease pH and the usage of O2 in a heavily populated tank can sometimes be traced back to the loss of fish at night in power outages or tanks with poor gas exchange.
     
  9. Feb 15, 2008 #9
    rverbeck

    rverbeck Inactive User

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    Well, tonight I went to Pets Playhouse and got my water checked there. My PH was at 8.2 (not bad). My alk was 400? I think ( this was done at a buddies house as pets playhouse couldnt do it, I dont even know where it should be I know thats low from what my buddy said) , and my calcium was 600 (YIKES). They werent able to test my Mg. I bought some coralife buffer for alk and ph. The only problem is they didnt have any test kits for alk or mg. I think tomorrrow I will call Hung to see if he has any test kits for alk and mg.  Thanks for all the help so far. I am just so confused right now with being new to all of this. I will keep you all posted.
     
  10. Feb 16, 2008 #10
    rverbeck

    rverbeck Inactive User

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    Ok so here we go. First of all my alk took 7 drops to turn the green/yellow color. I was told that 7-9 drops is good. However could someone please explain to me what 7 drops means. The kit I have doesnt explain it. It says to take the amount of drops divided by 2 times 50. I dont know what is good/bad. Please explain. As far as I know right now from what Pets Playhouse said, I'm good.

    My Ph is 8.2

    My calium is high still 600

    And my salt is high .26-.27.

    I am going to do a water change tomorrow to bring down the salt and calcium. Then I will test again. But for the most part, I would say it is looking alot better. Thanks everyone.
     
  11. Feb 16, 2008 #11
    Anna

    Anna Inactive User

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    Have you dosed any calcium in your tank? It's very odd that the calcium is that high if you haven't dosed calcium.

    Sounds like your alk is 175 ppm which = 3.5 meq/l - that's a good number.
     
  12. Feb 16, 2008 #12
    Coralfreak

    Coralfreak Inactive User

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    My guess is that your reading in ppm.  7/2(50) = 175ppm which is good, if that is the correct reading for your kit.
    What brand is the test kit?
    Have you confirmed the calcium level with another test kit.  Having your calcium that high, should have dropped your alk way down.
     
  13. Feb 18, 2008 #13
    Troy

    Troy Experienced Reefkeeper

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    I am having the same problem, extreamly high Calcium, but have a good Alk reading. I haven't figured it out yet. But everything in the tank isn't real unhappy with it. So I just letting go for now.
     
  14. Feb 18, 2008 #14
    rverbeck

    rverbeck Inactive User

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    OK, so as of today here is what I did to fix my issue.

    First I put a powerhead at the top of the water, however this weekend I am going to go buy a rubbermade container and put a sump underneath.

    Second I used a Alk/Ph buffer 1 time

    Third I did a 15 gallon water change and lowered my salt because I found out my salt was high.

    And the results...................Drum roll please..........................

    PH 8.2-Alk mEq/l 3 - dkh 8.4 - calcium 480 ppm - nitrates 0-5 ppm -nitrites 0 - ammonia 0 and my salt levels are still high around .25-.26 ( a work in progress).
    Thanks for all the help everyone.
    Ryan
     
  15. Feb 18, 2008 #15
    Lee

    Lee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Sounds about perfect assuming you mean your salt level is 1.025-1.026 (that is the natural seawater reading.... no need to lower it.)
     

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