Another low pH thread... tried many solutions. Dinoflagellates.

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

120g system located in finished basement. System is 7 1/3 months 'young' (old)

When I first set it up I was running a pH of 7.5. Started using full strength Kalkwasser, didn't make all that much of a difference to pH, maybe a point or so, but did assist with stabilizing Alkalinity.

Aim my return lines at surface of tank, to ripple it as much as possible without 'too' much splashing. Estimate 900-1000 gallon per hour turnover in 120 gallon tank.

Installed a Co2 scrubber, preceded with a water filled canister on my 2007 - Bermuda 3BPS - 3c venturi style skimmer. pH, shot up .2 to 7.8 - 7.9. Was going to go through a canister of Co2 media a week. Installed an outside air intake, still through the Co2 scrubber. Co2 media barely absorbs anything at this point. Ph relatively steady 7.7-7.9.

Opening basement windows, even for 24 hours, doesn't seem to cause pH to fluctuate very much.

One 24 hour period, I placed a large fan over the tank, replacing 5 gallons of fullstrength kalkwasser ATO in 24 hour period. pH got up to 8.0, alk 3.3 meg/l, but I would imagine my calcium would go through the roof if I did that for an extended period of time.

Test kit readings are within acceptable ranges

pH 7.88 (Right now, after full strength lighting has been on for 4 hours)
Alk 8.3 dKH or 2.93 meg/l
Calcium 460
Nitrates <5
Phos - barely detectable Salifert kit.

Dealing with dinoflagellates now... aggravated that I can't seem to get my pH up to 8.2 with my current setup.

QUESTION....

Would running a larger skimmer, in theory, blow off more Co2 and therefore raise my pH naturally?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It seems like you’ve done all the above and then some.

Leaves me to ask.

what are you using to Measure PH?

Kalk should have blown the roof off the ph even If your co2 was high I belive.

 

[Hitman]

What salt are you using?
How are you mixing it?
How long are you mixing it?
What is your salinity level?
What are you checking your salinity with?
What are you checking PH with?
I've never had saltwater mix below 7.7 ph is why you m asking all the above.

 

[Hitman]

It seems like you’ve done all the above and then some.

Leaves me to ask.

what are you using to Measure PH?

Kalk should have blown the roof off the ph even If your co2 was high I belive.

Correct 5 gallons of saturated Kalk should have skyrocketed the ph!!!
I hope he is not using a API kit as I mistakenly did a few years ago and later found out my 7.8 ph per API was really 8.3 PH.

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

It seems like you’ve done all the above and then some.

Leaves me to ask.

what are you using to Measure PH?

Kalk should have blown the roof off the ph even If your co2 was high I belive.

PinPoint Monitor & Salifert Ph Test Kits - Have purchased calibration solution to verify accuracy of PinPoint Monitor

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

What salt are you using?
How are you mixing it?
How long are you mixing it?
What is your salinity level?
What are you checking your salinity with?
What are you checking PH with?
I've never had saltwater mix below 7.7 ph is why you m asking all the above.

Reef Crystals - Brute Garbage can, heater and powerhead. Almost always mixed at least 24 hours before water changes.
Salinity 35ppt ( Refractormeter)

I've got a 5gal bucket that I've just mixed up. Let me get that up to 35ppt and I'm going to measure pH of freshly made saltwater. Stay tuned.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

PinPoint Monitor & Salifert Ph Test Kits - Have purchased calibration solution to verify accuracy of PinPoint Monitor

Wow. How odd.
Are you also dosing cal and alk.
How?

Reef Crystals - Brute Garbage can, heater and powerhead. Almost always mixed at least 24 hours before water changes.
Salinity 35ppt ( Refractormeter)

I've got a 5gal bucket that I've just mixed up. Let me get that up to 35ppt and I'm going to measure pH of freshly made saltwater. Stay tuned.

Keep in mind brand new made rodi will have low ph unless it’s sat for a while.

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

Wow. How odd.
Are you also dosing cal and alk.
How?


Keep in mind brand new made rodi will have low ph unless it’s sat for a while.

I do not dose cal or alk. Have been relying on full strength kalk to maintain calcium/alkalinity.

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

Freshly made, 5 gallon of Reef Crystals (been mixing for about 4 hours), Ro/Di, 74 degrees, PinPoint reading 7.8. So my make up water is exactly that same as my 'normal' readings at this point.

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

I have been trying to grow more macro algae in the fuge, but my system is so low in nutrients that it’s been a slow growing.

 

[Hitman]

What's the TDS reading on your RODI what out of curiosity? Not sure if this makes a difference or not.
My RODI water tests at 0 and I just made 10 gallons of Reef Crystals for a water change on my QT tank last night and the PH per apex reads 8.2. Now I mix it for 12 hours then put a cheap heater in it till it hits my temp of 78.
To rule out a bad batch do you shake up your salt bucket or bag before using the salt?
I what are your Alk and Ca levels of the fresh mix?

 

[Hitman]

Just checked my notes for the mix I just used for my QT tank and here's how mine tested:

Mg 1420 ppm ( Salifert )
Ca 460 ppm ( Salifert )
Alk 11.9 Dkh ( Hanna )
PH 8.2 ( Apex just calibrated last week )

 

[Hitman]

Just playing with some numbers your PH probe must be off. If you dosed 5 gallons of saturated Kalk in 120 gallons your PH should have jumped up 2.3333 ph if my math is close.
1.25% of tank volume of saturated limewater will raise pH 0.7
So 1.25% of 120 gallons = 1.5 gallons of kalk to raise ph 0.7
So that would be .466667 raise per gallon
So .46667 x 5 = 2.33335 PH rise.

 

[Brad Miller]

I use reef crystals too
Just tested my 1.026 mix I made last night
78 f and ph is 8.05

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

Just playing with some numbers your PH probe must be off. If you dosed 5 gallons of saturated Kalk in 120 gallons your PH should have jumped up 2.3333 ph if my math is close.
1.25% of tank volume of saturated limewater will raise pH 0.7
So 1.25% of 120 gallons = 1.5 gallons of kalk to raise ph 0.7
So that would be .466667 raise per gallon
So .46667 x 5 = 2.33335 PH rise.

Earlier I was thinking the same and I ordered a new one.

Was looking at the salifert test results and thinking that’s at least an 8.0, not a 7.8.

The probe is end of life at about 18 months. So we’ll see if a new probe reads this week.

 

[Silver14SS]

Will a pH of 8.2 get rid of the dinos or is there another reason it needs to be that specific pH? If not, sounds like there's no reason to chase it.

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

Read that higher pH defends a bit on Dino’s thus I’d like to get a bit higher. Going dark for 24 hours. Would expect new probe on Wednesday. Been building a new canopy and was going to install some fans to increase air flow / evaporation = more kalk = higher pH.

Still trying to dial this new system. In due time.

 

[Hitman]

Will a pH of 8.2 get rid of the dinos or is there another reason it needs to be that specific pH? If not, sounds like there's no reason to chase it.

Not chasing it he was worried about it being so so low with the CO2 scrubber and Kalk. It was his probe not the actual PH was off.

@DeepBlueSeaV1 it might be the picture but it looks like 8.15 PH to me. Hopefully your new probe and calibration fluid gets in and you can sit back relax and enjoy your tank again. As for your Dinos just let nature run it's coarse and it will go away. My tank took forever to mature ( 1 full year ) before the uglys all went away. Then the coraline took over and I swear I only have clear from glass everything else is purple. So much purple our kids call the 240 a Barney tank no longer a cool tank with corals lol

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Will a pH of 8.2 get rid of the dinos or is there another reason it needs to be that specific pH? If not, sounds like there's no reason to chase it.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/

 

[KenO]

I use the borax test solution to test my pH probes to see if they need to be calibrated and sometimes after I calibrate to make sure they are working correctly.

http://web.archive.org/web/20021015005420/www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/2000/feb/bio/default.asp