Like some input

[pastelball]

I have a 34 gallon deep Blue frag tank setup as a display tank. Running 2 Kessil 16o and a 24"t5ho bulb coral plus. I have lights at 60%. I had a 25 gallon cube that I had running with one kessil on it with everything doing good. Should I turn my lights down?
Now I have notice a couple of my purple sps are lighter within the past couple of weeks.
Did all my testing last night

1.026
PO4 0.055 ul hanna checker
dkh 8.2 hanna
dkh 8.6 salifert
NO3 2.5
calcium 440 api
mag 1450

 

[pastelball]

Also my ph is average 7.53

 

[DSC reef]

What are you testing ph with? That's pretty low.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I agree pH is a little low. SPS will also bleach with rapid fluctuations, would you say that those numbers are consistent or do they change often?

 

[pastelball]

The tank is in the living room.

 

[pastelball]

I really have no way of running airline outside. Tank is on inside wall.

 

[Mattrg02]

I really have no way of running airline outside. Tank is on inside wall.

How is your surface agitation?

I thought mine was low at 7.7 (8.0 during the day)

 

[pastelball]

It's good, pp4 and my return pointed to the surfuce turn the water over pretty good. Plus, i have my skimmer running also.

 

[pastelball]

Well, I was able to run a line through the floor to the outside. The ph is at 7.72.

 

[jda]

You don't have to run the T5s less. They are high quality and you could run eight of them over the tank with no issues. It is probably not the light, but you could turn the Kessils down a bit - think of them as supplementing the T5s.

All of the other parameters look fine. Double check your refract calibration and temp with a glass thermo. Other than that, looks good on paper.

I would guess that your PH probe is off. Unless you are still cycling, there is nearly no way to get to 7.3 - your aragonite will melt and buffer and get you back up. I might suggest a PH Pen - they are about $10 online and a good way to spot check PH.

 

[pastelball]

Cool thanks,

Just ordered a ph pen. Going to get calibration fluid for the ph probe. Also i do have a calibrated thermometer that is certified. I also did use calibration fluid for my refractometer.

Going to turn the kessils down a little tonight when i get home.

 

[jda]

Sounds good. Those are always good things to double check... people get too trustworthy on a refract or a thermometer and end up shocked when they chase their tails for a month only to find out that they are at 1.029 or 84 degrees.

If you rinse the PH Pen off with RO and then blow it dry, it should last for a long time without needing calibrated. ...again, not a $10 tool that I would bet a life on, but enough of a double check to see if you need to dig in deeper.

 

[pastelball]

So i calibrated my ph probe with calibration fluid. Now my ph on the probe was 7.64 now its at 7.40. I have a ph pen and its at 7.6. Should try to calibrate ot again and get a new one. This one is maybe year and half old.