Low PH & High Alkalinity: looking for suggestions to balance

[TG17]

I recently purchased a 13.5 gallon reef tank that has been up and running for 18 months before me purchasing and moving it 5 weeks ago.

I keep all the rock, sand, and equipment, and about 50% of the water from before the move.

My PH is constantly low 7.2 - 7.5.
DHK has been rising and is now 12.

mostly soft corals, 3 fish (2 clowns and a tailspot blenny), a few crabs and a few snails.

Using Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt (since the move). Been doing weekly water changes 3 gallons a week.

I've tried opening windows, adding a fan, turning way up my wavemaker so I feel like I have tried a lot to increase gas exchange, but have yet been able to get the PH to 7.8. I'm also concerned with the high DKH.

Mushrooms, Torch, Green Star Polyps, gorgonian look great, Zoa's seem shrunken/contracted, but they are open.

I'm looking for suggestions to help get the PH up and get the DKH down. I'd like to try and get the water chemistry right to the point that the Zoa's are happier, more open and growing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not assume either measurement is accurate.
Try the alk kit on some of that new salt water.

How are you measuring pH?

 

[smiley2024]

Are you using RO water for mixing salt?

Pls recheck with your LFS for these water parameters if u want to verify your test kits are not faulty

 

[TG17]

Are you using RO water for mixing salt?

Pls recheck with your LFS for these water parameters if u want to verify your test kits are not faulty

Thank you for the input yes using RO water and I’ve tested with the LFS. And they’ve confirmed what I’m testing. Using Hanna pH pen and Hanna alkalinity checker.

I have tested the RO water before and after salt pH is low 7677 is high 9 to 10

 

[gbroadbridge]

Thank you for the input yes using RO water and I’ve tested with the LFS. And they’ve confirmed what I’m testing. Using Hanna pH pen and Hanna alkalinity checker.

I have tested the RO water before and after salt pH is low 7677 is high 9 to 10

You cannot measure the pH of RO water. It has no buffering capability and can read anything at all.

How did you calibrate the pH pen?

My experience with the Hanna pens is that they are not very reliable unless you have bought the top of the line models.

 

[TG17]

Thank you for your reply. In regards to testing my RO water, I tested the PH after adding my Tropic Marin Salt mix, hopefully that makes sense.

For the PH Pen, I had the same concern, I use a PHEP+ pen, I have also been testing with another manual reagent kit and I seem to be getting the same results as the pen, so even if not perfect I think it is quite close. My thinking is if I consistently use the pen, it could be off a little bit, but using the consistent tech will allow me to have a pretty good sense of where it is.

Does that help?

 

[chip shop]

Sorry if I’ve missed it but are you running a skimmer

 

[SliceGolfer]

Which light are you using and what is the photoperiod?

 

[TG17]

Sorry if I’ve missed it but are you running a skimmer

Sorry I didn’t mention that. No skimmer and AI prime 16 light.

12 hour lighting with 4 hour ramp, 4 our full, 4 hour ramp down.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What salt mix did you use for the 50% of the water premove?

While alk can rise very slowly, I think there’s a different explanation here.

 

[TG17]

using Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt.

 

[joeyhatch11]

Can always run a air stone on a air pump and try getting a line outside for more air exchange. Without a skimmer delivering that air exchange I think it may be difficult. I just added a c02 scrubber to bump my 7.8-7.9 pH up for 8.1-8.2. Waiting to see the results as Im less than 24hr into adding the scrubber and getting the airline outside.

 

[TG17]

What salt mix did you use for the 50% of the water premove?

While alk can rise very slowly, I think there’s a different explanation here.

It was Red Sea Coral Pro salt before the move (I bought the tank and inhabitants), so I used what was left of the red Sea salt half and half as I transitioned to the Tropic Marin salt. I hope that wasn't to bad of an idea.

 

[TG17]

Can always run a air stone on a air pump and try getting a line outside for more air exchange. Without a skimmer delivering that air exchange I think it may be difficult. I just added a c02 scrubber to bump my 7.8-7.9 pH up for 8.1-8.2. Waiting to see the results as Im less than 24hr into adding the scrubber and getting the airline outside.

I was thinking this, but I dont have a practical way to get a line outside. would you consider trying the airstone without that and just put it in the filter area of my all in one tank?

 

[joeyhatch11]

I was thinking this, but I dont have a practical way to get a line outside. would you consider trying the airstone without that and just put it in the filter area of my all in one tank?

Yes I believe at this point any introduction of air into the system, even if not pulled from outside, would be a huge improvement. Simply because your not running a skimmer. But also consider pointing your return nozzle in the display upward for more surface agitation.

 

[TG17]

I will give the airstone a try and let you know how I make out. Thank you for the suggestion. I have two return nozzles and a powerhead push the surface around what feels like strongly for me, but I don't really have a comparison so I am really curious if the air stone has a noticeable impact. Again thanks for the suggestion I really appreciate it.