PH Increasing Drasticially

Ocho Cinco · Mar 2, 2016

When I got up this morning I took a look at my fish tank and noticed all my tangs have ich all of a sudden. I have also noticed what I think is red slime (stringy algae). I then noticed my PH monitor shows over 9. Usually is it in the very low 8s.

Changes made recently:
-Skimmer randomly started going nuts, so I had to turn it down a ton
-Put new GFO in my reactor as I was getting a PO4 reading and was starting to see the red algae
-Last weekend in dosed 2 part to get my ALK and CA to the correct levels. I haven't dosed it since as I'm giving it a week to see how much is consumed.

Any idea of why my PH is going nuts all of a sudden?

Thanks!

Cory · Mar 2, 2016

What is your alkalinity at now and what are you using to test it? i would test it new again. That seems like a testing error for the ph meter, but is possible with very high alk or limewater. Fishes immune system is susceptibile to infections more when their basic needs are not met, like you have seen. Is your tanks water cloudy?

Ocho Cinco · Mar 2, 2016

Cory said:
What is your alkalinity at now and what are you using to test it? i would test it new again. That seems like a testing error for the ph meter, but is possible with very high alk or limewater. Fishes immune system is susceptibile to infections more when their basic needs are not met, like you have seen. Is your tanks water cloudy?

I have not tested my ALK today. I use the Salifert test kit. I don't see how it can be too high since I have not dosed since Sat.

Ya I thought it was ph meter error so I tested it with a liquid test kit and it game me a color that's not on the chart.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 2, 2016

I expect it is testing error unless you massively overdosed a high pH alk supplement.

pH does not get to 9 in reef aquariums without the taak precipitating so much calcium carbonate it looks like milk.