Please help - Struggling with water parameters

[Shadowspop]

My tank (93 cube)has been running for about 8 months now. I started off doing regular (about 15% weekly)water changes and everyone seemed super happy. As i put more corals in, my LFS told me to cut back on the water changes and allow the nutrients to build up. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, some corals started looking really bad. My parameters were really low. Water temp remains very consistent at 78.8 degrees and water is mixed to 1.025. No dosing pumps used. Fuge is pretty solid, chaeto is thriving, live mud, tons of pods and bristle worms. I run an opposite light schedule with my fuge light running about 10 hours over night. Tank has 2 Radion gen 4 pros, running for about 10 hours (no idea of par)

Ph below 7.4 with Salifert test kit.
Nitrate not showing,
Alk 6,
calc 420
phos 0
I had my LFS check my mag and that was 1450

I turned off my skimmer, turned off my pellet reactor so all I'm really running is carbon and UV. I kicked up my feeding schedule to increase nutrients and even let my socks get pretty dirty before changing.
I started dosing Alk, calc, and ph, and some are improving, but I cannot seem to get my Ph up at all.. Current readings this morning.

Alk 8.0 (now using a hanna checker)
Ph still below 7.4
Nitrate - at least showing trace, but below 5
phos- 0
calc- 450

Am I being over concerned about my Ph? How can I get the Ph up without raising my Alk to a dangerous point?

 

[mtraylor]

First and far most. If you enjoy doing water changes, keep the husbandry up. This is the only way to replenish your nutrients etc if you are not adding anything to the aquarium. You were informed incorrectly. If you stop doing water changes with no additives. Sooner or later the bioload will use up all that is there to be used. If you add more corals, then they will use more nutrients. Just FYI.

Moving forward. Your Alk is too low at 6. If it was just a bad reading and now it shows an 8 then you are on the money. My advice to you is to not chase the PH. It will get you in trouble. Make sure your Alkalinity is stable and just watch what your PH does. After a couple weeks or so, then you may want to make a few changes if need be.

Your Magnesium and calcium are at good leves and your alk is now as well. Try another PH tester to get another point of reference. If you phosphates are at zero this can sometimes cause stress for your corals so this may be a source of diminished look of the corals. A couple extra fish feedings will get rid of that. Also look into Seachem reef plus.

I personally do not do allot of water changes. Just a couple year if needed. I do add supplements to the tank to ensure all my levels stay where they need to be. YOu can do either way. Supplements or water changes. Either way works. You have to do one though.

 

[Palyzoa]

Here is an article about PH levels in reef tanks. Hope this helps! http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/6/chemistry

 

[Shadowspop]

First and far most. If you enjoy doing water changes, keep the husbandry up. This is the only way to replenish your nutrients etc if you are not adding anything to the aquarium. You were informed incorrectly. If you stop doing water changes with no additives. Sooner or later the bioload will use up all that is there to be used. If you add more corals, then they will use more nutrients. Just FYI.

Moving forward. Your Alk is too low at 6. If it was just a bad reading and now it shows an 8 then you are on the money. My advice to you is to not chase the PH. It will get you in trouble. Make sure your Alkalinity is stable and just watch what your PH does. After a couple weeks or so, then you may want to make a few changes if need be.

Your Magnesium and calcium are at good leves and your alk is now as well. Try another PH tester to get another point of reference. If you phosphates are at zero this can sometimes cause stress for your corals so this may be a source of diminished look of the corals. A couple extra fish feedings will get rid of that. Also look into Seachem reef plus.

I personally do not do allot of water changes. Just a couple year if needed. I do add supplements to the tank to ensure all my levels stay where they need to be. YOu can do either way. Supplements or water changes. Either way works. You have to do one though.

Thanks, the Ph is accurate, I originally tested with API, the went to salifert, then had my LFO check it. Everything else seems to be coming around with the exception of phos. I'll grab a Hanna checker for this this week, but my LFS got the same results. I've been giving the Red Sea Reef Energy every day, and now dosing Alk, calc, and Ph. I also just put Kalkwasser in my ato this week. I have definitely put in a ton of corals in a short period so maybe my nutrients are all being used up. I guess I'll try more fish, but unfortunately, that takes time with QT.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Your pH is very, very low. You say you triple checked it, but you need to check it again. At a pH of 7.4, coral skeletons may start dissolving because the pH is so low.

You say you're "dosing" pH? What are you dosing for this?

Also, be very careful when following rules of thumb or sweeping blanket statements from LFS or other hobbyists. The advice of reducing water changes because you've added more corals only applies in certain situations. It assumes your nutrients are too low. It also assumes that your corals need more nutrients to thrive. Neither of these is necessarily the case, and again, depends upon many factors.

 

[Shadowspop]

Your pH is very, very low. You say you triple checked it, but you need to check it again. At a pH of 7.4, coral skeletons may start dissolving because the pH is so low.

You say you're "dosing" pH? What are you dosing for this?

Also, be very careful when following rules of thumb or sweeping blanket statements from LFS or other hobbyists. The advice of reducing water changes because you've added more corals only applies in certain situations. It assumes your nutrients are too low. It also assumes that your corals need more nutrients to thrive. Neither of these is necessarily the case, and again, depends upon many factors.

I've been dosing with aquavitro 8.4. Haven't dosed every day because I'm afraid of raising my alk too much. Not sure which is worse for the system.

 

[Gablami]

Now that colder weather has come, some people will keep all doors and windows shut, driving up co2 in the ambient air, which is then dissolved into your tank water, driving down pH. Try cracking a window, running a line from outside to your skimmer, or turning on a bathroom fan for awhile, and recheck your pH .

It can make a surprising difference. Last year we had thanksgiving at our house, and the pH in the tank dropped quickly and so dramatically that the apex alarm starting going off.

 

[Flippers4pups]

If your dosing a ph buffer, stop.

Agreed your ph is too low. Adding kalkwasser to your ATO should help a little in regards to stabilize your ph, but your calcium, magnesium and alkalinity need to be in range and stable first.

@Gablami advice is sound for helping with elevated C02 levels.
One other thing to try is a C02 scrubber as a last resort. Placing soda lime in a inline container and attaching it to your skimmer air intake.

Increasing your water surface agitation helps as well.

Test your water parameters weekly and keep a log. Helps.

 

[mtraylor]

I forgot about the door trick. Yeah if you open two windows in the house and air the house out real well. It will usually get your .2 increase. great catch Gablami. Now that will temporary but will get you where you need as things stable out.