how to stablise pH

[weileong]

My dkh currently at 10 dkh

pH just before lights on is 7.7.

pH just before lights off is 8.5

Lost 4 (all my clownfish) on Saturday night and I suspecting they die due to the pH swing. They also came down with ich. I suspect it is due to the stress induced by the pH swing.

No more fishes for the next 2 months. Don't want them to die.

Corals and shunk shrimps are doing fine. No Casulty for the past 2 months except the clownfish.

Any idea to help?

Water volume is 80 litres, running on 150W MH with BLV 10K bulb. Cooling with AC fan, temp between 27-28degs.

NH3 = 0

NO2 = 0

NO3 = 10ppm.

[Achilles Tang]

Can you check your magnesium levels also?

Are you running a kalk reactor?

I dose kalkwasser at night to stabilise my PH.

[weileong]

Is there a relationship between Mg and pH?

I will get a test kit for Mg.

I don't dose kalkwasser, thought of doing it but worried it might push the pH higher up the lights are on.

[Achilles Tang]

Don't worry... the kalk you dose for water top shouldn't push PH to dangerous levels.

I am dosing kalk only at night.

I too have PH drops to 7.9... with my nite kalk dosing... it hovers around 8.1 now.

[weileong]

hi,

Thanks for the tips.

how do you dose just at night, don't tell me you activate the dosing manually? If I go travelling then this manual method cannot work already.

Gotta solved this before introduce anymore fishes.

[riot]

I run my kalk container to a tubby set on a timer. Power on at night, tubby wakes up and detects water level is too low. Pumps kalk out of container with a ball valve so it drips out.

works so far.

[bwilly]

the salt that u use to mix also have the matters to buffer your PH. Should not be a major worry if u change your water frequently.

how your clownfish die..? any stuff on their bodies..?

[Achilles Tang]

I run my kalk container to a tubby set on a timer. Power on at night, tubby wakes up and detects water level is too low. Pumps kalk out of container with a ball valve so it drips out.

works so far.

I do the exact thing too!

[riot]

Hey hey I would say great minds think alike, but really am not in same league

I was a bit concerned with the solidification of the kalk exposed to air though. So far, no obvious degration of kalk, although the surface is a thin crust after a day or two. The randy-holmes chemist dude says its ok, and he's a chemist, so heck I just follow.

The pump is raised on eggcrates, so I dont get any of the solid debris into the sump. cant get enough kalk in though. Trying out with spiking vinegar now into the 1 week storage container (coral life bucket)

a bit off topic, but might be useful if weileong keen to try.

cheers

[weileong]

thanks for all the tips.

I will wait for my new 4ft to be setup then I implement all these.

I managed to find the bodies of 3 out of the 4 clowns that died.

2 of them the bodies as usual become fainter in color. The 3rd one has some transparent slimmy stuff coated on it. Not sure what it is. Any diagnosis on that?

Another method that I would like to try would be to use my pH controller, once detect the pH less than 8.1 then start to dose kawasser then stop when pH reaches 8.3.

[riot]

whoa you have a ph controller?!?

gee thats gotta cost you a pretty penny

[weileong]

that was from my freshwater planted tank that tear apart last weekend.

Initially thought of using it for dosing CO2 for a DIY calcium reactor, cos had got a FBF too so can modify a little into a calcium reactor.

[onghm]

although the surface is a thin crust after a day or two

I think that's ok because the thin crust form would prevent co2 from further reacting with the kalk solution. I mean that's what i understood

The pump is raised on eggcrates, so I dont get any of the solid debris into the sump

Don't mind i ask if u have problem with the pump after sometime ?

My impeller broke into 2 pieces Or is it juz me ??

Also with this method, the end of the kalk air-line dripper might clog right ?

Or again, is it juz me ??

[riot]

Hi onghm,

ya the crust is suppose to block off the co2, but it looks like curdled milk. Good training from me mom, if it looks like curdled milk, then its spoilt. Have to always fight that urge whenever I lift the lid to check if I should top up.

I got no problems with the pump leh. I did a cleaning up, and the pump looked damn clean. Its the rubber hose above the water level that looked crusted. What pump are you using? Mine is a dyna boxer and a Ocean Free.

The dripper does looked crusted, but so far no jam. Good point- I must take a closer look at that.

[Achilles Tang]

Hey hey I would say great minds think alike, but really am not in same league

I was a bit concerned with the solidification of the kalk exposed to air though. So far, no obvious degration of kalk, although the surface is a thin crust after a day or two. The randy-holmes chemist dude says its ok, and he's a chemist, so heck I just follow.

The pump is raised on eggcrates, so I dont get any of the solid debris into the sump. cant get enough kalk in though. Trying out with spiking vinegar now into the 1 week storage container (coral life bucket)

a bit off topic, but might be useful if weileong keen to try.

cheers

Actually... its not that exactly the same!

I use the TUBBY to detect water drops... and it activates a pump that brings water to my kalkreactor and it goes into my sump.

[onghm]

What pump are you using? Mine is a dyna boxer and a Ocean Free.

I'm using sicce nova. After changing the impeller, I went back to manual gravity drip Maybe i should try again.

The dripper does looked crusted, but so far no jam.

Yeah, but as it get crusted, the drip rate slows down. I was using timer, not float switch, so consistent drip-rate is important.

hmm...maybe should get a tubby

[nutx]

Another method that I would like to try would be to use my pH controller, once detect the pH less than 8.1 then start to dose kawasser then stop when pH reaches 8.3.

I think you should add PH buffer instead of Kalk, with your PH controller.

Kalk will maintain the pH but not easy to push up the pH. Direct dosing pH buffer with the controller might be more effective.

[FuEl]

Hmm..you might want to check your kH.

[weileong]

I think you should add PH buffer instead of Kalk, with your PH controller.

Kalk will maintain the pH but not easy to push up the pH. Direct dosing pH buffer with the controller might be more effective.

What is pH buffer actually?

Like the seachem reef buffer?

[weileong]

Hmm..you might want to check your kH.

checked last night and kh dropped to 8dkh. Sat I measured was 10dkh. Can drop so fast?? Or maybe the sera test kit problem.

[FuEl]

Get a salifert test kit. I have reservations about the accuracy of the brand you are using..bad experience myself..

[weileong]

Yes yes going to ML to grab all the salifert ones.

dkh

NO3

CA

PO4

What else? pH I've a sensor to measure. NH3 got ammonia alert.