Green Star Polyps turning silvery white.

Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
I am a little nervous about this as I do not want to go down the path of messing with pH and creating a bigger problem.

These are the key words here. I really didn't want to open that can of worms in the first place.

I'm thinking that you can get a skimmer that is much more efficient, first. Skimming isn't just for removing proteins; it also injects a lot of air into the water.

Believe it or not, water changes have the biggest affect on raising pH.

When I did dose kalkwasser I followed this method. Right now I'm not dosing kalkwasser or anything else. My evaporation rate greatly increases in the winter and to make up for so much dilution due to topping off I do medium size water changes twice a week. Plus I'm in a transition phase with my tank. It's just that I trust frequent water changes to be more stable right now.

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html
 
Pawlu

Pawlu

Member
Ok so this morning my pH was down to 7.72, I decided to take a sample of some fresh RO top off water as well as my water change salt water in my reservoir. The pH of the RO water is extremely low, lower than 7.4 as I used a liquid test kit and it was below its readable range. The pH of my water change water is 7.8 (keeping in mind this was a cold reading as the water is currently no heated, I only heat it a few hours before making the water change). So it seems between a relatively low water change water, plus pumping 2.5 gallons of RO top off water per week (this is roughly what I go through in about 6 days), along with the house being closed up is definitely causing pH issues.
 
ziggy

ziggy

Active Member
Pawlu said:
Ok so this morning my pH was down to 7.72, I decided to take a sample of some fresh RO top off water as well as my water change salt water in my reservoir. The pH of the RO water is extremely low, lower than 7.4 as I used a liquid test kit and it was below its readable range. The pH of my water change water is 7.8 (keeping in mind this was a cold reading as the water is currently no heated, I only heat it a few hours before making the water change). So it seems between a relatively low water change water, plus pumping 2.5 gallons of RO top off water per week (this is roughly what I go through in about 6 days), along with the house being closed up is definitely causing pH issues.
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A few years ago I got tired of seeing green (acid dissolving copper pipes) water marks in my shower so I testing my well water, and it was acitic. Had to add an acid neutralizer (calcite) into the main water line and now the PH is much better.
 
Pawlu

Pawlu

Member
ziggy said:
A few years ago I got tired of seeing green (acid dissolving copper pipes) water marks in my shower so I testing my well water, and it was acitic. Had to add an acid neutralizer (calcite) into the main water line and now the PH is much better.
Click to expand...

While my house uses pex plastic piping and I have city water, and its pH is probably around 7. I just need to figure out the safest and most efficient way of getting this up now. Not sure if I should get the pH up right from the source (tap water), in my salt mixing tank, or via dosing into the main tank through the Top Off System.
 
Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
Mike is right... I don't dose kalk to raise PH, I just know it has a natural effect that raises the ph, he's right where we need to find the reason your ph is low in the first place
 
Pawlu

Pawlu

Member
Snelly40, I am quite confident now that the reason for the low pH is my RO top off water. Its winter here, furnace running non stop, house all sealed up, air is super dry and my tank is evaporating more than usual, also I increased the surface turbulence which has further increased it. My RO water is probably around 7 and I go through 2.5 Gallons every 5-6 days. While I do water changes every week, the pH of my water change water is around 7.8 which is low too. I use IO Reef Crystals salt with added calcium.
 
Pawlu

Pawlu

Member
Thanks Mike, my calcium is already quite high 450 and my alkalinity is on the low end 2.85 Mg/l, I have room to play with on the alkalinity side but do not want to increase the calcium too much, so I have to monitor them carefully as I start dosing with Kalk. I am going to start with 1/2 teaspoon per 2.5 gallons in my RO reserve.
 
Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
haha damn mike you keep beating me to it... pickling lime is definitely the way to go... 3 bucks for a canister versus 20-25 at the LFS
 
P

Phineous

New Member
I use a Toms Aqualifter pump and a wood skimmer airstone. It's a water pump, but it's built like an air pump on the inside. I hook a long hose up to the inlet port and run it out the window through a small gap in the weatherstrip. It pinches the hose a bit, but still lets in plenty of air.

Pawlu said:
Ok so as I test I opened up the sliding door next to the tank, grabbed a fan and started blowing cold (its Canada here and freezing outside) fresh air over the tank. The pH went from 7.75 up to 7.81 in about 20 min. I had to close the window as I was cooling the entire house down. Seems like the issue is due to indoor air, I have an air driven skimmer with no intake hose, so I am not sure I can get it to pull in some outside air somehow.
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P

Phineous

New Member
I also use the aqualifter as a slow drip kalk top off. Hook an air valve to the hose and adjust the drip so it maintains your water and PH levels. It's not the best solution and requires frequent adjustment, but it's a quick, cheap fix.

Phineous said:
I use a Toms Aqualifter pump and a wood skimmer airstone. It's a water pump, but it's built like an air pump on the inside. I hook a long hose up to the inlet port and run it out the window through a small gap in the weatherstrip. It pinches the hose a bit, but still lets in plenty of air.
Click to expand...
 
Pawlu

Pawlu

Member
Phineous said:
I also use the aqualifter as a slow drip kalk top off. Hook an air valve to the hose and adjust the drip so it maintains your water and PH levels. It's not the best solution and requires frequent adjustment, but it's a quick, cheap fix.
Click to expand...

I am going to start with dosing the RO reserve tank, however I will be looking into this pump as a summer project, its too cold to be working outside, my tank is up against an outside wall so I can probably tap a hole right through the wall and make a neat supply outlet for it, I will look into that in spring, I could probably control it via my RKL and have it kick in when the pH drops to a certain level in winter.
 
Pawlu

Pawlu

Member
Corals are still alive, the Green Start Polyps are not happy though, still not fully opening, hopefully I can get this pH fixed in time before any live stock loss occurs.
 
slfcaptain

slfcaptain

Active Member
I dont know if anyone said this. The buffering capacity of RO water is low (should be zero) so measurment of its pH is almost meaningless. You could breath on top of it and lower its pH. The top off water should not have any long term lowering effect on your tank. Maybe briefly right after adding but the tank pH will quickly return to its original pH.

steve
 
Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
Pawlu said:
Thanks Mike, my calcium is already quite high 450 and my alkalinity is on the low end 2.85 Mg/l, I have room to play with on the alkalinity side but do not want to increase the calcium too much, so I have to monitor them carefully as I start dosing with Kalk. I am going to start with 1/2 teaspoon per 2.5 gallons in my RO reserve.
Click to expand...

I suggest you watch the BRS video that goes along with the kalk package. The first step in any dosing regimen is to get the magnesium level correct.
 
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