Ph perplexed

[crass]

Hi all
Recently I have had large ph swings (7.4-7.9) so I have now addressed this issue by.

I did all this from the 25th march
Turning off my calcium reactor
Adding a bigger kalkwasser mixer (Deltec) to my ATO
Taking an air source from my loft that is open and ventilated with external air

My values are as
Sal 1.026
Kh 11,5
Ca 450
Mag 1410
Phos 0
Nitrate 1
Water changes 20% every 10 days.

I have checked my ph now over the last 8 days and it's now stable at 7.9-8 I even stayed up for 24 hours testing on the hour every hour. I have also checked after each top off to check for swings
Will this level of ph be fine?
I have had a few sps bleach, and some that are still loosing some flesh .....it's been 12 days since the ph has stablised so I guess things might get a little worse before they get better?
My caliendrum and hystrix have suffered the most and are loosing flesh from the tips....I hope it's not too late.

So do I need to get into the 8.1-8.4 range? or is a stable ph more important? The LFS says 7.9 is ok

Thanks in advance
Dean

 

[Snelly40]

7.9 is a tad low but rule of thumb is a small fluctuation through the day is ok , the smaller the better but with lighting cycles there will always be some. Kalk should be making it higher i would think... maybe add a little more to your top off...

 

[crass]

I have doubled the recommended amount of 1.5inch in the kalkwasser mixer.... And I always check my ph meter with fluid before and after I test.

Could my skimmer be too small?

 

[crass]

I'm using kalkwasser from aqua medic.....I have deltec kalkwasser maybe I should switch?

 

[Snelly40]

i'm not sure in a mixer i'm sorry, in my ATO i used to use a teaspoon per gallon in my ro/di reservior water.
i am assuming most kalks are the same. i've used a few kinds and then i actually used mrs wages picking lime because the cost was so much less

 

[crass]

What do I do next? Perplexed!!!

 

[DaveK]

In my opinion, your current pH of 7.9 is a littler low, but well within normal ranges. I recommend you leave things alone, and don't chase a number.

Using more or a different Kalk in a reactor doesn't make much difference. Water can only absorb a small amount, and generally the flow through an ATO will be fairly show, so the water will absorb the maximum it can.

I don't think a new skimmer will do much for you, unless your current skimmer is grossly undersized. Save your money unless that is the case.