Tank trouble!! - Page 2

Aquattro · #11 02-25-2002, 02:42 PM

Here is a pic from the other day.

Reefmaster · #12 02-25-2002, 02:48 PM

brad yup i'm just down the hill from the uni. just found out have physio at 2:45 so will be out 2:30 to 3:30 ish.

Acro · #13 02-25-2002, 02:55 PM

Brad,
I geuss we'll just have to wait and see what you report after your next viewing. It's pretty tough to come up with a diagnosis and when something goes wrong thats what we all look for including myself. After looking at the picture of your clam I to would be very concerned as it's beautiful.
Good Luck,Jamie

Aquattro · #14 02-25-2002, 03:01 PM

Yup, I'll get together with Shane and borrow his pH meter. The clam is always closed in the morning so until I go home at lunch, we're all just guessing. It is a beautiful clam and I hope that this is a temporary problem.

[ 25 February 2002: Message edited by: Reef_Raf ]</p>

Aquattro · #15 02-25-2002, 06:06 PM

So after going home for lunch (had some great chili), the clam is looking better than this morning.
Testing pH shows the tank at 7.9 and the effluent from my reactor at 7.6. Looking at things with the lights on seems to indicate the corraline going white where the return water flows. Although the other big white patch also has a power head beside it.
Any tips on raising pH permanantly without a refugium? My skimmer is big and aerating the water very well.
Could a pH of say 7.7 or 7.8 affect areas of contact like this? I'm guessing that the pH was below 7.9 first thing in the morning.
Any ideas given this info?

BTW, thanks to Shane for his help. Didn't even know the guy and he lent me equipment!!

Aquattro · #16 02-26-2002, 01:06 PM

OK, so here is what I think the problem is...

I measured the pH at the input of the sump before lights on and found 7.8. Pretty low..So I think that the last chamber of my sump, where my reactor discharges, has an even lower pH (had to get to work so haven't measured it yet)of say 7.6 or 7.7. This water is being returned to the tank via two outputs pointing from the rear center of the tank to the front corners (right where the clam is). I also notice now that the opposite front corner has some whitening of corraline as well. This coincides with me stopping the use of limewater, as the reactor is now meeting all requirements for Ca and alk.
Without the kalk upping the pH, the output stream from the return pump had a low pH flow that directly hits the afflicted areas.
My idea to fix this is move the reactor output into a tube that will be placed directly over the pump input for my skimmer. Hopefully this agitation will expel some/all of the CO2 that the reactor puts in.
If this doesn't work, I'll have to consider a refugium full of algae on a reverse light cycle(I don't really have room for this though).

Thoughts??

Reefmaster · #17 02-27-2002, 11:20 AM

how are things looking brad? clam open up yet?
shane

Aquattro · #18 02-27-2002, 01:06 PM

Shane, the clam has improved, but still isn't open as much as before this. I still haven't decided what the problem is, but I'm trying to keep the pH higher to see if there is an improvement. pH 7.8 in the morning is a bit low for my comfort. I'm dripping kalk again to maintain a higher value, so I'll see how that works.
I still suspect that the power heads had some impact, although I feel this is only a slight possibility at this point. The whitening is most pronounced around them, although they are also in the path of the return water. Who knows. I'm making water now for a larger than normal water change, but overall, I'm still guessing.