Water Quality

[Farrmanchu]

I started my reef the same way, cured LR, short transport time. NO CYCLE. I was adding fish and coral in the first week. Two months later and the tank is nearly full. Be carefull in the second and third week, that's when I got my only Ammonia spike (overfeeding).

[Farrmanchu]

BTW, you're getting Nitrate, so there was Nitrite and Ammonia, just was converted quickly to Nitrate, as it should be. Keep up the water changes, you're off to a flying start!

[anglfish]

this is weird. remember how I complaint about too low ph (7.8-7.9) due to low quality salt....

now I suddenly have a ph of 8.8.

after a water change last Thursday I had top water over the whole weekend (0 ammonia and nitrite, 0-5 nitrate, 8.1 ph). I took another meassurement on Monday and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate still were great but ph was up to 8.4. Did another waterchange yesterday to make sure that quality stays good and ph doesn't go up... but today the ph is at 8.8. (ammonia, nitrate and nitrite still reamins 0).

Why? How can I get it down? what is the cause?

I'm going to try finding some articles about that but I'm sure you experts out there know exactly what's wrong - don't you?

let me know if you need more info.

thanks,
Ang

[GrimReefer]

Originally Posted by anglfish

this is weird. remember how I complaint about too low ph (7.8-7.9) due to low quality salt....

now I suddenly have a ph of 8.8.

after a water change last Thursday I had top water over the whole weekend (0 ammonia and nitrite, 0-5 nitrate, 8.1 ph). I took another meassurement on Monday and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate still were great but ph was up to 8.4. Did another waterchange yesterday to make sure that quality stays good and ph doesn't go up... but today the ph is at 8.8. (ammonia, nitrate and nitrite still reamins 0).

Why? How can I get it down? what is the cause?

I'm going to try finding some articles about that but I'm sure you experts out there know exactly what's wrong - don't you?

let me know if you need more info.

thanks,
Ang

well don't buy low quality salt, silly! that's the most important part! :P i might suspect your test kit. make sure to rinse your test tubes well...

[Quagmire]

How is the air flow in the room with the tank? A small room,or one with no fresh air can cause your ph to go up.If so an open window will help.

[Beverly]

ang,

Here is the link to Canreef's Library's Chemistry page....

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=41

IME, when a tank is experiencing pH swings, you need to be concerned about alkalinity most of all, but also magnesium and calcium levels.

Quagmire,

When a room isn't getting enough fresh air, CO2 builds up and you tend to get lower pH.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Beverly

Quagmire,

When a room isn't getting enough fresh air, CO2 builds up and you tend to get lower pH.

I know,sorry read the thread wrong.And my brain was on vacation