Low Ph

[DonW]

With the cold weather my gas heat is working overtime. My ph is 7.8am and 8.0pm. Skimmer pulls air in from outside and calcium reactor has had co2 shut down for 4 weeks. I got the evap up 7.5G daily and top off with kalk. On top of this my ca and alk are going up 460 and 12.5 from 410 and 8 with no additions of anything but kalk.

Corals are looking bad. Any Ideas??

Thanks
Don

 

[Boomer]

I don't think it is a CO2 issue, but maye fumes getting into the tank or something else. Even pulling in outside air dosen't alwys solve the high room air CO2 problem . Have you ever seen this ?

Indoor CO2 Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/short.htm

 

[DonW]

I don't think it is a CO2 issue, but maye fumes getting into the tank or something else. Even pulling in outside air dosen't alwys solve the high room air CO2 problem . Have you ever seen this ?

Indoor CO2 Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/short.htm

I'm pretty sure co2 is the problem. Co2 is about 1100 @ 70 degrees with just me and the dog in the house. I'm sure it goes up quite a bit when all three women come home. CO is 0 and HC also 0.

Don

 

[cwcross]

If you think it is CO2, try turning your skimmer off for a while to reduce gas exchange. Also might consider turning down turnover rate from return pump/powerheads etc. If this causes an improvement then CO2 may be the culprit.

Very strange about Ca going up with no addition though. The only thing I can think of here is that it is being released or re-dissolved from somewhere. That or you have a faulty test kit etc. This isn't consistent with CO2 increases for sure...Collin

 

[DonW]

If you think it is CO2, try turning your skimmer off for a while to reduce gas exchange. Also might consider turning down turnover rate from return pump/powerheads etc. If this causes an improvement then CO2 may be the culprit.

Very strange about Ca going up with no addition though. The only thing I can think of here is that it is being released or re-dissolved from somewhere. That or you have a faulty test kit etc. This isn't consistent with CO2 increases for sure...Collin

Collin,
My ph goes up when I take it ouside to aerate. I brough my analyzer home and found the room co2 sample 1110. I'm guessing the alk is going up because mg is going down, was way over 1500.

Don

 

[Boomer]

Don

Corals can do just fine at the pH you gave, what is your Alk

The only thing I can think of here is that it is being released or re-dissolved from somewhere

It may be the sand bed ???

I'm guessing the alk is going up because mg is going down, was way over 1500.

Then normally the Alk goes down with the loss of Mg, just like Ca

On top of this my ca and alk are going up 460 and 12.5 from 410 and 8 with no additions of anything but kalk.

Kalk can make both of them go up and if these are getting higher than you think by its addition, then something is going into solution as Collin has suggested.

 

[cwcross]

Collin,
My ph goes up when I take it ouside to aerate. I brough my analyzer home and found the room co2 sample 1110. I'm guessing the alk is going up because mg is going down, was way over 1500.

Don

I don't follow the logic of Alk going up when Mg goes down? Can you please explain?

Sincerely...Collin