Ok the lids are off

[dnjan]

You aren't raising my confidence about Tacoma ...

 

[auqua man]

You could use a Kalkwasser reactor or dripper set-up. This is what I'm going to resort to. You could use a huge air pump like the one I currently replacing with the kalk reactor. I replacing it because the diaphram keeps going bad but it does work when it works.

Don

Do you have any pictures of those systems or info on how they work, I would like to do my homework on this a while to make shure I get the right thing for my system. You use fresh air from outside? That makes sense to me, did it help?

 

[DonW]

Do you have any pictures of those systems or info on how they work, I would like to do my homework on this a while to make shure I get the right thing for my system. You use fresh air from outside? That makes sense to me, did it help?

Pumping in air is pretty simple but you need alot of air dumped into the drain pipes. Takes more than a aquarium pump. Kalkwasser reactors are simple as long as you use them properly. If you just hook one up to your ato thats going to lead to problems. Go to the deltec website and download the pdf instructions for one of their reactors. There is a good explanation on how they work and how to properly use them.

Don

 

[DonW]

You aren't raising my confidence about Tacoma ...

Has nothing to do with surrounding air quality. There is alot more to raising DO and lowering co2 than meets the eye.

Don

 

[aquarookie]

Has nothing to do with surrounding air quality. There is alot more to raising DO and lowering co2 than meets the eye.

Don

Aw, come on, don't get offended...:lol: Tacoma air is not that great, but at least you now host all the events that we used to have in the Kingdome. Oh, I miss the Kingdome

 

[auqua man]

Ok a bit of an update on the ph thing. I decided to calibrate my ph monitor today. The ph has been running around 7.91-8.15. I have had the lids off for around a week now and have seen a small improvement in the ph. I have also made it a point to keep the window open a crack all the time. So today I think maybe that I need to do a cal on the ph monitor, with the thought that the ph might be higher than what I was reading on the monitor. I have not calibrated for around 10 weeks. soo I calibrate it and find the ph was wrong but the other way:shock: I had 7.98 before I calibrated and now I have 7.61 so I confirmed this test at the lfs and got Seachem Reef buffer to raise ph back up. The lfs asked if I was using Kent salt because they have had several complaints about ph and other problems with this salt lately. Yes this is the salt I have been using.:idea: So I go home and test the fresh mix of Kent I hade made up. I always test for alk cal mag on every new bucket of salt I buy, but not the ph I dont know why but I did not think of it. I thought the alk test would be enough. Plus removing the ph probe is a pain in the ass. Anyway I tested the water and the ph was 7.68:eek2: So I dont think I have been doing anything wrong afterall. This has been driving me mad the last while trying to figure out what I am doing wrong.
this is the second time I have had bad salt to deal with. I am just happy to have figured it out finally. Today I will add the new buffer and see if I can correct this. I also am getting ready for a 30 gal water change. That would explain why my corals hated water changes. I have used IO in the past and found the cal and mag was a little low. I am trying a bucket of Tropic Marin pro reef sea salt, costs more but if it is as balanced as they say I will save money on additives. I will post after I mix a batch and test to see if its as good as they say.

 

[Krish]

Sounds great! Glad you found the problem Let us know how the new salt works for you!

 

[Damsel13]

I decided to use the KISS method. It is working ok for now but I know I have to solve the nitrate problem in my tank. I am leaning towards lots of detris suspended in the water couumn but really don't have a clue what I am doing.

 

[dnjan]

this is the second time I have had bad salt to deal with. I am just happy to have figured it out finally.

You may not necessarily have bad salt, but rather salt that has segregated in the bucket. The salt is made by combining a number of different chemical solids. Each different chemical solid may have a different particle size and specific gravity. So, as the bucket bounces around in shipping from the original packager to your house, it is possible that a scoop out of the top of the bucket may not have the same chemical make-up as a scoop from the bottom. And, as a manufacturer switches sources for the individual chemicals, there may be a change in particle size for that specific chemical. So, a salt brand that shipped fine with little or no segregation last year, may be having segregation problems this year.

Unfortunately, there is not a good end-user solution to this problem (other than mixing up the entire bucket at once in a large container). One possibility is to transfer the entire contents of a new bucket (equally) into two separate buckets. Do this on a day that the humidity is low. Then thoroughly mix each half-bucket.

So, which are the thee low-humidity days per year in Vancouver?

 

[auqua man]

:lol: I dont know if there is any.:doubt: Good point on the salt seperation.
I now have mixed the new salt here are the readings.
sal- 57.5
mag-1410
ph-8.03
alk-3.20 meq/l
cal-410
I am a little disappointed in the ph I was hoping for 8.20 but everything else is looking good. I will let this mix over night and do a 30 gal change tomorrow.
The tank ph is sitting at 8.00 now after adding buffer in the morning. Before the buffer it was 7.77:shock: that seems realy low to me. the alk is now 4.34 that seems a little high to me. I hope the water change helps.

 

[DonW]

:lol: I dont know if there is any.:doubt: Good point on the salt seperation.
I now have mixed the new salt here are the readings.
sal- 57.5
mag-1410
ph-8.03
alk-3.20 meq/l
cal-410
I am a little disappointed in the ph I was hoping for 8.20 but everything else is looking good. I will let this mix over night and do a 30 gal change tomorrow.
The tank ph is sitting at 8.00 now after adding buffer in the morning. Before the buffer it was 7.77:shock: that seems realy low to me. the alk is now 4.34 that seems a little high to me. I hope the water change helps.

What buffer are you using? If you keep using buffer your alk should go through the roof.

Don

 

[auqua man]

What buffer are you using? If you keep using buffer your alk should go through the roof.

Don

Seachem Reef buffer
and yes I saw the alk spike I am not shure how high that would go if I kept adding. On the instructions it said not to exceed 6 meq/l Is that ok?
It said a minumum ph of 8.20 should have been reached at that point. If not the tank is not ionically balanced. And do a water change. I understand the ionically balanced thing somewhat thanks to Boomer but if I am understanding these instructions correctly I keep adding buffer untill a ph of 8.30 has been reached as long as alk does not exceed 6 meq/l.

 

[DonW]

Seachem Reef buffer
and yes I saw the alk spike I am not shure how high that would go if I kept adding. On the instructions it said not to exceed 6 meq/l Is that ok?
It said a minumum ph of 8.20 should have been reached at that point. If not the tank is not ionically balanced. And do a water change. I understand the ionically balanced thing somewhat thanks to Boomer but if I am understanding these instructions correctly I keep adding buffer untill a ph of 8.30 has been reached as long as alk does not exceed 6 meq/l.

6 meg/l is WAY! to high. Stop using that stuff and start doing some water changes. Its only giving you a short term ph increase with a drastic effect on alk.

Don

 

[auqua man]

6 meg/l is WAY! to high. Stop using that stuff and start doing some water changes. Its only giving you a short term ph increase with a drastic effect on alk.

Don

Agreed tomorow 30 gal for shure.
how quickly could I safely do 30gal more 2 days ok?

 

[DonW]

Agreed tomorow 30 gal for shure.
how quickly could I safely do 30gal more 2 days ok?

Do as many as often as you want. In a 110 I would feel just fine doing a 50 in the morning and another 50 in the evening every day if need be.

Don

 

[auqua man]

Do as many as often as you want. In a 110 I would feel just fine doing a 50 in the morning and another 50 in the evening every day if need be.

Don

Thanks Don

 

[auqua man]

30 gal water change complete.http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm This link helped me understand the ph problem I am having much better. I have put the air line for the skimmer outside and I am hopeing this will help the ph some. I now understand how buffers will not help my problem. The ph is climbing as we speak. I just hope I dont over shoot the ph now. I will keep a close eye on it and keep posting results.
ph before water change 7.64
ph after water change 7.80
ph after lights on 8 hrs 7.95

 

[auqua man]

Ok today the ph dropped to 7.79
climed to 7.95 lights on 10 hrs
KH is 9.2
cal 420
I have heard of salt mixing up at 8.20 ph but I have not been able to find any or maybe this is a myth.

 

[auqua man]

Just an update. This morning the ph was 7.68 So I did a little test I took a gal of water put an air stone in it and left it in the house for 1 hour.the ph fell .2 So I took the water outside and did the same test the ph climed .4 in 20 min. WOW. I have put the air line for the skimmer outside 2 days ago but it has not helped much. Now I have a air pump outside pumping air into a stone in the sump I hope this helps because I am running out of ideas.

 

[DonW]

Just an update. This morning the ph was 7.68 So I did a little test I took a gal of water put an air stone in it and left it in the house for 1 hour.the ph fell .2 So I took the water outside and did the same test the ph climed .4 in 20 min. WOW. I have put the air line for the skimmer outside 2 days ago but it has not helped much. Now I have a air pump outside pumping air into a stone in the sump I hope this helps because I am running out of ideas.

Neither of those will do much of anything. You can pump about 3 cfm of outside air into your overflow drain pipes or drip kalk.

Don