ph, Ca+, dkh/alk question?????

[prow]

hey everyone been adjusting the Ca+, dkh/alk, ph. will give the going ons during the last month. tank is only 3 months old. i do all readings before the water change.

6-7: temp=79, sal=1.023, Ca+=428, dkh/alk=12/4.3, ph=8.2, 5gal water change.

6-15: temp=82, sal=1.023, 5gal water change.

6-21: 5gal water change. added 65lbs of fresh live rock to 100lbs of cured rock already in the tank for 2 months. tested this 12hours after. temp=80, sal 1.023, Ca+420, dkh/alk=14/5, ph=8.2, added 55ml of calcium chloride to bring the Ca+ in balance with the alk. over the day not all at once.

6-22: 5gal water change
6-23: temp=79, sal.=1.024, 5gal water change

6-24: temp=80, sal=1.024, Ca+=468, dkh/alk=12/4.3, ph=8.0, NH3=1.0+(off the cart), NO2=0.5, NO3=0, 10gal water change added carbon.

6-25: temp=80, sal.=1.024, carbon removed.10gal water change

6-26: temp=79, sal=1.024 ph=8.0, NH3=0, NO2=0.3, NO3=20. 10gal water change

6-27: temp=80, dkh/alk=11/3.9. 10gal water change

6-28: temp=78, sal.=1.024, Ca+=444, dkh/alk=11/3.9, ph=8.0 NH3=0, NO2=0, NO3=0 (7 day cycle not bad). 10gal water change.

7-2: gone for the holiday

7-6: temp=79, sal.=1.025, Ca+=432, dkh/alk=10/3.6, ph=8.0, 0 on all others. 5gal water change.

from what i think i know, everything is all good. i want to add more calcium chloride to boost my Ca+ up to 450 and bring up the ph and lower the dkh. mainly worried about the effect on the ph. i think the high alk with the lower ph is ok. but the thing is as the Ca+ and dkh come down the ph remains steady. by adding calcium chloride what will the overall effect be. any thoughts.

 

[NaH2O]

What time of your photoperiod are you reading your pH, and what are you measuring with?

 

[prow]

using seatest from aquarium systems manufactured by instant ocean. i tested ph more than i indicated. i tested it at night early morrnigs mid day night ect...it always stays at 8.0-8.1. since i added the new rock. the refugium light is 24/7. main tank, just have 5 fish and couple crabs, getting my coralline going. so the light is only 2 40watt t12 on for 8-10hours a day.(i know need a little more, getting it soon) i am wondering if i should just leave it and dose with tropic marin Ca+ when Ca+=400ish and alk=2.8ish and just watch the ph.i did just add my macro algae so that should help with the raising of the ph. will the coraline still grow at a fairly good rate. or should i try to boost the Ca+. i tested my other tanks with the same test kits and got 8.2 and 8.3 readings. i know that a high dkh and low ph compensate for eachother so no worries but as my dkh has been coming down to where i want it(8-9) the ph remains the same. could it be that the alk has not come down enough to effect the ph? i am thinking of just letting go and hope the algae will raise the ph. or i could keep the alk and Ca+ at 450ish and dkh 11-12ish. basically i am shooting for a Ca+ of 440ish and dkh of 8-9 and ph of 8.2. if the trend continues(thinking alk here) than the Ca+ will be 420ish and the dkh 8-9 with a ph of 8.0 next week. of course the water changes is the big reason for the decrease in Ca+ and stuff right now. so what do you think?