PH what is too high?

[Chuckieinoz]

Hi guys, I am new new new to the Reefing hobby have wanted one for years but live in a small country town in West Australia and not much is available within 400Kms. anyway I have a 180 L tank with just live rock at the moment 4x54W T5 Lights Berlin Skimmer in sump (working very well) 2 x 900Lph powerheads in tank + 1 400Lph Powerhead have a 40 L sump with a 2000Lph pump.

The tank is about 7 Weeks old Amonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 25Mg/l has some Green Algea and hair algea on rocks. The PH is about 8.7 is this too high?

 

[Scooterman]

Hi big welcome to RF, I hope you stay a while & makes lots of new reefer friends. This is a good read, I'd say start here for information! Post any questions & welcome again!

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php

 

[Chuckieinoz]

Thanks a heaps am looking forward to learning more

 

[NaH2O]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!

How are you measuring your pH? Are you using any additives?

 

[DonW]

How are you testing. Chances are better that the test or meter is not reading correctly.

Don

 

[chris&barb]

what is your source water? are you using an RO unit to filter new water

 

[returnofsid]

I think the reason you're getting the questions that are being posted is because not only is 8.7 too high, it's very difficult to end up with a PH that high. I'd say your test equipment is faulty, you're doing the test wrong or you're reading the test results wrong.
IMO, you should be aiming for a pH somewhere between 7.9 and 8.3.

 

[Boomer]

Where are you at Chuck we are waiting

New tanks with little life but a bunch of algae can cause high pH but I'm with the others that it may be a testing error. Some pH test kits, especially if they are for FW, can read high in seawater. Some as high a .5 pH.

 

[Chuckieinoz]

Sorry Guys just home for lunch the time difference I imagine is a problem.
I am just using an Aquasonic PH test kit just a vial and bottle of stuff to add 7 drops.

by the way my snails died would that be the PH or that I did not acclimatise them?

 

[Chuckieinoz]

Hi guys again in answer to Chris & Barbs question I get my water grom the ocean and then run it through a 25 micron filter.

 

[Boomer]

Is it the marine kit they have two ?

 

[Chuckieinoz]

Yes it is the marine kit. I do have some home made concrete Rocks that have been in for a while they are getting Corraline Algea on them I don't know if they are leaching. excuse me for the show of stupidity I am still very green.
by the way the PH has come down to about 8.5 & the nitrates are 12.5Mg/l now.
Thanks for your help guys it,s hard to get info here where i am.
Kind Regards Ralph

 

[Boomer]

OK Chuck

 

[kevin1000]

In general if you have a normal alk level with some reasonable aeration (little surface water turbulence) your PH should manage itself. Whats your alk level? Are you using any additives?

Lousy PH test kits are unfortunately pretty std in this hobby and I would suggest taking a water sample down to your LFS to have it tested.

Odds are you have bad test kit .. most new tanks tend to have low Ph because they tend to be "dirty tanks" (live rock still decomposing etc) and the acids generated during the decomp process tends to depress PH.

 

[Chuckieinoz]

OK cool thanks for the help guys, sadly the closest LFS that knows anything about Reefing is 400Kms away but I do have a friend who is a scientist, works in a lab and has told me he can test my water perameters if I drop a Litre into him. For me that sounds cool I will post the results when I get it done.

 

[kdwal]

I am having a huge green algae problem. 30 gal tank, well established (3 yrs.). Do weekly water changes w/cleaning. All water parameters are within Normal range (0-ammon.; 0-nitrite, 0-nitrate, pH-8.2). I do not overfeed the tank, have been cutting down on light time. at the moment all that is left is a damsel, cleaning shrimp, blenny. I am frustrated as to how to solve this problem. I even bought a yellow tang and it died after a week, I never did see it eat the algae. (would eat mysis shrimp but no algae). Any suggestions and/or thoughts would be helpful.

 

[Boomer]

Kathy first what kind of algae is it got any pics ?

 

[kdwal]

I was going to get a pic, but need to charge the camera for a few. But, algae is thick, green, some areas grow long......will send a pic as soon as I get a little charge

 

[kdwal]

O.K., have pics now. Had a terrible time with resizing for some reason. Hope you can see the problem on these.
photos can be seen in my photo gallery as algae problem sept.2007
thanks for looking

 

[Boomer]

Kathy those look like Dinoflagellates. Remove as much of them as you can by hand or a siphon tube and raise the pH up to 8.5-8.6 with Kalk and only kalk for two weeks.