Smoke Vs Reef

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

HI TO EVERYONE AT RF. THIS IS MY FIRST POST!!!!! HAVING ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH LOW ALKALINITY 2.17 MEQ/L AND LOW PH 7.8 - 8.0 (DESPITE DOING 10 - 20% WATER CHANGES WEEKLY) I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME I SORTED THIS PROBLEM OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL! SO READING THROUGH NUMEROUS POSTS ABOUT ALKALINITY PROBLEMS I NOTICED ONE OR TWO PEOPLE MENTIONING ROOMS THAT PRODUCE A LOT OF CO2! AS ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND ARE BOTH SMOKERS WOULD THIS HAVE A BAD EFFECT ON MY TANK?

 

[NaH2O]

*moved to the Chemistry Forum.... This is a job for Super Boomer!

Eddie - how are you testing your alk (what test kit)? Are you testing your pH with a monitor? Have you tested your make up water? What are your other water parameters?

 

[DonW]

Smoking will increase co2 and CO. Your ph really isnt low enough to be a real concern. Alk is low, barely over 6dkh. This can easily be taken care of by dosing, sometimes water changes just are not enough.

Don

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

Thanks Guys For Replying, I've Used Both Red Sea And Salifert Test Kits! I Haven't Tested My Make Up Water! I Usually Use Rc But Recently Have Changed To Io As My Calcium Levels Have Always Been Around 450ppm! I Figured If I Changed To Io And Start Using Seachem Reef Builder Then My Calcium Would Stay Quite Stable And I Could Control Alkalinity With Reef Builder! I Always Use Ro! My Ph Is Tested With Salifert, My Nitrates Have Always Usually Been Around 20ppm. I Only Have Four Fish And Never Add Any Coral Food Or Any Other Additives! All My Corals Seem To Be Thriving Apart From Everytime I Try Pulsing Xenia I Have No Luck! I've Even Had An Elegance Coral Growing For The Last Eight Months. I Also Use A Prizm Pro Skimmer. My Tank Is 45 Gal.

 

[DonW]

When you do your next water change test the alk of the new mix. Let us know what you come up with. In the mean time dose more alk suppliment to bring alk into balance with ca.

Don

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

Thanks Don Will Do That And Let You Know.

 

[Boomer]

The higher the Alk is, within reason, the slower the pH will drop with CO2 input. How much CO2 you have, in short, is purely a function of the salinity, pH and Alk. Meaning, if you know the salinity, pH and Alk you also know the CO2 without even measuring it

Your Alk needs to be brought up to ~ 4 meq/ l is high enough. 4.5 is actually balance. Chaning salt from RC to IO will help lower the Ca++ but 450 is fine. Your pH is not that bad but I wod like to see it higher.

Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

Thanks Boomer, Got A Fresh Batch Of Make Up Water On The Go Now, Will Test Alk Of It Tomorrow When It Has Mixed. Could The Low Alk And Ph Be The Reason I Have Never Been Able To Keep Xenia?

 

[Boomer]

Xenia no, how was the cuurent where they were ? Xenia need good current.

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

I Have Three Seperate Frags In Different Locations! All Are Tightly Clenched And Seem To Be Getting Smaller! I Have Good Flow, Hydor Koralia 4, Seio 1100, Cascade 1500 External Filter (mechanical Only Cleaned Weekly). I Work At A Local Lfs And We Have Xenia In Several Tanks In The Shop. All These Tanks Vary In Lighting, Flow, Parameters Etc And They All Seem To Be Happier Than My Xenia! This Is Why I'm Suspecting The Low Alk And Ph Because Everything Else I Have Looked At Seems Fine. I Know A Lot Of People Recommend Iodine But We Never Use Iodine At The Shop!

 

[Boomer]

IMHO Iodine just irritates them and makes them pulsate and that is the reason to add to iodine to make them pulsate.

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

I've Been Dosing Reef Builder Now For Two Days So I Will Test Alk And Ph Tomorrow. I Will Also Test My Make Up Water. This Xenia Thing Is Driving Me Mad So I Will Post Results Tomorrow.

 

[LakeEd]

Back when I did a softy-tank, I noticed that my Xenia were VERY picky when it came to my Nitrate levels. Anything going over 5, and they started slowing down on growth. When things got over 10, I might as well forget even trying to have them.

This may be an area you can look into, and hopefully it will help.

P.S. I also had an Elegance (beautiful animals!!!), but when I finally got my Nitrates under control, it started suffering... and I learned they are found in "dirtier" parts of the ocean... and the cleaner water quality may not of been the best choice for it??? Just wanted you to be aware of this also.

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

I Think I'm Just Going To Give Up On Xenia For A While! I've Also Noticed Since Dosing With Reef Builder For The Last Two Days That My Elegance Is Sulking A Little.

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

Just Tested My Make Up Water, Results As Follows. Ph 8.0, Alk 3.66 Meq/l, Salinity 1.023, Temp 76. My Alk On My Tank Has Gone Up A Touch Since Dosing With Reef Builder. It Is Now 2.40 Meq/l. So Can Anyone Please Tell Me Where I Am Going Wrong And What I Can Do To Rectify This.

 

[LakeEd]

It sounds like you are on the right track with doing Water Changes. Your make-up has good readings for your Alk. What does your make-up water test for Calcium and Magnesium? If your Magnesium is way out of ballance, it also effects how Calcium & Alkalinity ballance for you, so you may wish to test for that.

All in all, I would continue doing water changes. I don't know how large of a water change you do at one time, but the larger (up to 50%) the sooner you will see changes. Water changes will also help lower your Nitrate level, which will help your overall corals as well. Just be sure your make-up water is matched for temp, S.G. and pH, so you don't shock anything.

 

[Boomer]

Is this a fish tank or reef tanks ? I will assume, reef tank so you need to get the S.g. up to around ~1.026

 

[jezzeaepi]

Other then then the CO2 aspect, does smoking pose an increased risk to reef inhabitants? Ive often wondered how much of a detremental effect things in the air like cleaning chemicals, fumes from cooking, smoking, excessdive indoor c02, etc, have on a reef tank.

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

My Make Up Water Now Stands At 400ppm Calcium Since Switching To Io. I Haven't Got A Magnesium Test Kit So Do Not Know That! Will Get One And Test It Though Asap. Apart From Not Knowing Magnesium Levels My Make Up Water Seems Pretty Good Then? So Why Am I Getting Such A Low Alkalinity Reading In My Tank Then? I Do Weekly Water Changes (sometimes Twice Weekly), Minimal Feeding, Large(ish) Protein Skimmer, Small Stocking Of Fish, Good Flow! This Is Why I Wondered Could It Be An External Source Of C02 That Is Affecting Things. Also Do Any Of You Guys Use Or Have Used Reefbuilder?

 

[EDDIEMUNSTER1]

Thanks Boomer And Yes It Is A Reef Tank. I Will Start Slowly Raising My S.g. Up To 1.026.