Top Off Question (5/2/2004)
There is a ton of information about buffering top-off on your site, but not specifically what I am looking for.  I just got a RO/DI today, and am trying to figure out the best way to buffer my top-off water.  I use B-ionic, and thought about just using the alkalinity half to buffer (I seem to always have more of the alk part anyways).  Is this a good idea? <Seeing how theoretically the end product of an RO\DI unit should be just pure water, at a pH of 7.0, with no buffer capacity to speak of, the alkalinity buffer is a necessary additive.  However, you will probably also want to add a pH buffer to bring up the pH of the water.  You shouldn't need to add the calcium half if your tank doesn't require the extra calcium, as long as you follow the dosing instructions for the alkalinity half of the B-Ionic>  Should I buy some of that Kent Osmo-prep stuff? <I have had no personal experience with this product, but Kent marine usually makes good quality additives.  However, your current B-Ionic should work fine>  Do I just want to put a little in to get the pH moving in the right direction, or should the top-off water have the same alkalinity as the tank water? <It should preferably have a slightly higher alkalinity, and should most definitely have the same pH.  However, adding an alkalinity supplement will not directly affect your pH; unless it has other buffers as well> If I use b-ionic to buffer alkalinity for my top-off should I add less to my tank on a daily basis? <This totally depends on your system's total alkalinity.  Purchase an alkalinity test kit and monitor results to determine the correct amount of additive needed>  I could just add all my alkalinity solution for the week to my auto-top off container (a powerhead on a float switch in a 4 gal Rubbermaid container). <Once again, be sure to measure your alkalinity and dose accordingly>  I have a 55 gallon and use tropic Marin salt which I believe will mix up fine for water changes without buffering the water first.  
Thanks,
<No problem>
-Ken
<M. Maddox>

The Ups And Downs Of pH!
Hi, please help with maintenance my pH.
<Okay! Scott F. with you today!>
Tomorrow I'm leaving my tank for two weeks... I'm quite scared because my pH isn't stable. It swings between 7.89 - 8.18 - Dangerous?
<Well, remember that you will encounter day and night pH swings in most aquariums, and some fluctuation is normal.>
The worst: one day the 'bottom' is 7.94, next day 7.91, and the next day 7.89. It's dropping but I don't know where is the final 'edge' - is it possible that drops to 7.80, when I will be on holidays? If yes can it be harmful? What to do?
Maybe opening window will help? Water change? {today}
Kalkwasser is impossible because no one can prepare it...
Calcium reactor is off since last week My tank with out Kalkwasser, and reactor was able to maintain pH at the ranges 7.95 - 8.15, why can't today?
<Hard to say what is causing the decline in pH...Do check your system's alkalinity, however. It's important to look at overall system conditions and husbandry procedures. Are you doing regular small water changes? Is there good circulation in the tank? etc., etc....Lots of things to review...>
THANKS
I know that you probably can't tell me exactly what happens here in my tank with that pH, but please tell me - should I be worried that my fish {2} and xenia will die, because pH drops to 8.7 :-((
PeterFromPoland
<Well, Peter, I would not be overly concerned with relatively modest day/night pH fluctuations. You could, however, stabilize the day/night fluctuations by employing a lighted refugium with macroalgae lit on a "reverse daylight" schedule (i.e.; the macroalgae is illuminated when the main system is dark, and vice-versa...Use a more stable macroalgae, such as Chaetomorpha. I'd observe the system's overall conditions, and take appropriate actions as necessary...I would not be overly concerned about taking a vacation at this point, as long as you've done some good routine maintenance on the system, and don't see a dramatic drop in pH, have a good trip, and take corrective actions when you return. Bon Voyage! Regards, Scott F>

pH Stability 7/10/03
So, the ocean doesn't have an overnight ph drop like tanks do?
<For all intents and purposes (for the specimens we keep at large), no. It is a very stable environment. There are some niches of the sea/ocean realm that are indeed somewhat to very volatile (near-shore/inter-tidal regions)... but none apply to aquarium husbandry. Anthony>

Raising pH
Hey Gang, Hope it's a good day in the neighborhood where you be!
<indeed bub... a beautiful day... visiting our friend Bob here in sunny San Diego>
Anthony, I need to raise the PH in my tank to 8.6, I don't have a PH monitor, nor do I have all the "high tech" gadgets for dosing (reactors etc....) will SeaChem's Reef buffer be a good way to raise it, or, what over the counter product will raise ph safely,
<for the dangers of maintaining an elevated pH, you really cannot do this safely without better pH testing equipment. Perhaps to high end range test kits will help>
the Bryopsis <--not sure on the spelling) just will not leave my tank alone, & I'm sick of pulling it out by hand.
<heavy aeration and Kalkwasser daily in small amounts to get that pH higher may do the trick>
I trust you're having a great day, where ever you are in the travels of life! Thanks, Stormbringer.
<with hope for you in kind my friend. Anthony>

Test Kits
Hello,
Maybe I have a very stupid question but here I go.
I have a Saltwater test kit but now I am cycling a freshwater tank (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals).
The ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate can be tested using the same drops and colors?
Thank you, Rodrigo.<You need to make sure that the directions on the box say it works for freshwater and for saltwater. Found this link that might help you
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=4487 -IanB>

Revisiting pH and Xenia 6/16/03
Hello again Anthony,
<cheers>
I wrote to you last week regarding my declining xenia and a ph level falling below 8.3 at night.  I began dosing Kalkwasser nightly (after lights out) using your slurry method. This put the ph at a solid 8.6.  By morning however, the ph seems to be at about 8.1.  
<yikes... do be careful... this is too severe of a pH swing. Have you tested (aerated a sample glass of water) to see if the tank has accumulated CO2? Much in the WWM archives on this topic>
Is this an abnormally low night time drop in ph (8.6-8.1)?  
<yes... severe.  .02 is more ideal>
How is it still dropping below 8.3?  
well insulated house facilitating accumulated CO2 perhaps. Aerate your sample glass of water outside or in a garage. The pH should not increase>
I'm not sure I would want to get the ph any higher than 8.6, do you agree?  I've been doing this for five or six days now and haven't seen any improvement in the xenia. Thanks much for your help in correcting/diagnosing this problem! Bryan
<small daily iodine doses instead of weekly are a nice tweak too. Kind regards, Anthony>

Is the  pH Too Low In His Tank...Or In His Mind?
Thanks for the response.
<My pleasure, glad to be of assistance!>
Things seem to be improving. The water has cleared and PH is climbing with minimal loss (Anemone, pulsing xenia).
My next question is how do I increase my ph above 8.0. I currently use Kent ProBuffer 3 times weekly but it seems to keep it at 8.0 and no higher.... Am I not using enough or do you recommend another product?
< Sure, you could continue to use a buffer product. However, there are other things that you could examine here...I'd like to ask you to focus on what could be the root cause(s) of the lower pH. First, you may want to consider the time that you take your readings. Usually, the pH is at its lowest when the tank is in darkness, just before the lights kick on, and will peak later in the day when the lights have been on for some hours. When do you take your pH readings? Just a thought. Second thought- what type of regular water change schedule do you employ? I'm a vocal proponent of  small (5% of tank volume) twice-weekly water changes, as they promote stability and can keep organics from accumulating and driving down your pH. Other thoughts- do you have sufficient gas exchange and circulation within the tank? How is your feeding schedule? Do you make sure that any uneaten food is cleaned up quickly? What kind of substrate is in the tank? Finally- and most important of all- how do your fishes and animals look? If you're utilizing good husbandry practices, and everything looks good otherwise- maybe things are fine for this tank...Sometimes, we tend to get fixated on shooting for a specific value (very common with calcium), and overlook what's actually happening in the aquarium. I'm not saying to abandon testing, or that pH is irrelevant (it is not!), but do consider the big picture here. With a little digging, you may be able to find out what the factors that have been influencing your pH are, and how to correct them. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Raising the pH
<Ola Carlos (we've just about exhausted my knowledge of Español there), PF here tonight>
Ok, this is not the common ask about PH, my problem is that the only salt that I can found here in my country is AZOO marine salt.  I have been using this salt more than a1 year + 2-3 months (age of my tank) the problem is that this salt only reach a 7.8-8.0 ph after diluting, I tried everything, with the water previous the mix, like aerate for 2 days, then buffer to reach 4 mEq (the PH without salt 8.5) 2 Days more, then I add salt and nothing... 7.8-8.0 the problem is not just to switch brand of salt, because there is no other brand here...
In my tank the PH is 8.1-8.3 (am-pm, assume in the tank the ph raise because the use of Kalk) but I have Bryopsis and believe me is not a nutrient problem, I read that if I raise my PH around 8.3-8.6 constantly I will discourage this green algae.
PH 8.1-8.3
Alkalinity 4 mEq
Ammonium 0, nitrite 0, nitrate less than 5 or not detectable,
calcium 350, mag 1200
Temperature 78-82°F (actually another problem but I'm working to drop to around 74-75)
I will appreciate your inputs
Carlos
<Well Carlos, have you tried buffering with some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) after mixing the salt water up? Try a small amount, say a teaspoon/10gallons and see if that helps buffer your water. Be careful using this with Kalk. You might have a phosphate problem, did you check for that? That Bryopsis has to be living off something. Here's the article on pest green algae's: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/greenalg.htm. Would it be possible to setup a refugium, preferably using Chaetomorpha, to compete with the Bryopsis? You might also want to try one of the bristle tooth tangs, such as the Kole Tang Ctenochaetus strigosus), they might eat it. Also, as for temperature, you might want to stabilize it around the higher end, a few degrees difference during the day is ok, but 4 is rather high (and taking it to 8 would be even worse. If you can't get it down to around 78-80, try keeping it at 80-82 instead. A little warm, but better than the constant fluctuation. Check for phosphates, and if you find them, there are materials you can use as phosphate sponges out there. Good luck beating this stuff, I've dodged the bullet so far, but known those who've had to deal with this stuff, and it's a bugger. Good evening, PF>

Pulsatory function in Xeniids- low pH 6/11/03
Hi Anthony - Upon further checking it does appear that my PH is falling too low at night.  Looks to be around 8.0 and 8.1 in the morning before lights come on.  
<yikes... yes, too low for some finicky corals like Xenia sp>
I'm using Seachem Marine Buffer (supposed to maintain ph at 8.3) in conjunction with baking soda.
<actually... these products do not have the ability alone to raise you any higher than 8.3. Do supplement with Kalkwasser at night>
I've also been keeping the sump lit (15w fluorescent light) on an alternate lighting schedule thinking that this would level out the day/night swings in ph.  
<some help yes>
What else can I do to keep the ph at or above 8.3 and stable?
<definitely Kalkwasser dosing after the lights go off... tried and true! Archive my "Kalkwasser slurry" method here on WWM in the archives or peep it in my Book of Coral Propagation if you have access to a copy>
thanks again, Bryan
<best regards, Anthony>

Re: thank you 5/20/03
Thank you so much for replying and helping me :) I appreciate it so much, not many people reply when I have important questions.
<always welcome, my friend>
I have one more question, Corals like relatively high pH,
<all marines in general favor high and stable pH especially... a steady target of 8.3 (day and night) might be a fair goal>
and require so much for their growth that I couldn't begin to address it here
<do focus on stability more than high-end ideals for the given ranges of chemistry and bio-minerals. Kind regards, Anthony>

Interesting pH question
Bob,
<Anthony Calfo in his stead. Bob travels to Hawaii this month, my friend>
I almost had a fish holocaust yesterday caused by a dead Halimeda polluting my tank.  
<quite possibly a vegetative act of sexual reproduction like we experience with Caulerpa (the Halimeda looked bleached and speckled afterwards yes?). This is caused by not pruning the colony adequately/often enough (allowing it to complete a life cycle) ... and/or... not doing adequate water changes and/or supplementation of biominerals (Calcium/Alkalinity) to keep up with the demand of a growing colony. Heed these needs and you can easily enjoy such algae in the future>
Water turned green and cloudy and anemone turned
stringy.  Fish not happy!  I removed the offender and did a massive (30%) water change and waited to hope things cleared up.  I have a refugium algae filter and live rock as my main filtering mechanisms.  Everything is clear and the fish and anemone are looking really good this morning.  Phew!
<very good to hear. Water changes are life savers <G>>
I have always had low ph (7.9 measured in the AM).  My hardness runs around 3-4 meq/L.  
<the pH is indeed low, but the ALK is fine>
Calcium before the incident was 380.  
<no problem... a whisker flat. If the dosing of such minerals is inconsistent though to get these averages... that would be part of the calcareous algae problem (dosing small amounts of Calcium daily, yes?)>
The Halimeda was new and the water parameters are not terrible for it, so it was probably just not a healthy specimen.  
<more likely stress induced if not a lack of pruning. If not the above, then perhaps the addition of a few gallons of freshwater for evap top-off in the tank recently causing a saline differential suddenly>
There is another Halimeda from the same shipment that is vibrant green--another verification of the water quality.
<not a fair indicator... different stages of life cycle possible here>
Anyhow, I would like the ph higher for my sanity.  
<agreed>
I have a nice coral substrate, but getting old.  
<over 18-24 months needs some exchanging/refreshing>
So I started replenishing it with new aragonite sand about a month ago.  I thought that might help with the water parameters, but the ph is still about the same.  (As an interesting side note, I used to have ridiculously high Ca as measured by my Seachem kit.  Now I figure that was due to a not very good quality saltwater mix.  I have switched to Instant Ocean.)
<very good... agreed with the move>
I thought with this large water change that the ph might budge higher a little.  It didn't.  I had to make up new saltwater yesterday after doing all of these water changes.  After testing the tank ph this morning, I ran out to my garage and tested the pH of the water that has now been heating and mixing in my trusty Rubbermaid for almost 24 hours.  It measured 7.8!!  I'd like to fix the pH of my synthetic saltwater before I even think of tackling the pH in the tank. I use tap water that is pretty hard.  I fill the container, add my salt and Amquel and allow it to mix with a powerhead and heat for about a week with the lid on the barrel to prevent evaporation before using.  This lasts me several water changes usually.  I don't usually test the ph, figuring the synthetic salt should take care of this.  
<agreed/largely>
Could the lid on the container been preventing gas exchange, keeping the ph down?
<in any vessel yes... but what of the display tanks low pH? Test any/all by aerating a glass of saltwater outside for 6-12 hours and seeing if you get any pH increase>
What should be the procedure?  Should I buffer it with baking soda prior to adding the salt?  
<depends on the pH/hardness of the freshwater you are using>
If I keep the lid slightly open, don't I then have to worry about salinity due to evaporation?
<very little concern here... do encourage good gas exchange>
I don't usually do any Kalkwasser dosing or anything.  I do have a Kent 2-part calcium  buffer around when from when I first set up the refugium and the Ecosystem folks said that I might have to dose calcium with this set up.  I got it just in case, but haven't really used it.
<I would strongly encourage Kalkwasser use... and strongly discourage any liquid calcium (chloride) long term usage [much info in our archives and out on the 'Net about the dangers of using liquid calcium long term... problems often after a good 8 months or more]>
Thanks again for all of your help.  You have made my aquarium hobby much more enjoyable. Linda
<with kind regards, Anthony>

Re: Interesting pH question 5/19/03
Also forgot to mention maybe that the saltwater mix barrel is in my garage which is a VERY loose design, virtually outside with open vents and dog door with no flap all over the place.  Only the sometime presence of my dog keeps the critter population down!
I once tested the hardness of the tap water here and it was fairly hard and the website of the source water company says it is 145-204 mg/l. The pH is listed at 8.1-8.3.  So now I am suspecting a bum pH test kit. As a quick science experiment, I double-checked with a Hagen high range pH kit that I have lying around, not expired yet (hard to read accurately, so I bought the Seachem at some point).  The source water out of the tap is indeed 8.1-8.2 and the water in my barrel is still reading very low, about the same as the other kit, maybe as low as 7.6 but hard to read especially at night.  I don't understand what is causing the pH to drop in just mixing the saltwater up.  I am not a chemist but have studied some chemistry and this makes no sense to me at all with no bioload or anything, unless I got a bad batch of salt...
<a bad batch of salt is highly unlikely. Do check out chemist Randy Holmes-Farley at reefcentral.com (he has his own forum there). Great chap and perhaps can lend insight. Kind regards, Anthony>

Re: Interesting pH question 5/20/03
an update: Okay--The pH in my tank is not as bad as I thought. It is about 8.1 at the end of the day (11 hours after lights on).
<okey-dokey :) >
I realized that if the air stone raised the pH in the glass of water (I did finally get to this experiment, and it worked), it would do the same for the barrel of water. So, I introduced the air stone and 5 hours later the pH in the barrel is 8.1 also.
<ahhh, very good>
I wonder where the CO2 is coming from.
<common in well-insulated modern homes/apartments with weak air flow inside>
Maybe I need to really rinse out the saltwater barrel next time it is empty to make sure that bacteria aren't getting the best of it.
<not the bacteria at all IMO... but do rinse well to prevent skewed residual bio-minerals/precipitates>
I am going to start dosing a little Kalkwasser for the sake of the live rock and Halimeda.
<agreed, my friend... excellent to hear>
Thanks for all of your help.
<always welcome :) >
Randy [Holmes-Farley at reefcentral.com] was a great resource too.  I highly recommend the articles on that site.
Linda
<agreed again... Randy is a brilliant and no-nonsense chap... I defer to his skills/discipline. With kind regards, Anthony>

Fluctuating pH Levels...
Clarification on a couple of points if you don't mind.  Why would the ph be lower at lights out and higher when they first come on in the AM? My understanding was it should be the other way around.
<Actually, you're right. My fatigued eyes misread and reversed your numbers! The general fluctuation is downward during the dark periods, and up during lighted intervals. The highest pH of the day is usually just before "lights out". Photosynthetic organisms (like algae) will remove carbon dioxide during the day, and expel it at night, which causes the decline in pH during the dark hours. Removal of C02 by photosynthesis results in the production of less carbonic acid, thus raising the pH. It may be that you have low carbonate hardness and alkalinity, which may result in this unusual reversal of the dynamic...I'm just postulating here. Do check alkalinity and carbonate hardness...>
The reason I asked if I can dose Kalk twice per day (one teaspoon in the AM and half a teaspoon in the PM) is because I cannot dose the whole amount at once because the ph jumps up by about .25.  Is this acceptable, if not I will have keep dosing calcium in addition to the Kalk.  Thanks again.
<Well, I  agree with you about not wanting to fluctuate the pH too much. I generally would avoid a correction of more than two tenths of a point in a short duration. Frankly, I'd strive for consistency over anything else here. Some people (myself included) help maintain a stable pH in their systems by growing macroalgae in a lighted sump beneath the display, operating on either a continuous basis (25/7/365), or a "reverse daylight" method. It does work, so you may want to check out this concept. Sorry for the initial confusion on your pH. Hope this helps!

Where can I get buffers for calibration?
I've received an electronic pH tester, but it didn't come with calibration buffer...
I need a buffer with pH or 7.01 and then either 4.01 or 10.01 to calibrate it.
Where can I buy this (or what can I use?)
thank you,
Luke
<Mmm, I would buy such "standards"... either from/through the industry (try Marine Depot or Custom Aquatic... links on WWM, or through a chemical supply biz on-line. Use your search engine and the term "pH standard solutions". Bob Fenner>

High Ph other general questions
>Hello,
>>Good morning, Kevin, Marina here.
>I currently have a 50 gallon FOWLR tank that has high pH levels,
8.4-8.6 what is the best procedure for getting back down to 8.2?  Would doing a water change with fresh water fix this?  
>>First things first, do you know what may be causing a wide swing?  8.4 isn't so bad, 8.6 is a bit high, but if the specimens look happy, I prefer not to play with the pH.
>Also my salinity is considerably lower than usual 1.019-1.020.  I'm guilty of the lowered salinity, when I change my foam filter media I have been refilling the filter's with fresh water, would this also be the cause of the high pH?
>>Only if the freshwater has such a high pH.  Otherwise, generally, no.
>Last question ;) I promise, when doing water changes is it advisable to add the salt at the time of the change or would you mix it ahead of time?  
>>ALWAYS premix the salt, and have it circulating *before* you make your change.  Also, I suggest testing both the water used to mix the salt for pH, and then test the water once mixed before it goes into the tank.  See what you get there.  If it's in the acceptable range (under 8.6) then I usually use water changes to get things back in order SLOWLY.  Messing about with the pH can kill VERY quickly, and if the water is very buffered, you'll have a devil of a time getting it stabilized where you want it.  Again, if everything appears alright, let it be.
>I have been on a two week water change schedule and have been mixing the salt into the water and letting it sit for two weeks with a heater and an airstone, would this be proper procedure, am I doing something incorrectly?
>>Two weeks is a bit long, 24hrs is acceptable, using the airstone to mix and keep aerated is great, heating is also best (we don't want temp shocks).  Best of luck!  Marina

- Can't lower pH -
Help...... <JasonC here... I will try.>
I can't seem to lower the pH in my 90 gallon Reef tank.  I have tried several water changes over the last few weeks, but nothing has helped.  I have tested my mixed saltwater and it is at 8.2 I did a 30 gallon water change and tested the tank early the next morning and the PH is still 8.4 or higher. <I'm not sure what 'or higher' means, but 8.4 is perfectly acceptable.> It seems like this all started when I added Aragamilk to my system. <Hmmm... does that mean you've stopped adding it?> Some of my corals have died and a couple have just shutdown. I have lost most of my inverts and my Sand Sifting Starfish looked like something was eating parts of his legs and finally he died as well. <I'm sorry to hear this.> Could there be something in the tank that could be causing the high PH? <You would know better than I - what have you been putting in there?>
Setup:
90g Bow Front W/ 110-120 pounds Live Rock
Oceanic 150 Sump W/ Live Rock
3 1200 Maxi Power Heads
1 Yellow Tang
1 Yellow eye Tang
5 Green Chromis
1 Clown
1 Coral Beauty
1 Purple Starfish
1 Seastar?
<Cheers, J -- >

- Daily pH Fluctuations -
Dear WWM crew
<Good morning, JasonC here...>
Back again with a shorter question this time. My PH used to be 8-3 , 8,4. Since the last addition of some fishes it has dropped to 8-15 , 8-20.
I guess that is normal for a still young tank ( 5 months old). Problem is that during night PH falls to 7-98 and as soon as the lights turn on it rises again to the normal levels. Is that a normal fluctuation or should I do something about it? <Well... I noticed you have a calcium reactor in the mix there... you might consider putting the solenoid on the same timer as your lights - that would help.> (I have SeaChem Marine PH) I haven't used it so far. <You may also want to consider, if you don't have it already - and you should with that reactor there - an alkalinity test, perhaps your reactor needs adjustment.>
tank 150 Gallons
Calcium reactor.
Some weekly additions of Seachem Iodine.
Otherwise feeding normal, phytoplankton and flake food.
Best Regards
Kostas
<Cheers, J -- >

pH drop at Night
My PH has been dropping radically at night.  When I check it first thing early in the morning, it is dangerously low.
<Not unusual to drop to 7.9 or so in some aquaria.>  Lost a flourishing xenia colony which I attribute to this phenomenon. <Perhaps, but could be several other factors. Xenia does well in some tanks and not in others, depending on light, nutrient, iodide, etc. IE: my Xenia tank drops at night and I couldn't stop the stuff if I tried. You still may want to remedy, several choices here.>
I have been dosing with two part bionic and nothing else.  What do you think of the idea of dripping the buffer slowly during the evening and then adding the calcium later in  the morning ?
Thanks in advance for your help. William Snyder Stuart, FL
<You can do this. I suggest testing alk and calcium regularly with two parters to make sure all is as expected.  You could also drip Kalkwasser at night (follow directions on B-ionic label for dosing with Kalk) to stabilize pH. I also suggest a pH meter to monitor pH and adjust Kalk dose.  Also refugiums on an opposing light cycle will stabilize CO2 content and thus, pH.  Good luck!  Craig>

More on High pH
Hello,
>Sorry hon., no time for greetings.   Get enough water to do at least two 50% water changes.  Do 50% first, then test.  Try to siphon all micro algal (or Cyano) growth you can, there's a huge influx of nutrients and you need to get it sorted out ASAP.
It's been a while since I have needed your advice, and this time it's somewhat of an emergency.
I was out of town for a few days and my husband turned of the light to my refugium for what must have been at least 48 hours or so straight.  This resulted in a Caulerpa crash (I just found all of the information about how bad Caulerpa is in the first place).
>It's not bad for nutrient export, just in environs where it doesn't belong.
So I removed the Caulerpa which served as a breeding ground and food for a bunch of critters (to feed a mandarin).  In the past day, I've had death among my inverts, cleaner shrimp, serpent star and a least one snail.  Also in the past day, red algae (looks like diatoms, not slime, although I have one little patch of the slime starting).  Also, green star polyps not looking good today (just not out very much).  And the whole tank has this really eerie look to it.
Tested what I could with my kit at home (0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 8.8
ph!!!).  So, my ph is way out of whack.  WHAT should I do first, at all, etc.  I feel like I need to jump on this situation in the next couple of hours, and I stand ready to head to the store for whatever you tell me I need.
>Water changes are going to be your best weapon at this time.  They will help bring the pH back into whack, I wouldn't fiddle with it at all right now.
Other inhabitants include some Ricordea, mushrooms, brittle star (unless he's dead, too), hermits, snails, mandarin, Banggai pair, bicolor blenny and a couple of other soft corals.
Let me know what other information I can provide that may be helpful.  System is 2 years old, never had another problem.  75-gallon reef with 10-gallon refugium.  Protein skimmer and Penguin 330 for mechanical filtration.  5-6" sand bed.  100+ pounds of live rock.
Kind regards, Misty
>Ok girl!  Get on it, and we'll move on from there!  Marina

Creep(ing) pH (04/03/03)
Greetings,
<And salutations...Ananda here tonight.>
I have a 45 gal  high, (5 gal sump). Water parameters are great (SG 1.205, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 2) and everything looks great, including the two PJ cardinals, 1 mandarin, 1 Firefish,  1 banded coral shrimp and various soft corals and Tridacna.  My concern is the slowly upward-creeping pH.  I bought the pH meter about 2 months ago, calibrated it and found that the pH was about 8.25 at its highest during the day, falling to 8.00 by morning.  Over the course of the last two months, I started increasing the pH slowly using Reef Buffer.  Now, I notice that the pH will go as high as 8.60 during the day, and fall to about 8.30 by morning.  Is my pH too high at 8.60?  The Ca is 380.
<The pH at 8.6 is pretty much at the upper end of the allowable range. If you want to decrease the daily variation, you might try adding a refugium on a reverse lighting cycle. More info on the WetWebMedia site... try out the Google search tool at the bottom of the main page, looking for ''pH swing'' and ''refugium''....>
thanks
tom
<You're welcome. --Ananda>

Help, High pH, Crash Soon? (04/03/03)
Hello,
<Hi! Ananda here this afternoon.>
It's been a while since I have needed your advice, and this time it's somewhat of an emergency.
<I'll throw my few pence in and let someone else comment, too...>
I was out of town for a few days and my husband turned of the light to my refugium for what must have been at least 48 hours or so straight.
<Oops. You'll want to get a timer for the refugium light.>
This resulted in a Caulerpa crash (I just found all of the information about how bad Caulerpa is in the first place).
<I like Chaetomorpha much better. So do the pods.>
So I removed the Caulerpa which served as a breeding ground and food for a bunch of critters to feed a mandarin).  In the past day, I've had death among my inverts. cleaner shrimp, serpent star and a least one snail.  
<My sympathies...but you still have the fish, yes?>
Also in the past day, red algae (looks like diatoms, not slime, although I have one little patch of the slime starting).  Also, green
star polyps not looking good today (just not out very much).  And the whole tank has this really eerie look to it.
<Water change time....>
Tested what I could with my kit at home (0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 8.8 ph!!!).  So, my ph is way out of whack.  WHAT should I do first, at all, etc.  I feel like I need to jump on this situation in the next couple of hours, and I stand ready to head to the store for whatever you tell me I need.
<Nothing new, unless you're out of salt or something. Seriously. What you need is a water change. You do NOT want the pH to swing quickly! Don't lower the pH more than 0.2 points in 24 hours. It took two days for the pH to get this high; it should take at least that to get it back down to around 8.3.>
Other inhabitants include some Ricordea, mushrooms, Brittlestar (unless he's dead, too), hermits, snails, mandarin, Banggai pair, bicolor blenny and a couple of other soft corals. Let me know what other information I can provide that may be helpful.
System is 2 years old, never had another problem.  75-gallon reef with 10-gallon refugium.  Protein skimmer and Penguin 330 for mechanical filtration.  5-6" sandbed.  100+ pounds of live rock.
<Sounds like you have all the info bases covered... Now, imagine a sign in nice friendly letters: Don't Panic. Your tank will recover from this. --Ananda>
Kind regards,
Misty

Re: Help, high ph, crash soon? (04/03/03)
Ananda,
<Hi again.>
Thank you so much...should I do a "slow" water change to avoid the ph swing?  I usually do at least 10%...would it help to do 10% twice over the next two days?
<That might be a good start. It depends on the pH of your replacement water. To find out how much you can safely do, you need to do a bit of math... In the equation below, new-water is the percent water change you want to do; old-water is the percent of water you are keeping. Both are expressed as decimal values; i.e., 20% would be 0.2, so new-water = 1- old-water... (new-water pH * new-water ) + (old-water pH * old-water) = new pH >
Also, will this help get rid of the red algae, or do I need anything for that?  
<Ah. You need to get rid of the algae's food sources: nitrates and phosphates. You might consider investing in a phosphate test. I have phosphates in my source water, so I use two phosphate tests: the SeaTest kit for the "high-range" phosphates, and the Seachem test for "low-range" phosphates. There's a *lot* more info about algae control on the WetWebMedia site.>
Final question...should I suspend feeding for a couple of days?
<In combination with the water changes, it might help reduce the phosphates and nitrates a bit, but isn't 100% necessary.>
I'm breathing a little easier...not much, but a little.
<Hang in there -- we don't want to have to send over the paramedics with the oxygen.... --Ananda>
Kind regards,
Misty

Re: Help, high ph, crash soon?
>Hello WWM crew,
>>Hi Misty.  Marina again for you.
>I did a 12-gallon water change today (5 in the afternoon, another 7 a few hours later).  pH still hanging in right around 8.4-8.6 (hard to tell on those tests sometimes).  Snails still mobile, hermits out and about as well.  I gave the fish a 1/2-meal tonight and they snapped it up quickly.
>>Good, I think you've acted quickly enough and things should be getting back to normal soon enough.  A pH of 8.4 is good.  Even 8.6 isn't too terribly bad, you're out of the danger zone.
>I will test again in the a.m. and do another 5-10 tomorrow night depending on the test.  I do have a concern about my bicolor blenny.  He seems to have a white area on his tail...could he have gotten a pH "burn" or something like that?  
>>I've personally not seen pH affect a fish quite like that, but the stress at least certainly could have caused a wee bit of trouble.
>It's not hanging off of him or anything like a fungus would.  And it's not spotted like ich.  I've got to think it's related to the high pH condition.  Any specific treatment, ideas, etc.?  
>>Not just the high pH, but the excess nutrient dump when the Caulerpa died off.  If he's behaving normally, eating and all that, then I will just suggest having a hospital tank ready for him should he show further signs of illness.  Also, have either Spectrogram or Melafix on hand, just in case.  In the meantime, begin feeding normally, if you don't use supplements then give him (and all the others) that little extra boost.  
>I'm a little attached to him, as I bought him the afternoon of
9/11/01 (had to do something that felt normal so it was comforting to talk to my LFS friends and have a little one to take care of that night).
>>Clearly understood.  We all lost that day.
>Seeing a little hair algae now as well, not a ton.  Also some green algae on the glass that isn't hair algae (bright green, scrapes off
easily).  All of this sounding normal for what has happened?
>>To be expected, I think with the additional water changes your only problem will be re-establishing the nutrient export that the Caulerpa effected for you.
>Thanks for the help, advice, encouragement, sanity-check, etc :-)
Misty  
>>You're quite welcome, I'm *very* glad that your only losses were the Caulerpa.  Keep us posted!  Marina

Help, high ph, crash soon?
>Marina and crew,
>>Hi, Misty.  
>I did a 10-gallon water change and my ph went from 8.8 to 8.6.  
>>That is FAR more acceptable.  
>Snails started moving again, as did my Sally Lightfoot.  I didn't want to do anymore, as I'm not supposed to move the ph more than .2 in a 24-hour period, right?  
>>Generally, yes.  However, there arise certain situations where it's far better to get the specimens in question back into water that is more acceptable quality-wise.  However, 8.6 is indeed far more acceptable, so unless you see more signs of stress you can go it more slowly.  I would do another water change today, though.
>If I do a 50% water change all at once, won't that lower the ph too quickly?
>>Again, generally yes, but you can also do what's done in shipping.  You can do an exchange drip, so that the change isn't so sudden.  You would make a drip line going out of the tank, and make one going *in* to the tank that's dripping at the same rate.  Problem solved.
>Should I put in a new carbon filter in the Penguin 330, and maybe an extra carbon pad or something?  
>>That is not a bad idea, and I don't see it hurting at all.
>I've already turned up my protein skimmer to full blast.
>>Good move.
>I siphoned out what I could, but there isn't that much yet, and it's not the kind that usually settles on the sandbed.  I also have a type of red feather-looking macro...will that help any?
>>Yes, in fact, it may have been the macro that has helped "mop up" some of the nutrients that were released with the Caulerpa die-off.  So, just do at least one more water change, test again, and watch closely.  
>Thanks, Misty
>>You're welcome, and keep us posted.  Marina

Re: Help, high ph, crash soon?
>Hi Marina,
>>Hi Misty.
>Did another 2.5-gallon water change (just what I had left from last night).  Took a water sample to the store for testing to confirm my pH test and to look at phosphates.
>>Great.
>pH was 8.5.  Phosphates read zero, but the guy said that it wasn't a very good test.  Came home, did another 5-gallon change tonight.  Will do another 5 before bed and another 5 tomorrow.
>>Sounds like a prudent course of action, and I think you're out of the danger zone.
>Fish are still very active and eating, snails and crabs "alert" as well.  Blenny is acting normal, and his tail looks a little better.  I do have Melafix on hand just in case.
>>Very good, I think that with the additional water changes planned you'll soon be golden.
>If the pH spikes up again, I'll let you know.  Otherwise I'll keep on my road of 5-gallons a day until things stabilize.
>>Excellent plan.
>Thanks again for all of your help with this minor panic.
>>Minor my foot!  A pH change as you described along with that mass die-off of the Caulerpa could have become a major disaster *very* quickly.
>Kind regards, Misty
>>Very welcome, and VERY glad to hear that all residents are well.  Marina
PS...If nothing else, all of this has gotten me looking at a reef ready 115 at the LFS!!!  This hobby is really sick sometimes...talk about being a glutton for punishment! :-)