# water quality



## bluewave (Apr 22, 2009)

hi everyone great day isnt it. so I have a question hope someone can shed some light on my predicament.
I have a ten gal tank around 25 lbs live rock lots of growth on it, pipe organ, green button polyps, christmas tree rock a couple of blue leg hermiits, west indies snail, turbo snails. My parameters are as follows p.h showing between 8.5-9 sounds way out there calcium 400, temp 75-76 degrees not sure of KH OR GH yet.I have been adding reef carbonate, reef complete calcium additive, vitamin and amino acid additive as well purple up. So my question is why is my PH so high and how do i get it down easily and slow. also my calcium doesnt seem to be raising as fast as I would like any thoughts. I will include pic just to sjow how it is looking. The tank has been running for around 5 months now. Thanks for any suggestions you's may have. 




steve


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## conger (Feb 2, 2008)

you should be testing alkalinity as well (units are dKH for saltwater, not KH or GH). You are adding alkalinity supplements to your tank (reef carbonate and purple up), and for all we know the alkalinity might already be high enough. I'm just guessing here, but you might be pushing your alkalinity through the roof, which is keeping your pH buffered at an elevated level like you are seeing (?). Alkalinity and pH are directly related to one another (as is calcium & alkalinity, and magnesium & calcium... four-way relationship). Definitely get an alkalinity number for your tank first, then lets take it from there.

A healthy marine tank should have an alkalinity between 8-12 dKH (I like to keep mine higher within that range, between 10-12... if I drop tp 8 or 9, I begin supplementing to bring it back up).


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

I agree with Conger. Test the alkalinity. Be sure to buy a test kit which gives an exact reading, not just "soft" or "hard".


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## bluewave (Apr 22, 2009)

well i hear what you are saying but the only tests they carry in store ar for GH&KH that I've seen that is what i was told would test for carbonate hardness.


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## conger (Feb 2, 2008)

hmm, thats strange to me, I mean I'm not too familiar with various tests off the top of my head, but those sounded like the freshwater hardness tests when I first read your post. There are various units of measuring saltwater alkalinity (carbonate hardness as you've said), but without re-looking them up I don't think I've seen GH or KH.

Anyone else have any ideas here?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

i believe KH is the API test kit. your going to also want a mag test kit and something to dose for it. alk, mag, ph and cal all work together. do not add anything without testing for it, esp. in a tank this size. 

is that an aluminum foil reflector?

it looks like your also using a canister filter? these tend to trap debris and detritus and cause issues.


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

I don't know if anyone saw this but...



> follows p.h showing between 8.5-9 sounds way out there calcium 400, temp 75-76 degrees


pH is way too high. It needs to be around 8.1-8.3 and your temp is too low. It needs to be 79-81.5F.


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## conger (Feb 2, 2008)

Kellsindell said:


> I don't know if anyone saw this but...
> 
> 
> 
> pH is way too high. It needs to be around 8.1-8.3 and your temp is too low. It needs to be 79-81.5F.



thats how we got on the topic of alkalinity, since they haven't tested for alkalinity yet (but is supplementing for it), we guessed that the alk is probably through the roof, and is pushing the pH high like that.


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