Randy can you lend me advice....

[einsteins]

Hi

I am struggling with low pH in my 130 gal (total volume) system
after I was unable to raise my pH from 7.6/7.8 with the dual chamber calcium reactor running. I decided after reading your articles that limewater might be a good solution.
I shut down the calcium reactor and I purchased a Kalk reactor and put it inline with my top off system so all top off water is now kalk ( I also made a bypass so I can use freshwater by turning a couple of valves)
After a week now ph is at 7.9/8.05.
I have a strong becket skimmer (Trigger systems TS300) that is pushing 1600gph thru it and I have a closed loop on the tank moving 1400gph i additional modded MJ in the tank for more flow. surface water is very agitated.
Through more reading I saw that co2 build up could be a contributing problem with the tank being in the basement and having a closed fish room behind it. When we remodeled the entire basement and I had the fish room built I had an exhaust fan put in to take out heat from the lights but I never anticipated the co2 build up.
Last night, with much work I was able to install a second vent to the room that gives a fresh air feed to the fishroom from the outside. I dont currently have a fan forcing any air through the incoming vent.
I thought the air would enter because of the exhaust fan exiting.

I left the exhaust fan on all night last night hoping to draw fresh air into the room ( it normally comes on when the lights do) this morning I checked the tank pH and it is at 7.85 still.

I just cant seem to get the tank pH to stay above 8 and I dont even have the calcium reactor running.
My tank has a lot of sps frags and is 10 months old now. Is it possible the Kalk is at this point is supplying all the needed alk/calcium my tank needs?
Here are the parameters as of lights out time last night.

pH 8.01
Alk 10.5 dkh
Calcium 430ppm
Mag 1300ppm

My goal is to get pH to 8.1/8.2 low/high range
alk at 8-9 dkh
calcium to 420ish

I think this is the full disclosure of my battles to this point.
any advice /help would be greatly appreciated...

Thank You
einsteins

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How are you measuring pH?

Did you try the indoor and outdoor aeration tests to verify the CO2 issues?

Is it possible the Kalk is at this point is supplying all the needed alk/calcium my tank needs?

Yes. It does so on mine, but it is hard to judge since I do not know how fast those frags are growing.

[einsteins]

Frags are growing at what I would consider slow to moderate speed.

I must have missed somewhere the inside outside areation test. is there a place to get instructions for this test?

Ph is measured using a pH monitor calibrated just 2 weeks ago...brand is Pinpoint, probe is in my overflow.

Thank You again...

einsteins

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The tests are discussed here:

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

[einsteins]

Aeration test is a positive...in the fishroom the pH actually went down from 7.85 to 7.78.

I then took the set up with new tank water outside and in 30 minutes the pH went from 7.88 to to 8.08

So now I need to find the most efficient way to utilize the fresh air feed to my room and get the pH up to where I need it...

Thanks

einsteins

[Bullet]

Would it help if you feed you skimmer with fresh air? Just run a hose from outside to the air intake of your skimmer. I don't know if that would do it or not but would be an easy fix if it did.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So now I need to find the most efficient way to utilize the fresh air feed to my room and get the pH up to where I need it...

Yes, that was a pretty clear test result.

[einsteins]

I have a 4" duct run to the fishroom from the outside and this morning I put a 4" in-line fan at the end of it to pull air into the fishroom. I just dont know if it is enough....I also ran a tube from the becket intake on my skimmer to the 4" duct and inserted it so the skimmer is only getting fresh outside air...(much quieter now too)

anyone have any additional ideas?
Man I hope this works....

thanks again for the help...

einsteins

[sterlruth]

I need help with my LaMotte Calcium Test...

I tested the following:

Total hardness test-- 6708 ppm CaCO3
Calcium hardness test-- 1135.2 CaCO3
And 1000ppm of CaCO3 = 400 ppm of the CA ion so this is 454ppm Calcium...

I also know that to find the Mg I subtract Ca Hardness from Total Hardness so my Mg 5572.8 CaCO3 then Mg Hardness CaCO3 needs to be converted to Mg Chloride by multiplying .95 = 5294.16 ppm MgCl2 then x .24 = 1270.6 to get ppm Mg


I think I have it but I need to make sure this is correct and is there an online something that I can simply plug in the raw numbers and have it convert everything (the lazy math man way?)

Thanks

[sterlruth]

Ignore the last post, I was trying to open a fresh post

S o r r y !

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

anyone have any additional ideas?

I have a substantial amount of moisture in my basement fish room, and I recently installed a large bathroom exhaust fan from home depot to blow the air out. I don't have a CO2 problem, but I expect it would also reduce the CO2 if it were elevated.

[Casperson]

Einsteins, You might try a heavy duty pondmaster air pump. One used for outside ponds.
Run it from outside with air line tubing to your sump.
I used this method and it did raise my ph a couple tenths.

Tom C

[einsteins]

Randy

When my Fishroom was built I had an exhaust fan installed above the lights in order to vent out heat. I am currently running that fan on the same switch as the actinic lighting.
I have no moisture problems at all in that room. Would it help if I ran the exhaust fan 24/7 ??

The new duct that I have coming into the room is 4" duct and it has a inline duct fan at the inside end of it to force fresh air into the the room. I have also ran a 1" tube from my becket intake on my skimmer up to the new vent and inserted it so the skimmer is only getting fresh air.

After all of this I am now still only able to get pH to 7.95 / 8.1 a little better but I was hoping to drive the pH a bit higher.
I am wondering if having my furnace and hot water heater in the back of my fishroom is having something to do with my battles to raise pH....any thoughts??

Casperson.... are you saying to aerate my sump ?? not sure I understand.

Randy...thanks again for your advice it much appreciated!!

einsteins

[einsteins]

Just a bump to keep on first page...

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, I think that running the fan at night would help the low pH, unless the room is pulling in air that is already substantially elevated in CO2.

[einsteins]

Well I am happy to say that my co2 problem seems to have been corrected.
It just took a few days for everything to level off I thank all of you who contributed to solving my issue. ph is now at 8.18 / 8.32 range.

I noticed that my alk is now lower also.
Here are my parameters...what do you guys think?
Since adding the Kalk reactor I still have not turned on the calcium reactor as it seems that my system is getting the calcium it needs from the Kalk top off water...

Salinity 1.025
temp 78.5 deg
pH 8.18lights out to 8.32lights on
alk 8.7 dkh
calcium 420 ppm
magnesium 1260ppm

thanks again for your input!

einsteins

[Billybeau1]

Those are good numbers IMO. :thumbsup:

[einsteins]

Thanks Billybeau1

Now if I can just keep anything from drifting out of whack....