ClayTheSavageFraser Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I have spent thousands on this hobby! I love it. I love growing and taking care of corals and fish. I am having a hard time and really hate it when things die!! I have an issue with my ph, I don't know what to do. I used seltzer water, and I used vinegar. I am still scared when adding anything. So right now my tank is crashing! I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to do it without killing everything that is already dieing! I have done 30gallon-5 gallon water changes everyday now for the last week. My ph is at 8.8 my nitrates/nitrites are at 0 ammonia is at 0 and dkh: 10 calcium: 485 not sure about the magnesium or whatever! I am going to keep doing the water changes until the water gets better. I got a new ro/di unit and I am hopeing that, that works. I had to use tap water for a little while. I am so bummed and frustrated! I hope that things come back, but all my montis are dead, my acros are dieing, my green bali that algae gave me are dead, my brain is dead, lost my torch, my frogspawn is dieing, my chalices are going, my god!! my Acans are deteriorating!! Cyphastrea, is gone! All my birdsnest is gone!! I have had some of this stuff for a longtime!! I have put so much energy into trying to build a wonderful reef!! The awesome reef that I have in my mind!! I want it so bad!! Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 how are you supplementing calcium? It could be a CO2 deficiency...have you considered adding aeration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 What are you using to test your PH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 What are you using to test your PH? Good question -- it's hard to imagine pH getting that high without over-supplementation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I agree with what the other guys say, also keep doing your water changes that's the best way to get things back to normal. Don't add any other supplement until your reading are good. Also, I would go buy a different brand ph test kit and try that to see if it still comes up with high ph. Also, this happened to Ryan, he had a metal cord fall into this tank, make sure there is no metal rusting into the tank, that will poison the corals and inverts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Are you adding any supplements? I cant imagin your PH getting so high without over dosing something. How are you measuring your PH? Test kit or PH probe? If its a probe, have you re-calibrated your probe recently? When did your corals start dieing? Has it been gradual, or all of the sudden? As Roy said, I lost most of my SPS cause of a metal plug. I would check for other causes then the PH. One thing for sure, don't overreact. Think things through and make sure you dont make the situation worse. I know you want to large multiple water changes, but make sure you make your water the right way...RO/DI water, up to temp, fully mixed, etc...If you rush things, you could make it worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Yeah, Ryan is on the right track. I'd consider running carbon and a poly-filter though, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cml800 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 out of curiosity, do you have any DIY cement based rock in your tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Sorry to ear that Clay :-( What's the ph of your top-off water and your wc water? As somebody said, check the rocks or metal contamination. Hope this helps Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wegotjs Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Go simple turn off everything but lights and skimmer . Something is causing it you just have to find what that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyK Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I would check for metal pieces as said above. I had this problem last year and it was stray voltage from my heater. I discovered only after exhausting all other possibilities. Put my hand in the tank with bare feet and got zapped. Goodluck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 I got a new test kit. That's how I found out that my ph was up there. I was dosing with dkh superbuffer before than. I have carbon and a canister filter filled with poly fiber running on it along with my skimmer. I have checked everywhere for metal, no metal. I think that because of the crappy test kit I over shot the ph value and now I am slowly doing water changes. I am just trying to save my existing corals. Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitricker Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Best of luck, sorry to hear about your troubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdadof2 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 What Ph is your make-up water for water changes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitterbait Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 you may want to run Kalk in your topoff to help bring the PH in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 What are you using to test your PH? What SPECIFICALLY are you using to test your PH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 you may want to run Kalk in your topoff to help bring the PH in line. Not good! Kalk raises PH, so if his PH is really at 8.8, adding kalk will do nothing but worsen the problem.. FYI- I have never found an accurate PH test kit...its not even really worth testing with a test kit cause PH fluctuates so much through out the day. Example, my PH is at 7.8 before my lights turn on, but by the end of my light cycle, my PH is up to 8.3. I can also see the differnence in PH if we leave a window open for an extended about of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I question the kit. Test with a calibrated hannah or pinpoint. I think your chasing it to hard. ANY TIME ya get a new kit for any of the tests it's good to double check the same water,,,IE Glass jar, same batch, for an average. Get what you can into anothers tank, frag some still living to a couple of different members to at least keep the stock going till all is settled down. Good Luck. Keep us updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskerduck Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Yeah dont run Kalk with an 8.8 ph, I use Kalk in topoff to keep mine at 8.3 from a 7.9 out of RO/DI make up water. When I do water changes I have to fill my container via the Kalk reactor to get it to 8.2. The ph of my water coming out of my kalk topoff is 9.0 I use a hannah ph tester and I find it pretty much in line whith the 2 other ph kits I have as part of other tests. Did you ever tell us if it was slow death......one piece at a time.........all at once, a couple here, a couple there. I have a foxface Im about to kill and enjoy doing it, I caught him killing corals, he picked at a monti ...poof a day later its turning white, once it was gone he started to pick at the biggest peice I had and sure enough 2 days later its gone, I see him picking at everything in the tank now. I am trying seaweed to try and keep him happy but the yellow tang just rips it off and it floats aroung for fun and games for a few seconds. seriously thinking of getting rid of all fish, everyone I have got this time around is crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algae Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hey Clay, Give me a call tonight and I'll bring over some of my test kits and my 2 Ph meters and let's verify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 Just got done helping with jon! Dude wait till you see his new shizzy!! Can you come over tomorrow? Please, Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algae Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I'm pretty open minded, but seeing Jon's "shizzy" sounds somewhat disgusting to me. Yeah, I can come by tomorrow in the late evening.OK? Dude wait till you see his new shizzy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 Real men dont talk on the phone like real women!! LOL!! Real men do text! Short sweet to the point and no jibber jabber!! HA!! And what time you thinkin, Algae? Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algae Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 So.. You are obviously prejudiced against jibber jabber. A jibber jabber bigot in the making. Personally, I enjoy jibber but I can give or take jabber. Thinking after you put the kiddo in the sack.OK? Give me your address, again. Real men dont talk on the phone like real women!! LOL!! Real men do text! Short sweet to the point and no jibber jabber!! HA!! And what time you thinkin, Algae? Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 LOL!! Sorry buddy!! Can we make it tomorrow? Around 7? Tonight was give attention to the misses night. She has been needing some, after work, and fishtank stuff(mine, and jons) Whatcha think? Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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