Advice on my Water Params

[Taboojen]

Hey All:

 

I need some help with my pH, which seems a bit low to me. Need some advice as to where my water parameters should be. I'd like to keep mainly LPS and SPS. The tank only has live rock and a few snails and hermits. Tank has been cycling for a few weeks, with live rocks I transfered from my 55 gal FOWLR tank. Its bare bottom right now.

 

Water - Catalina Co. Real Ocean Water.

Temp - 78-79.5 F

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - none registered.

KH - 9 dKH

Calcium - Last tested at 460-480.

pH - 7.87 - 8.0

Magnesium - Not sure - Need a test kit for this one.

 

Is there something keeping my pH low? I was reading other threads about CO2 in the home - could this be it?

[Rocket]

I think it is too early to worry about ph levels. Just achieving 8.0 in a newly cycling aquarium is great. You don't have enough living creatures/plants/algae in the tank to boost the ph to 8.3.

 

Monitor the issue. I would not try adding buffer yet.

 

PH drops when CO2 levels increase. This is why people have a reverse photoperiod with a macro algae fuge. Helps keep ph higher during the night.

 

 

Speaking of. how long after lights on are you taking your PH levels. And what salt brand are you using?

[Taboojen]

Thanks for the advice. I'm just trying to achieve stability before i start with my first SPS. I've had softies and a few LPS in the past and they have been extremely forgiving.

 

My RKL gives me the reads for the pH - So, i've just have been observing at different times in the day. As an update -- I did leave the window in the room open all day and over night. Just got home from work and the pH was up to 8.06-8.1 this evening - about 3 hours into the light cycle. I guess it may be the CO2 levels in the house - as we had the windows closed most of the weekend, with the A/C on as a result of the recent heat waves.

 

I'll refrain from adding any buffer and see if it stays more consistent with the windows open.

 

As for the salt - I actually filled my entire tank initially with Catalina Company Water - the so called "real ocean water." I haven't make any salt mixes on my own yet - as my RO/DI is still en route. I do have a bucket of reef crystals that i intend to use eventually. Do you think the Catalina water has low kH or pH? - as I read somewhere that ocean water tends to be a bit on the lower end of the pH spectrum, as around 8.0-8.1. I could be wrong.

 

 

 

I think it is too early to worry about ph levels. Just achieving 8.0 in a newly cycling aquarium is great. You don't have enough living creatures/plants/algae in the tank to boost the ph to 8.3.

 

Monitor the issue. I would not try adding buffer yet.

 

PH drops when CO2 levels increase. This is why people have a reverse photoperiod with a macro algae fuge. Helps keep ph higher during the night.

 

 

Speaking of. how long after lights on are you taking your PH levels. And what salt brand are you using?

[SPS20]

Natural Sea Water (NSW) has 8ish dKh Alk and about 420ppm Ca. In aquariums, people tend to keep the alkalinity a little higher to keep the pH stable, around 9-10 dKh, but you can certainly keep the level closer to NSW.