Can PH cause Bleaching?????

[Atticus]

I just came home and found my PH to be 9.78....:eek1: My kalkwasser had run into the tank a bit faster than usual due to a loose valve. I did a water change and added buffer. That raised the ph to 9.25. My yellow tang was stressed to near death, but perked up after the water change. I ran out of buffer and subsituted Arm&Hammer to get my ph to 8.30. After an hour at this ph 2 of my blue/purple acros are now turning white... Is this bleaching or a natural stress reaction??? I would appreciate any help anyone can give me. If you have anyways to help remedy this please add those also.

Thank you all in advance,
Travis

P.S. I have had sps for 2 years and I know I need a calcium reactor, but it is not in my budget at this time.

[MiNdErAsR]

Hi Travis:

[welcome]

Bleaching is absolutely a reaction to such a situation. I'm moving this to Randy Holmes-Farley's Forum for a more scientific explanation to this occurrence.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

<< Is this bleaching or a natural stress reaction??? >>

I agree with Jim. I'd also say that bleaching is a natural stress reaction (to temperature, for example), so there isn't really a difference, IMO. I don't know what the reaction of a coral is to pH 9.8, but I'd expect it to be very stressing.

I know it may be too late for you, but buffer is not a good way to lower pH in this situation (pH > 9). Your going to end up with excessive alkalinity and not enough calcium. You'll probably need some calcium chloride additions when all is said and done.

Here are a few ways to deal with very high pH:

1. Add vinegar to drive down the pH. Monitor the pH closely.

2. Add hydrochloric acid (aka muritatic acid from the hardware store) or sulfuric acid. Monitor the pH very, very closely.

3. Add carbon dioxide. The cheapest way is to add carbonated water from the store. Monitor the pH closely. Dry ice is another possiblity, if you happen to have handy access.

Personally, I'd pick #3 as the best unless I had one of the others handy. I'd use whatever I had to drop the pH to 8.5 as soon as possible.

[Atticus]

Randy,
I luckily had done part of what you suggested, just as a random act to help the situation. Along with the buffers I added a calcium block to a moderatly high flow area. This morning my tank ph was 8.0 so I added a slow drip of kalk to get ph to 8.3. It has held at that all day. I that you every much for those other great ideas, though I hope I will never have to use them.:) Is there anything else you personaly would do to help the corals survive??? I added some DT's and Reef Vital DNA today hoping these items would help the recovery. Travis

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The only thing that I would do is to measure calcium and alkalinity and see where you stand. Based on the readings, you might have to supplement one or both. After a CaCO3 precipitation event (which I presume you had) alk, and to a smaller extent calcium, often takes a nose dive.

How do the corals look?

[Atticus]

The soft corals are just coming around now... It has taken them all day. My favites has survived the best and is very open. Other LPS's are contracted or have "relieved themselves" and are half open. All sps are lighter in color, some worse than others, and almost all polyps remain contracted. The blue/purple acros are still paled to a near white and have no visible polyps. I will test calcium now, but I will need to get an alkalinity test. <== I never knew this to be a factor until I joined this board. I now see that constant study, the persuit of knowledge, and a membership to this great board will be pivital to the success of my reef. Travis

[Atticus]

Ok, Calcium is checked and is Extremely low. Under the scale for my test kit... I have added more calcium to the tank and am crossing my fingers.:(