What to do now

Micki · #1 10/13/2004, 10:57 PM

Hi Randy, I have read and reread your articles so many times and I am now totally overloaded! I started dripping lime water this past week. I drip 1/2 tsp. per gallon.

Here are my parameters:

CA - 550
KH - 14.8
Mag- 1365
PH - 7.8 (tested at 11:00pm)
ammonia 0
nitrates 0

What should I change/do now???

Randy Holmes-Farley · #2 10/14/2004, 07:22 AM

How are you measuring the pH?

Are you adding anything else?

Micki · #3 10/14/2004, 07:54 AM

I use the salifert PH test kit. No, I don't add anything else.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #4 10/14/2004, 08:03 AM

It sometimes reads low when old, so I wouldn't necessarily assume that the pH is low.

I'd suggest taking out a cup of tank water that reads 7.8, and aerate it for an hour with an airstone outside and see if the pH rises (it should).

Also, you might ask Habib in the Salifert forum about your specific lot of kit.

reeforama · #5 10/14/2004, 09:28 AM

I do have another test kit that I used prior to using the salifert test. I think it's Master Test or somethign like that, but I did actually do both last night and got the same results. So, based on that I would guess that PH is a correct reading. So, what can I do about that, and what about the rest of the readings? I'm totally stumped...

Randy Holmes-Farley · #6 10/14/2004, 09:40 AM

More limewater (more lime in the same water) and more aeration with fresh air will raise the pH if the 7.8 is real. Do not worry about calcium and alkalinity going higher. It may actually decline as abiotic precipitation increases at higher pH, and consumption by corals and coralline algae may also increase as the pH rises.

reeforama · #7 10/14/2004, 09:42 AM

Ok, I'll increase teh lime water to 1 tsp. per gallon and see what that does. Thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · #8 10/14/2004, 09:43 AM

You're welcome.

Good luck!