Can't keep pH up and Algea has a death grip.

ThatGuy · Mar 11, 2013

I've been trying to get my pH up for a little while now and it seems stuck at 7.8. I've been using seachem marine buffer 8.3 and still 7.8. It will go about a day or so above 8 then drop back down. I don't think the up and down is a good thing, so I'm trying to figure out a way to maintain it without putting another reactor online.

Secondly I can't seem to get the HA to go away. Its still on the back glass and some rocks. Phos read 0 and I'm running BRS GFO and seachem seagel. With both of these running and feeding 1/2 a cube a day and a small pinch of pellets a day(nothing gets a chance to hit the SB) I can't figure what is fueling the HA.

Any help on either would be great.

Josh

downbeach · Mar 11, 2013

Low pH this time of year, with the house all closed up, is most often due to elevated levels of CO2 in the household atmosphere. At 7.8, I wouldn't worry about it, as long as your other param's are OK. I would stop using the buffer, since it is most likely raising your alk too.

Hotdogg · Mar 11, 2013

Phosphates are zero because your algae is using it, as well as your nitrates...phosphates could be coming from your water, unless you are using RODI...phosphates also be leaching from your live rock or sand bed...if you have algae, you have excess nutrients.

ThatGuy · Mar 11, 2013

downbeach said:
Low pH this time of year, with the house all closed up, is most often due to elevated levels of CO2 in the household atmosphere. At 7.8, I wouldn't worry about it, as long as your other param's are OK. I would stop using the buffer, since it is most likely raising your alk too.

I have a bunch of house plants, Shouldn't this help with the CO2?

Cal keeps dropping from 400 after a water change to 360-380 Alk is steady at 9

Hotdogg said:
Phosphates are zero because your algae is using it, as well as your nitrates...phosphates could be coming from your water, unless you are using RODI...phosphates also be leaching from your live rock or sand bed...if you have algae, you have excess nutrients.

I have a skimmer rated at 4X my watervolume and I'm running 2 different types of phosphate removers. As far as leaching it should all be taken care of between those 3 things. Thats what I don't get. Also I do run rodi and its coming out at 0. As far as salt goes I use IO if that makes a difference.

Jcurry@wesketch · Mar 11, 2013

The buffer will only temporarily raise your pH. Once the C02 equilibriates with the air the pH will drop again.

Have you tried dosing kalkwasser? It will raise your Ca, pH and bind with the P04 so the skimmer can filter it out.

House plants or any plants for that matter only use C02 and give off 02 when they photosynthesizing. Once photosynthesis stops they consume 02 an expel C02.

greybolt03 · Mar 12, 2013

We're did the rock come from it sounds like your rock is the culprit.Try filling a bucket with fresh salt water..Test for phosphates,if you have 0 take a rock out of the tank, place in the bucket for a few hours, retest for phosphates to see if it is coming from the rocks...

ThatGuy · Mar 12, 2013

The rock is old. Its been in the system for over a year now. I recently just took all the rocks out and gave them a good shaking in a bucket. The algea on the rock isn't all to bad, it looks like small patches on the rock that have a buzz cut. The glass has the LONG strands. I'll post pictures later of the problem areas.

NikkiT · Mar 12, 2013

When you say the rock is old, how old exactly? Did you buy new LR and cure it, or did you buy LR that someone else had in their tank previously?
If you bought "used" live rock, did you cure it again?

ThatGuy · Mar 12, 2013

NikkiT said:
When you say the rock is old, how old exactly? Did you buy new LR and cure it, or did you buy LR that someone else had in their tank previously?
If you bought "used" live rock, did you cure it again?

Its not new to me. LOL. Some was LR from when I first got a complete setup(years ago) and some was dry rock from over a year ago that was added back when it was a 42bow.

ThatGuy · Mar 12, 2013

Back Glass

On rocks

Zippy69 · Mar 13, 2013

How about a tang? My sailfin does a great job at converting algae to poop.

lefkonj · Mar 13, 2013

My Kole tang is a complete goat. He eats every drop there is nothing in my tank at all.

ThatGuy · Mar 13, 2013

Anytime I've had a tang the whole tank gets ich. Get rid of the tang and the ich is gone(figerativly speaking).

whitesquall · Mar 13, 2013

What type of lighting do you have? sometimes algea issues are atributed to old bulbs. i used to deal with this alot when i was running T12 VHO's.... I loved the color i got from them but they would grow algea once the spectrum changed. i'de change the bulbs and within 1-2 weeks algea was gone.

ThatGuy · Mar 13, 2013

whitesquall said:
What type of lighting do you have? sometimes algea issues are atributed to old bulbs. i used to deal with this alot when i was running T12 VHO's.... I loved the color i got from them but they would grow algea once the spectrum changed. i'de change the bulbs and within 1-2 weeks algea was gone.

6 bulb t5ho 4 atinic 2 10k bulbs are about a month old.