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ph Level

I found an interesting article on water and RO DI processing:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rhf/index.php

With the following quote about the PH of water after RO/DI filteration:

1. The pH of totally pure water is around 7 (with the exact value depending on temperature). As carbon dioxide from the atmosphere enters the water, the pH drops into the 6’s and even into the 5’s, depending on the amount of CO2. At saturation with the level of CO2 in normal (outside) air, the pH would be about 5.66. Indoor air often has even more CO2, and the pH can drop a bit lower, into the 5’s. Consequently, the pH of highly purified water coming from an RO/DI unit is expected to be in the pH 5-7 range.

Since we smoke, the CO2 is likely to be higher in our house but the mixing and areated holding buckets are is in the garage (48 hour min time usually 4-5 days but I mix my buffer immediately to the fresh water and use the prebuffered water to make my salt so I have no recent results but have tried not using a buffer anytime I experiemented with new salt with at least a 48 hour delay). We do have very high acid water (great for azailias, magnolias, gardinias and tomatos) which might partially account for the low PH. I will try to remember to set up a little experiment with tap and unbufferred RO water this weekend.
 
Good! :smile:
What kind of kits?
If you don't have stony corals, you don't need to be worrying about your calcium level (how low was it BTW?).
 
My Calcium level was "0" I bought the API saltwater master test kit and added the Kent mineral supplement (with calcium). I thought it might be good to have minerals and cacium in the water because I am adding zooanthids. I also bought the phytoplankton from Kent and added it to my refugium. Here is a pic of my set up. It looks really bad because I should have turned off my flash. I promise the lighting is really great normally. You can see that it is set up in a classroom.
 

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I don't believe it is possible for your ca level to be 0 using any of the salt mixes available.
As for any other additives, I don't believe you need them for the animals you are keeping.
 
Thales,
Calcium did not show up at all on the test kit. It was as low as it could be when I measured it. I looked it up on line and the lowest it goes is 20 mg/L. I do not have my notes in front of me because they are in my classroom in the cabinet next the the tank. I do not plan on adding stony corals now, but I want to keep my water as it would be in a reef environment so I added the suppliment. "Kent Marine Coral-Vite is a premium hard & soft coral vitamin & mineral supplement. It provides exotic trace minerals and complex nutrients for health and vigor and to stimulate growth in corals, anemones, gorgonians, and desirable marine algae." I do not have the mineral list because it is in my classroom.
 
That is incredibly strange (read; I don't believe it :biggrin2: ). What salt mix did you use?

Adding 'broad spectrum' vitamins and minerals to a tank is usually not recommended although there are many on the market. Their utility is questionable, but they do help the aquarist to feel like they are doing something which may be worth the money. :smile: Most of those all in ones have their levels low in the first place to prevent overdosing. Most people who use them stop very quickly, and those produces are often referred to as 'expensive, slightly colored water'.
The general rule of thumb is, if you aren't testing for it, you don't need to add it, and if you do add it, know why. For the animals you are planning on keeping, your salt mix should be more than enough in regards to trace elements and such.
 
So I guess i am okay as of now for adding my octopus in August? I just need to keep checking to make sure everything is okay. And don't worry about the calcium unless I add stoney corals?:read:
 

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