pH too high, nothing working

[DHyslop]

Its very difficult to diagnose problems like this with limited information. I recommend keeping an aquarium log with every bit of info on it: results of regular water tests, water changes, livestock added, etc. As Thales said we can't even begin to guess what might have killed your damsel. At this point it could just as well be a nitrogen issue rather than a pH one.

Dan

 

[cuttlegirl]

What are your other parameters (nitrate, nitrite and ammonia)? How much baking soda did your teacher use? If you are worried about the live rock (how does it look?), I would take it out, rinse it in new sea water and return it to the tank. How long has this tank been up and running?

Good luck.

 

[Colin]

I learned a long time ago that if the animals are healthy and doing okay then stop chasing the pH. 8.8 really isn't that much of a disaster for a marine tank - its much worse going the other way anyway.

Id also add my support to the flaming of test kits - worthless rubbish! You can now get quite cheap and effective digital pH meters - i got one off eBay brand new for £20 - works fine.

Stop putting in pH 8.2, all you are doing is buffering the system even more. 8.2 is designed to be added to acidic tanks to make them more alkaline, not the other way round.

Scolopes, it could be excess nitrification through your filter keeping the pH low? Over filtering can cause that... what is your filter? Also, using pH Down will make the water more acidic not alkaline - you need pH Up!!!


BUT all of these are just quick fixes for pH. Its the KH you need to sort out. I always had good results with using a pH and KH supplement like Salifert KH and pH buffer.

The plants idea probably wont work because at night they respire just like an animal and release as much CO2 as they took out during the day. Thats why planted aquariums CO2 kits are switched off at night.

Baking Soda does NOT lower the pH in freshwater it will make it RISE!!! It will make the pH and KH rise!

The best thing you could do, is sit back, relax and let it work itself out. The pH and KH will come down naturally. I am really not 100% convinced that the pH is your problem! At most do a 50% water change, stir up the substrate first to release any pockets of waste or gasses, syphon it out and add the new water. Leave it without livestock for at least a week to ten days.

Stop adding chemicals.

cheers
Colin

 

[norgebyblood]

i dont have time to sit back and relax, the octo is for a science project that has to be finished by the end of january. i havent added any chemicals in like a week and i do keep a log of measurements (required for fair) nitrate, ammonia, and nitrite were all around 0. i am starting to think the baking soda got into the rock and is leaching out. i am unsure how a soak in new water would help. the bs incident happened about 2 months ago.

 

[Thales]

Do you think the pH killed the damsel because of the test kit reading?

Again, I don't think thats it. The kits you have are icky and it feels like you are chasing numbers. In most cases where people report high pH, they don't really have high pH. Until you get the ability to use a better test kit, I wouldn't worry. Even then, I prolly wouldn't worry.

 

[DHyslop]

Well, otherwise-hardy livestock is dying for no apparent reason. I wouldn't worry about the pH either, but I think there is something to worry about in the tank!

 

[Colin]

Agreed, its something else...

 

[norgebyblood]

but what? everything else seems fine.. any ideas?

 

[Thales]

Acclimation - how long did you acclimate the damsels? How did you do it?
Bad fish - how long were the fish at the store before you got them?
Bad test kits - perhaps your other test kits are not so great and giving you false readings.

How long has the tank been set up?

 

[norgebyblood]

the tank has been set up for about a year now. i think it was a bad batch of fish b/c the others that i kept in a breeding/food tank died too for no apparent reason. *sigh* also, do any of your octos eat dead fish? b/c for my project i cant feed live vertebrates and i need to use 3 food types for testing and then also theres just normal feeding.

off topic, but does anyone know where i can find plastic springs?

 

[cuttlegirl]

Could you explain your project a little more? What types of food will you be offering the octopus, how many octopus are you going to use?

 

[scolopes]

I am also having this problem! I have a 120ish gallon system and my pH is about 6.6-6.8. I was told by the people we bought the system from to use "pH Down" but I'm wondering if there is a better way? (My Instant Ocean is measuring at a pH of about 6.6-6.8 so water change isnt going to help either...why is it so high???)

yeah...i meant 8.6-8.8, not 6.6-6.8. but I think it's off topic for this thread now. I'm adding in som lower pH natural seawater when I do tank changes, we'll see if that helps

 

[Thales]

yeah...i meant 8.6-8.8, not 6.6-6.8. but I think it's off topic for this thread now. I'm adding in som lower pH natural seawater when I do tank changes, we'll see if that helps

What test kit are you using?

 

[norgebyblood]

oo, would adding the natural seawater help?? cause i live right next to the beach (well, like 5 blocks, but thats close enough).....

the project is to see if octopi can correlate 2-D images (such as line drawings of foods or simple shapes) with 3-D objects/rewards. i was planning on using fish, shrimp, and crabs. the food is placed in a button-levered box which opens when the correct button is pulled.

the three buttons can all be arranged to open the latch and the images on the buttons can be rearranged too, for more variety (so it doesnt learn to use just a specific button).

before i use the box i was going to give it jars with the rewards inside and the correlating image on the lid (probably do this 3 or 4 times). should be interesting.

the box is handmade from a plastic "mini-helment" case, a variety of pvc piping, knex, slinkys (to make the buttons return), and a pair of custom made plastic hinges (not too hard but very aggrevating to put together).

 

[Thales]

oo, would adding the natural seawater help?? cause i live right next to the beach (well, like 5 blocks, but thats close enough).....

Help what? Have you tested the water with a reliable test kit to determine you actually have a problem?