SeaFeverH2O
New Member
Hey All, new here and slightly new to saltwater tanks, I rescued a huge collection of equipment and some animals from a hoarder, long story short I wound up with a saltwater tank that I didn't necessarily plan for or need. Anyways, my problem is that my pH will not seem to remain over 8.0 and my KH runs higher around 12 drops/ 200ppm. I dose it with "balance" from aqua vitro that intends to raise pH but not KH, and it works for 6 hours or so and always by the next day it returns to 7.8 - 7.9. I use the reef buffer by seachem when my KH is under 11 with no different outcome. I did about a water change a couple days ago where I replaced 7 out of 20gallons. My water parameters are pretty much the same as before the water change and are as follows:
Temp: 78.3°F
pH: 7.9
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Calcium: 420ppm
KH: 11/ 200ppm
Phosphates: 0
Copper: 0.02
Magnesium: 1300
Salinity: 1.024
My setup is a square Waterbox 20 gallon tank. The filter is built into the back of the tank in a sectioned off compartment consisting of a filter sock, then 2 mechanical sponge filters, then my bio media. I have 2 clownfish, 1 pistol shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab, a few turbo snails, a lettuce leaf nudibranch, one urchin and two different types of hermit crabs. The corals are a 2 Kenya trees, a hydnophora, a cyphastrea, green star coral, and a pavona. I have algae grown I'm trying to get rid of, brown hairy and red fuzzy kinds. For that reason they get light daily but mostly just blue, UV, purple lights. I recently put an aerator in the back filter compartment to try and boost the oxygen in the water and it seems like it's keeping it from dropping below pH 7.8 but nothing I do keeps it at 8.2. I had red slime awhile back but treated that with red slime product that worked great and all gone by the next day. Additionally about a two months ago one of the clowns had fin rot, I foolishly treated with rally pro by ruby reef which although is supposed to be safe for mixed tanks decimated my tank and contributed mostly to the total losses Ive had since January which is some corals (a favitte and other hydnophora and pavona is barely holding on), two conch's, two or three turbo snails, a fire goby and an emerald crab. I just got "Fuel" by aqua vitro meant to be nutrients for corals in hopes that it will help because my corals don't seem to be very happy and it looks like the clown that had fin rot is missing some tiny pieces of its tail again.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am new to this, the only saltwater tanks I've owned prior to this were back home in Hawaii where water changes and acquiring critters is way different and easier than in Boston so this is my first time with a serious filtration system since I can't bring a bucket of the same seawater as is in my tank from the ocean. I have 3 freshwater tanks that are beautiful and run perfect with little interference but this reef is putting me on the struggle bus, mahalo for the help!
-G
P.S. cant figure out how to rotate the photos, its bugging the **** outta me but gotta go to work, apologies... especially to anyone else with OCD
Temp: 78.3°F
pH: 7.9
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Calcium: 420ppm
KH: 11/ 200ppm
Phosphates: 0
Copper: 0.02
Magnesium: 1300
Salinity: 1.024
My setup is a square Waterbox 20 gallon tank. The filter is built into the back of the tank in a sectioned off compartment consisting of a filter sock, then 2 mechanical sponge filters, then my bio media. I have 2 clownfish, 1 pistol shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab, a few turbo snails, a lettuce leaf nudibranch, one urchin and two different types of hermit crabs. The corals are a 2 Kenya trees, a hydnophora, a cyphastrea, green star coral, and a pavona. I have algae grown I'm trying to get rid of, brown hairy and red fuzzy kinds. For that reason they get light daily but mostly just blue, UV, purple lights. I recently put an aerator in the back filter compartment to try and boost the oxygen in the water and it seems like it's keeping it from dropping below pH 7.8 but nothing I do keeps it at 8.2. I had red slime awhile back but treated that with red slime product that worked great and all gone by the next day. Additionally about a two months ago one of the clowns had fin rot, I foolishly treated with rally pro by ruby reef which although is supposed to be safe for mixed tanks decimated my tank and contributed mostly to the total losses Ive had since January which is some corals (a favitte and other hydnophora and pavona is barely holding on), two conch's, two or three turbo snails, a fire goby and an emerald crab. I just got "Fuel" by aqua vitro meant to be nutrients for corals in hopes that it will help because my corals don't seem to be very happy and it looks like the clown that had fin rot is missing some tiny pieces of its tail again.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am new to this, the only saltwater tanks I've owned prior to this were back home in Hawaii where water changes and acquiring critters is way different and easier than in Boston so this is my first time with a serious filtration system since I can't bring a bucket of the same seawater as is in my tank from the ocean. I have 3 freshwater tanks that are beautiful and run perfect with little interference but this reef is putting me on the struggle bus, mahalo for the help!
-G
P.S. cant figure out how to rotate the photos, its bugging the **** outta me but gotta go to work, apologies... especially to anyone else with OCD
