[symmzy]

hey there i have a 35g and my ph is now off the scales done a bit of research and says my tank maybe co2 deficient ???? if so what do i doo????? also doing 15% weekly water changes with ro water and using instant ocean for mix i have a hob skimmer that i have just pumping water because it does not produce skimmate reason for that is because its a seaclone 150 i believe

 

[Nate_Bro]

if your pH is on the high side then its not CO2.... (CO2 lowers pH)

have you added anything to the tank besides water changes with ONLY water and salt mix?

what test kit are you using?

 

[symmzy]

i was wondering if there wasnt enough co2 carbon dioxide in the tank itself i havent been adding anything to my water with water changes as my calcium is already stable at around 440 to 460 and i just does my tank with 1.78 ml of iodine for my pulsing xenia

 

[Nate_Bro]

what is the pH reading? and what did you use to get it?

are the fish/corals looking really bad?

 

[symmzy]

the corals are now closed because the lights are off and the fish are doing really well i used api high range to test for ph @ 8.5 plus and took the water sample from deep within the tank i only have a pulsing xenia that was added yesterday before i noticed this and he is acclimating well and a mushroom coral taht is thriving i have a sailfin tang and a clown nemo lol and a yellow belly damsel that i will soon remove

 

[Nate_Bro]

ahhhh....

8.5 is not that "bad" for an API test kit I would not worry too much, for me they are always 0.2 off anyways...

have you been using this test kit for awhile now?

 

[symmzy]

i take my water to a LFS to test for ph cuz i have a stupid nutrfin kit for ph also do u have any hints or tips on how to tune a hob seaclone 150 i know its a relly horrible skimmer but i know it will work

 

[Nate_Bro]

Sorry I have never used a HOB skimmer, but all I can say is keep trying, I have built some DIY skimmers and the "sweet spot" can be just a hair one way or the other...

 

[symmzy]

Haha I figured that well I won't give up that's for sure also is it normal for a pulsing Xenia to close when the lights go out?? Sorry about all the questions

 

[Nate_Bro]

Questions are good, its the ones that don't ask that are the trouble....

most coral close when lights go out, some of it is for protection, others its because they have gotten enough light, while others shift shape and produce sweepers, LPS corals do this a lot.

here is what it looks like, they will catch food, and sting/kill other coral too close.

 

[symmzy]

Correction on the ph I just bought a new API test kit and tested the ph at 8.2 - 8.4

 

[Nate_Bro]

thats about what I figured....

API test kits will let you know if your way above, or below (most of the time), but when it "off" ± .2 I would not worry too much, but get some tests done with another kit before any action is done to "correct" it.

the best thing to do is look at your coral, if they are happy, then there is a good chance your test kit is bad, and even the best test kits have been dead wrong, and I mean dead as in a tank(s) crashed from it...

 

[symmzy]

Just got up this morning to see my pulsing Xenia pulsing in the dark so with that said I assume that everything is pretty much ok 15% water zchange today I'll test the water a few hours after and post the results