ChuckWes
New Member
We are having a hard time getting and keeping our tank over 7.8 PH for several months, recently fish started dying and we can't figure out what to do next. We actually were able to get some help from a LFS and we were getting better readings and no deaths. However, the employee at the LFS that was helping us is no longer there and now the water we are (were) getting from them is very inconsistent. The employee had us stop using buffer except to top off. The water we bought there was consistently at 8.3-8.4 and salt at 1.024-1.026. We discussed with the owner, who is now mixing the water, about the changes and inconsistencies with the water and of course he gets defensive.
For water tests we use API for everything except Nitrate which we use TetraTest and we purchased a pH monitor which matches what the liquid tests are showing. We've been using Kent Marine Super dKH Buffer and PurpleUp.
Our tanks as follows:
36 Gallon Bow Front -
Current readings:
12 KH, 7.83 PH, 12.5 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia, 1.025 Saline, 380 Calcium, 77F Temp
Livestock and etc that we have and had
3 Kellogi Seahorses (2 adults, 1 juvenile)
1 Pygmy Cherub Angle (no longer alive)
1 False Percula Clown
1 Fairy Wrasse (no longer alive)
1 Pajama Cardinal (no longer alive)
2 Peppermint Shrimp
5 Narcissus Snails
3 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Zoanthid colony on live rock
Finger Leather on live rock
Button Polyp frag (currently not open)
about 1 inch of crushed coral
approximately 30lbs of live rock with the following identified hitchhikers
assorted macro algae
4 keyhole limpet snails
assorted sponges: orange, yellow, white
1 small feather duster
1 small gorgonian about 1 inch
tube coral attached to 2 rocks only no more than 15 tubes combined
spaghetti or chaetoptrid worm (white tentacles has built tubes out of crushed coral)
Hardware
Fluval 205 canister filter with bioballs and BioZorb
Fluval surface skimmer
Maxi-jet 900 power head
Marineland heater
1 plastic plant
Coralife lighting with 10000K Daylight and Actinic Bluelight HO
16 Gallon Bowfront - we lost the fish in this tank to ich.
Current readings:
10 KH, 8.0 PH (started going up after removing BioZorb), 12.5 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia, 1.025 Saline, 400 Calcium, 77F Temp
Livestock and etc.
1 Royal Gramma (no longer living)
1 Yellow Clown Goby (no longer living)
3 Narcissus Snails
1 Camel Shrimp
2 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
3 Small Snails
Approximately 1.5 inches of crushed Coral
Approximately 7lbs of Live Rock with the following identified hitchhikers
2 Small Feather Dusters
8 mushrooms (rusty color)
Hardware
Fluval 205 canister filter with bio balls only do to ich treatment but had BioZorb.
Fluval surface skimmer
Maxi-jet 600power head
Marineland heater
Coralife lighting with 10000K Daylight and Actinic Bluelight HO
The seahorses and clown in the 36 gallon are not showing any sign of stress or any other warning signs that they are next to go, they are eating and doing everything they normally do. We've done about a 60% water change in this tank this week and about a 10% in the 16 gallon. We noticed that the pH started raising again with the removal of the BioZorb in the 16 gallon.
We are at our wits end on what to do. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
For water tests we use API for everything except Nitrate which we use TetraTest and we purchased a pH monitor which matches what the liquid tests are showing. We've been using Kent Marine Super dKH Buffer and PurpleUp.
Our tanks as follows:
36 Gallon Bow Front -
Current readings:
12 KH, 7.83 PH, 12.5 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia, 1.025 Saline, 380 Calcium, 77F Temp
Livestock and etc that we have and had
3 Kellogi Seahorses (2 adults, 1 juvenile)
1 Pygmy Cherub Angle (no longer alive)
1 False Percula Clown
1 Fairy Wrasse (no longer alive)
1 Pajama Cardinal (no longer alive)
2 Peppermint Shrimp
5 Narcissus Snails
3 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Zoanthid colony on live rock
Finger Leather on live rock
Button Polyp frag (currently not open)
about 1 inch of crushed coral
approximately 30lbs of live rock with the following identified hitchhikers
assorted macro algae
4 keyhole limpet snails
assorted sponges: orange, yellow, white
1 small feather duster
1 small gorgonian about 1 inch
tube coral attached to 2 rocks only no more than 15 tubes combined
spaghetti or chaetoptrid worm (white tentacles has built tubes out of crushed coral)
Hardware
Fluval 205 canister filter with bioballs and BioZorb
Fluval surface skimmer
Maxi-jet 900 power head
Marineland heater
1 plastic plant
Coralife lighting with 10000K Daylight and Actinic Bluelight HO
16 Gallon Bowfront - we lost the fish in this tank to ich.
Current readings:
10 KH, 8.0 PH (started going up after removing BioZorb), 12.5 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia, 1.025 Saline, 400 Calcium, 77F Temp
Livestock and etc.
1 Royal Gramma (no longer living)
1 Yellow Clown Goby (no longer living)
3 Narcissus Snails
1 Camel Shrimp
2 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
3 Small Snails
Approximately 1.5 inches of crushed Coral
Approximately 7lbs of Live Rock with the following identified hitchhikers
2 Small Feather Dusters
8 mushrooms (rusty color)
Hardware
Fluval 205 canister filter with bio balls only do to ich treatment but had BioZorb.
Fluval surface skimmer
Maxi-jet 600power head
Marineland heater
Coralife lighting with 10000K Daylight and Actinic Bluelight HO
The seahorses and clown in the 36 gallon are not showing any sign of stress or any other warning signs that they are next to go, they are eating and doing everything they normally do. We've done about a 60% water change in this tank this week and about a 10% in the 16 gallon. We noticed that the pH started raising again with the removal of the BioZorb in the 16 gallon.
We are at our wits end on what to do. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.