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#1
12-11-2010, 10:54 PM
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Dinoflagellates - How to Raise PH
I have been battling Dinoflagellates for the past 10 months.
I have my nitrates and phosphates down to immeasurable levels according to Salifert test kits. Reduced my tank feeding (only pellets) and been siphoning them out 3-4 times a week. I have done a couple 72 hour complete blackouts and only have the MH lights on 4-6 hrs daily. They keep growing back. This article by Randy Holmes Farley recommending raising PH to 8.5 http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php I was able to borrow a Milwaukkee PH monitor and checked my current PH and it was 8.00 with lights on. Mixed 10 tsp of kalk to a 5G jug of RO water. Over the course of Saturday I added 4 cups of kalk solution 5 times (1.5 G total) and was only able to raise PH to 8.19. Does this sound about right? Parameters are below... System - 160 G total water Alk = 8.0 dKH Ca = 420 Mg = 1400 NO3 & Phosphates = very low (no color period - Salifert test kits) I just wanna make sure that I am on the right track as I've never played with raising PH before. Or is there a better way to raise PH to 8.5 - 8.6? Thanks, Tyler Last edited by Werbo; 12-11-2010 at 11:45 PM. 
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#2
12-12-2010, 12:32 AM
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I used this Seachem HO Balance product and it worked perfectly to raise my PH without affecting anything else or the alkalinity. I only did it till 8.4 and it worked for me and the dino was gone in 3 to 4 days. I am sure it was dino since I had ID it with my microscope.
You can aim for 8.5 but first start like I did at 8.4 and see if it work. It might do it so no need to go higher. I never saw dino again and that's been 6 months. So this is the product. http://www.aquavitro.com/Products/balance.html First make sure that you really have dino and try to ID it with a small microscope. 200x will do the job. If that's diatome or cyano it will not work. Quote:
Last edited by daniella3d; 12-12-2010 at 12:35 AM.
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#3
12-12-2010, 12:30 PM
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I battled low Ph (like 7.9 or lower) for quite awhile I always felt I had excellent water flow/oxygenation, and a low bio load. So I looked at other causes like my calcium reactor, water quality, etc. Nothing I did fixed the problem, and adding chemicals to the water is only usually a temporary solution.
Anyways what solved my problem was just using a small air pump with a wooden airstone in my sump and it drastically raised by ph to 8.5 over the course of several days. So look at your water flow/ oxygenation.
__________________
My 265 gallon build!
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#4
12-12-2010, 03:11 PM
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How often and much of a water change are you doing? I find that if I keep up with water changes ph remains stable for me.
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#5
12-12-2010, 03:22 PM
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However an air stone produce a lot of salt splash and salt creep everywhere when the little bubbles burst. Very messy. Obviously your low PH was caused by lack of aeration.
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#6
12-12-2010, 03:47 PM
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Salt creep was very minimal with adding the air stone, I was just suggesting he consider waterflow/oxygenation as a possible cause.
__________________
My 265 gallon build!
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#7
12-12-2010, 05:27 PM
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Airation is not a problem in my tank with a large skimmer and 2 MP40's causing lots of surface agitation.
I will look for the Aquavitro - Balance. Sunday morning parameters: PH = 8.07 (8.31 at lights out last night) Salinity - 1.024 (down from 1.026) Alkalinity - up to 8.8 dKH (8.0 yesterday) Ca/Mg didn't measure today Any other suggestions? Tyler
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