MORE Chem help... emergency!!! (???)

doch · #1 04-19-2010, 03:21 AM

So, I've just recently started to dose my tank properly, and am apparently still trying to work out the bugs and amounts to dose. My calcium has gone up from about 400 to about 420 maybe 440... all good. My dKH has gone up from 7.84 to 11.84... still good... maybe a little higher than needed, but still good. My Magnesium has gone from 1150 to 1300... good... but still looking for a little more.

Now here's the problem: My pH has gone from a very stable 8.2 ish... to I'm not even sure where it's reading... PURPLE on the Hagen master test kit... looks like it could either be about 8.5 or off scale high (above 8.7)
First things first, WHY? Didd I dose something too much too fast? Second thing, and here's the potential emergency part... we're going to Mexico TOMORROW!! What do I do? Will the tank be OK? (no dosing to come over the next 10 days) I'm sterssing OUT!!!

christyf5 · #2 04-19-2010, 03:43 AM

If you added the alk portion quickly (or recently) your pH could be higher as a result of that. Over the next 10 days of your vacation the levels will drop (both pH and alk). I don't recommend getting them back up to those levels as wide swings like that aren't really all that great for the inhabitants. A dkH of about 7-9 usually gets the job done IMHO.

doch · #3 04-19-2010, 03:49 AM

Yeah... I was more trying to maintain rather than boost... I think I'd like to have it a little on the high side, but more like the 9-10 range. You think I'll be OK to just leave it to settle over the vacation period?

Madreefer · #4 04-19-2010, 04:05 AM

You should maybe get a different test kit than go from there. I would 'nt rely to much on the Hagen test kits.

Red Coral Aquariums · #5 04-19-2010, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christyf5

If you added the alk portion quickly (or recently) your pH could be higher as a result of that. Over the next 10 days of your vacation the levels will drop (both pH and alk). I don't recommend getting them back up to those levels as wide swings like that aren't really all that great for the inhabitants. A dkH of about 7-9 usually gets the job done IMHO.

+1 your high DKH would result in your ph so high.
Kevin

BCOrchidGuy · #6 04-19-2010, 09:32 PM

I agree with Christy, adding the alk fast is not the best idea as pH can spike. As MadReefer said Hagen test kits are alright sometimes but if you take a water sample to a lfs and have them check your water you may find a large discrepancy.

From experience in freshwater I got some fish from a friend, he told me the water should have a pH of around 7.5, I set my water and floated the fish, all was good until they keeled over. My test kit measured his pH at 6.5 while his test kit measured mine at almost 9.... Both were Hagen kits.

Salifert makes a nice test kit, expensive but, spend double the money on a test kit to save an expensive coral is worth it imho.

Doug