Calcium precipitation due to high KH

[crackerbuzz]

Can someone help me here. I have a new setup and have been trying to raise my PH from 8.2 to 8.4. I am still cycling and should be staying out of it, but am frustrated! My Ammonia has gone and my nitrites are still high. I was told that baking soda will raise the PH, but have since forund that this stuff raises KH rather nicely. I now have 8.3 Ph and 19DKH Alkalinity. I have 390 calcium also.

The main problem is I now have white steamlike smoke flowing around my tank like a fine powder like snowstorm!!

At night when the PH drops it seems to help clear. Then around mid morning she clouds up again. I am presuming this is my calcium solidifying in my tank due to high KH.

How should I reduce this KH?

Thanks

 

[Fatal Morgana]

Welcome to RDO, crackerbuzz.

I recommand you look thru the archive of the Advanced Aquarist, and see if Randy's Chemistry articles on alkanity (see the link near the top of the page), carbonate, and calcium make any sense to you.

 

[liquid]

:welcome:

How should I reduce this KH?

Waterchange. That's really about the only thing you can do outside of adding an acid to your tank (something I would recommend NOT doing). A waterchange will also effectively reduce your nitrate readings too along with just being a Good Practice (tm) to regularly maintain.

Baking soda is a buffer and it will raise your dKH. pH is over-rated IMO and as long as you keep your pH between 7.8 and 8.3 your fine. Alk should be somewhere between 8 and 12 and calcium should be somewhere around 380-450. Those numbers will do you fine.

I'd also suggest looking over the items in the Chemistry section of this link: http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33928

hth

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

I would let the tank run for awhile. a daytime ph of 8.2 is actually fine from what I hear.

And of course, with thriving plant life the lights on ph will rise, and the nitrogen compounds will go to unmeasurable levels.

 

[Anonymous]

have been trying to raise my PH from 8.2 to 8.4. I am still cycling

Please ignore your PH while you're cycling. It will fluctuate wildly. I actually suggest you stop testing PH until after your cycle.

Once you have cycled and all is well treat PH as a symptom. If your daily average is 8.0 - 8.5 then all is well. To take the average you need to take it at least once in the morning and once at night.

If your average it outside of the optimal range then call back. There are a few easy things to look for.

 

[crackerbuzz]

Cheers Guys, My Alk has now dropped to 17 DKH and the water is staying clearer for longer. I would say that by tomorrow it should be good.

Baking soda is an extremely effective DKH raiser everyone!!

Be warned!

My shrimps are doing great, my biggest one molted this morning!!

 

[crackerbuzz]

I also checked my PH readings for 48 hours at several times throughout each 24 hour period and I am happy to find a stable 8.2 all round. For some reason it doesnt drop at night.

 

[Anonymous]

I also checked my PH readings for 48 hours at several times throughout each 24 hour period and I am happy to find a stable 8.2 all round. For some reason it doesnt drop at night.

Just a thought. adding plant life would raise the just before light out ph and lower just before lights on ph.