Water Quality Question

[jmillz151]

ok i was talking to a guy and he said i had something wrong... my PH is 8.28 KH is 14 Ca is 500 and Mg 1440 i tested it 3 times now and its right... using Red Sea test kit and reefkeeper ph probe... is this good or bad? i know its on the high side but everything looks happy...

 

[Pat02026]

They all seem on the high side, lets have a little info on your system.
What size tank/water volume, what type of corals, and what method of supplementation (dosing, Kalk, Ca reactor etc.) and for the heck of it what type of salt are you using?

Also have those numbers been backed up by another test kit? How stable are they, have you been experiencing anything unusual?

 

[jmillz151]

its 125g display tank with a 30g frag and 40g sump id say 180g total water volume... its mixed reef LPS SPS softies and about 12 fish... im using coral pro red sea salt and a precision marine Ca reactor... nothing unusual going on other then PH was always 8.0-8.1 and now its 8.2-8.3 used 2 dif test kits when i was told things didnt add up...99% sure the numbers are right...

 

[Dashiki]

When using a salt like coral pro and having such high numbers make sure you dont strip the tank of no3/po4. Thats when the corals will be unhappy. I would suggest adjusting your parameters down to match the salt a little more though. If everything is happy then there isnt anything wrong.

 

[JohnK]

What's your salinity and how are you measuring it?

 

[jmillz151]

salinity is 1.025 using a refractometer... also how do i check for the no3/po4. as i dont really know much about it at all..

 

[stingythingy45]

Are you dosing anything else than the calcium reactor?
Anything to raise PH?

 

[jmillz151]

no just a 20g water change every 3-4 weeks and the Ca reactor

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

I say if everything looks happy then don't mess with it. There is no right or wrong in this hobby, only opinions. Maybe what's high for some is perfect for your setup. If you do make adjustments, do it slowly and document it so that you can return to your original formula if your corals start to show stress.

 

[mchartier]

i tested it 3 times now and its right... using Red Sea test kit and reefkeeper ph probe.

If all three test were the same kit, try and see if someone can test it with an Elos or Salfert kit to see if it reads the same. Note I used Red Sea Coral Pro for 3 years and only hit the high alk from only one bucket, like the formula in the white bucket more, it was consistent, and have switched salt since with out looking back.

 

[HuuTa]

try to see if anybody have a different red sea kit that can test for you to comfirm your reading.I did a test on three different brand and got 3 different result.If your corals are happy with no visible sign of stress then leaves them be.As long as your number is consistent then you sould be fine imo