Still in the setting up phase

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theoholder

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Hi everyone, I have been reading and reading and reading... about the hobby and decided to start my first marine aquarium. I must say all of you here on MASA has helped me alot in setting up my aquarium.

I am using all of sera's products for my aquarium.
Now the question I have is: I bought the sera buff for marine aquariums, when I add this to the water and do a PH test after about 2 hours, the alkiny tests in the normal zone, but the PH drops from 8.4 to 7.4. Is this normal to happen, cause to me a sudden drop of that extend cannot be good.
 
A very WARM welcome to MASA Theo!

At first, please post some pics of your aquarium, and tell us some more of the aquarium?
- what size is it?
- do you have a sump?
- skimmer? brand?
- water flow? what pumps and how much litres/hour?
- lighting?
- life rock? how many kg's?
What life stock do you have in at the moment?

No - it is not normal for your water's pH to drop. Buffer should increase the pH to a maximum of 8.2 - or decrease the pH to a maximum of 8.2.... Not less.

The only time that the pH would drop SO MUCH, if something drastic happened and some acid was released into the tank.

We usually suggest using either "sodium bicarbonate" (commonly known as: baking SODA)or "sodium carbonate" (commonly known as: washing soda)....

These will increase your alkalinity of the tank, as well as increase the pH to a maximum of 8.2/8.3....
 
I Have a 240L tank at the moment with a sump. The Tank is still new only 1 week old. Still lots to do on the tank I'll try and host pics. Currently I am getting a overflow rate of about 600L per hour. I am using a 2000L return pump but still need to do some more plumbing.
9124832d79e38eea.jpg
 
Here is the sump, I need to take out the bio balls and still add the DSB sand as I have reading here on MASA
9124832d8e133d79.jpg
that Bio balls is not so good to use. Need to tidy up aswell, buying a Oak cabnet at the end of the month.
 
theholder: your substrate looks very course! What is it? If the particle size is too large, it traps detritus and almost always results in nitrate issues in the long run.
Try replace it with a much finer substrate - Aragonite if you can
 
Theo - Matt - don't worry about REPLACING the substrate - just add another 5cm or so of playsand on top of the current substrate...

Great skimmer you have there - TS1, and sump also look good....
 
It is Crushed corals I bought at the LFS. If I remove the bio balls and replace with Aragonite is a 10cm depth okey?
 
jacqueb - why you say that - would it not be better to remove the substrate in the tank and replace with playsand - this tank is new - better to do it now then have problems when you are fully set up.
 
Shan - below the 5cm from top mark everything is an-aerobic in any case. No detritus will get below the 1st 5 centimeters of the substrate..... Below the 1st 5cm of the substrate is where the nitrates are broken down to nitrogen and oxygen....

Having a sugar fine substrate below that level has not real use.....

The biggest reason why you don't want big particles on TOP (in the 1st 5 centimeters) of the DSB, is that the bigger the particles, the more detritus will be trapped in it, causing that nitrogen levels rise uncontrollably....
 
shan said:
jacqueb - why you say that - would it not be better to remove the substrate in the tank and replace with playsand - this tank is new - better to do it now then have problems when you are fully set up.
Click to expand...

firstley weclome to masa, secondly, i agree with Shan, get rid of that course stuff and replace with fine sand, it will pay dividends in the long run.
 
theoholder said:
Hi everyone, I have been reading and reading and reading... about the hobby and decided to start my first marine aquarium. I must say all of you here on MASA has helped me alot in setting up my aquarium.

I am using all of sera's products for my aquarium.
Now the question I have is: I bought the sera buff for marine aquariums, when I add this to the water and do a PH test after about 2 hours, the alkiny tests in the normal zone, but the PH drops from 8.4 to 7.4. Is this normal to happen, cause to me a sudden drop of that extend cannot be good.
Click to expand...

Welcome to MASA. Your tank has still got to cycle. I would not worry about any test at this stage and adding additives is a complete waste.
 
I agree with the guys regarding the substrate and the bio-balls must go. I would however add the substrate and DSB now as to prevent a cycle later again. I suppose the same can be said for LR. If you are going to add your LR later make sure it is well cured so as to prevent another cycle.
 
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