Is my pH the culprit???

ryanwolf · 07-29-2008, 11:00 AM

Hey gang--

I've posted about my carpet anemone suffering. (See pic below)
I've since taken it to my LFS to see if it will bounce back to life. (still sticking but foot was loosening from rock)
The blue carpet anemone looked great for 2 days than went down hill the rest of the week with me.
I'm wondering if my high range pH was the culprit at 7.8

Other water parameters:
salinity 1.022
temp. 78 constant
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ammonia 0
phosphate 0.25ppm
dKH 12
calcium 600ppm

Is 7.8 pH too low for a carpet anemone... ????
Also, is it too low for my other fish as listed in the signature below?
If yes, to all of the above, how do I safely raise it?

PS t5 lighting at 216watts for a 72 gallon tank 18 inches deep... was that enough?

Thanks,
Ryan

Iraf · 07-29-2008, 11:08 AM

PH is finicky to measure it changes constantly during the day but if it is consistently coming up low you can use a product like Seachem Ph buffer or a million other ways to raise it, everyone has their own preference.

IMO I'd bump your SG to 1.025 and find the source for the phosphates, anenome's will not tolerate phos, nitrite, or ammonia that is traceable
Nitrates have been argued as being a good thing for them in a controlled environment (i.e. not 100 but sub-50) and seems to make them grow consideribly faster

Best of luck with the carpet

ryanwolf · 07-29-2008, 11:12 AM

Is a pH buffer dangerous to livestock like fish once used...
Another words... if I raise it with a buffer from 7.8 to 8.2 ... is that harmful?

The phosphate level popped up after a power outage...
Water changes are bringing it back down.

I'm slowing raising salinity with water changes as well

Concerned about the pH thing... any help would be great!

Iraf · 07-29-2008, 11:13 AM

test the PH right before lights out to see what it is, I wouldn't freak out to badly about 7.8 but if it's always low then I'd buffer it some, I usually start with about 1/2 the recommended amount of buffer and raise it slowly, you just pull some water out of your sump or buffer some RO and use it as top off
I haven't had to buffer mine in a long time though, when it was first setup it needed it just because the rock and sand were still not truly alive once you get enough life going in the tank it'll keep itself consistent

amcarrig · 07-29-2008, 11:18 AM

As I mentioned in your other thread, your tank is too new to support an anemone and you do not have enough light (3 watts per gallon of T5 over an 18" deep tank) to support an anemone as difficult to keep as a carpet so even if/when you correct your ph, you will not be able to support this animal. If you don't want to take my word for it, search the internet and you'll see what is being recommended by others to keep this animal. You definitely want to raise your ph though to keep your other animals from suffering.

Iraf · 07-29-2008, 11:25 AM

crap I didnt even look at his hardware setup... Yeah Ama is 100% right on this one, not enough light, and a carpet needs a tank that is at an absolute minimal 6 months old, and even that would be pushing it I'd probably say a year old to be safe

BaxterS80 · 07-29-2008, 11:53 AM

The salinity I think is a bit low, and the lighting may have something to do with it. I also have a 72 and run 454 watts and the anemone we have has quadrupled in size in about two months...How did you acclimate the anemone and for how long?

ryanwolf · 07-29-2008, 12:36 PM

acclimated it over an hour... adding 1/4 cup of water, then 1/2 cup every 10 minutes ...
I know you guys are right about the time frame for keeping an anemone...
fact is, I and the clowns fell in love with this thing... and we're trying really hard to keep it...
I can upgrade the lights while the LFS tries to bring it back to life...
what is the minimum lighting i can get away with? I do have a canopy!

PS how in the world can my pH be 7.8 and alk 12dKH.... seems almost impossible...
am I wrong? which do I buffer?

wildreef · 07-29-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amcarrig

As I mentioned in your other thread, your tank is too new to support an anemone and you do not have enough light (3 watts per gallon of T5 over an 18" deep tank) to support an anemone as difficult to keep as a carpet so even if/when you correct your ph, you will not be able to support this animal. If you don't want to take my word for it, search the internet and you'll see what is being recommended by others to keep this animal. You definitely want to raise your ph though to keep your other animals from suffering.

Totally agree ^^.

It's just "some" I say "some" corals , namely most softies that will tolirate lower PH is all and lower light.
Higher PH and ALK should be kept on the high side ( alk/4.0 and PH/ 8.2 )
for all SPS and anemone's.
( ya can let those numbers slip on the lowers and get by with it on most all softies and some clams.)

As Ive said before and other's will tell you anemone's require ( most do ) and that carpet needs nice strong lighting.
And all anemone's need stable PH/ALK at the higher levels.

That carpet should be kept in a species tank really ryan, they as i said before
can and will grow to humougous size, and it's sting is very strong.

Ive noticed , you and and your wife ( will assume here ) are both taking part in what it is that you want to put in the tank.

1st, let that tank get some age on it.( stop jumping at the first thing and throwing it in ).
2nd, If you and your wife have completely diffrent veiws as to what ya'll wanna keep in that tank , this will be a long hard road.
( two wants instead of one )
3rd, If you two wish to be successfull at this "long term" at reef keeping, ya'll gonna have to talk about what it is that ya want and keep.

(imo)
While i see in you the true desire and all that love you have for the hobby,
your failing left and right, from jumping the gun and throwing this/that fish in then having that disaster , now your having the "carpet fiassco".

The best way to be successfull in this hobby is to "study" water chemistry and study/research the particular animal/coral and then compatibility.

And lastly, and thee MOST important, PAITENCE !.

Respectfully , Paul ( aka-Wildreef )

Daniel072 · 07-29-2008, 01:09 PM

bro, your tank is too new to support an anemone. With a new tank comes ph fluctuation, sg fluctuation and etc.......... The carpet anemones are EXTREMELY sensative to these changes and why they should never be attempted by novices (no offense to anyone, we've all been there) nor should they be attempted in a new tank. I'm not sure who told you to buy one or why you wouldn't research it but dude I don't think it would work. as far as your ph being 7.8 with alk at 12 then you may want to get a new ph test kit and an alk test kit. Also you need to be careful because most ph boosters are going to raise your alk also.