Is my pH the culprit???

She helped me check the expiration dates...
they are all from 07 and still good...

Calcium is very high 600ppm (likely because the oceanic salt I was using boosts the calcium)

My LFS suggested adding 40lbs of aragonite sand to my existing 2 inch or so sand bed... he said that will act as a pH buffer and help with denitrification as well.

Do you agree it's the way to go rather than adding any buffers.
BTW marinedepot.com technical support said my ro/di water naturally has a low pH ... so adding a buffer constantly will always help stabilize that... is that true?

 

like I said earlier, the sand isn't going to do a whole lot for you. If your spa test kit tested at 8.2 I would believe that one anyway. get another api kit and give it a whirl.

 

I will buy just a pH test kit from pet smart...
if that reconfirms the spa test kit... then I'm leaving it alone!

By the way... the anemone is still alive at the LFS ...
I'm going to get my salinity up 1.025 from 1.022...
ensure my pH is at 8.2 or raise it with a buffer...
and then reintroduce the anemone after 2 weeks.

 

Might want to wait longer than 2 weeks to see if all the issues stabilize, these things can be quirky ya kow

 

Great point!!!!
I will hold off a bit...

BTW... just some food 4 thought for me to know...
is it beneficial to add 40lbs of aragonite sand to my existing sandbed? That'll put it at 3 inches... I don't want to add things to the tank if I don't have too... but reading certain spots says it helps...
Also... my yellow head goby sifts the sand and stirs it while eating what's at the bottom... is it killing off beneficially bugs and critters... or is he more beneficial than those things at the bottom???

 

I tell you I just read this thread and I will say the suggestions and reasons are from all over.. I assume there is another post that states the age of the tank ? I seems to be rather new and thats the first problem no tank is ever ready for any anemone until at least 1 full yr of stability , what happened is you got a mini spike of ammonia and or nitrites thats all it takes the slightest hint of either of these will wipe an anemone out fast. If the LFS sold you that carpet knowing the tank was just a few months old ? I am assuming here . But I'd find another honest LFS and if it happens to be the same store that sold you the carpet is now telling you to dump more aragonite sand to the tank I know its time to find a better shop. The people need to learn about what they sell and how it all works .

The sand you used at first what type is it ? Aragonite or Calcite or silicate ? I'd not cap the sand you now have as that would all just drive the live bacteria now in the sand to death and then a major cycle Never ever ever add new sand over old sand unless its a have to do and then their is a proper way to achieve the wanted effects and not the problems that will come with just capping the old sand .. I'd just leave what you have alone for now get the Magnesium levels correct and get the DKH right and let the Ca fall off a bit . You are not all that high IMO I run mine at around 500 all the time and have ran them over 600 and DKH of 15 plenty of time with anemones never a problem. Bottom line is the tank is just to young and you over loaded it.. let it just settle in and get the water corrected and stabilize the system and then go at it again But not an anemone for about of total water stability.

But the bottom line, long story short ,cuttting to the chase and all that stuff your tank is to young for any anemone and many fish and coral species ..And if you add more new sand you will wipe it out as soon as the bacteria die and the new cycle starts. You may get lucky ? I would never be that lucky myself .

 

The sand is aragonite...
The LFS suggested adding more with no problems to current live stock in tank.
My tank is only 3 months old... I realize now, it's too young for the anemone...

I will leave the sand alone... and just retest the pH...
My dKH is at 12... my concern was with buffering for the pH. I guess it's low because the ro/di water is low and I have been doing 20 percent water changes in the 72 gallon tank.

 

Look Ph is way over though and worried about if you have the DKH then you have the carbonates that off set the acids . More then a plenty at 12 dkh Find the string from Lunatic and his PH problem . What time f day are you testing and how ? if its a liquid test kit then its so far off it really matters not . Mine here ran 7.8 all winter just went back up when I was able to open doors and windows ..

Do like I suggested that Luna do take a glass of your tank water outside and add a air stone and pump air to boil the water for a few hrs then test it.. But You'd better off finding an honest LFS I bet these people loaded you up with fish and fast also! hell at a few months I still only have a single cycling fish in my tanks.. And look out for reading repeaters offering you advice from their reading materials.. Fresh air will do more for your Ph then anything else.. its over stocked I'd dare say and the CO2 are off the hook is it capped with glass tops ? LFS will dump them on all who will Buy them.

 

I have four powerheads connected to a wavemaker...
doesn't that pump air into the tank?

 

I guess you don't have glass tops enclosing your tank then? Get some fresh air in the house. Borate as Tangster suggests also will boost the pH, but it's probably more an oxygenation issue. Point one of your powerheads towards/ across the water surface to allow more tank water and air interaction.