water problems AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[Nathan Explosion]

So recently i have been watching the condition of my water get worse and worse every day, i did a test today and my pH was like 7, i have never had that problem before, ever. then i test my tap water and that tested like 7.5 (about) a little lower then usual. my big concern is that i have no idea how to adjust the pH. need some tips in the worst way.

recently i noticed after i got a new filter (fuval 305) and a protien skimmer (seaclon 100) the condition of my water changes more rapidly. wondering if i mite have to give the new filter time to built up the biological filtration side (or maybe that has nothing to do with it). i dont know. i usually do a 3-5 gallon water change every week and try and keep it as neat and clean as possible.

also i mite buy a RO/DI unit and the one i was looking at was a coral life (copy and paste in browser)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=12093

item # CD-18783 50 gpd 4-stage

tell me (cause you usually know better then i) if this is a good deal or if there is a better one for about the same $

i am running out of ideas, i got new bulbs for my light, new filter, protien skimmer, and i am having more trouble then when i just had my emperor 280 filter and a heater

[mikedelgado]

I would definately get a ro/di and stay on a water change schedule.I havent heard very good feedback on coralife products. I use a 75gpd unit from the filter guys .com. I have heard good things about buckeye field supply also. a wc with a quality salt mix and ro/di water should put things back into balance. I personally dont ever check ph. I do check alk, calcium, and mag.

[GKarshens]

www.melevsreef.com has a 100 gpd unit that I use that is not much more than that. I have been very happy with it for over 2 years now.

To raise PH you can cause more surface agitation with powerheads and fans. Also try cracking a window in the house to let in fresh air. You need to check your Alk levels too. If they are low you are going to have low PH. There are buffers for that.

[Bill B]

I do not know the circumstances where you are. Around here you can buy 5 gallons of RO/DI for around a buck either at the fish stores and at some of the supermarket machines. This may not your case or convenient for you. Although I haven't looked into it much it is my first impression that RO units are not necessarily convenient either both in finding a place to position it and sometimes? there is a large amount of wastewater that must be drained away. Perhaps someone else could comment on that.

Bottom line is IF there is a cheap alternative for store bought water it will take you quite a while to pay for that unit at 5 gallons a week not considering the convenience factor. I definitely do agree that you should probably be using RO/DI water instead of tap. Just a few thoughts.

Bill

[GKarshens]

Be very careful using water out of machines. They don't always service them as often as they should and they may not be all that clean. There is a big difference in water for human consumption and water for our tanks.

[caferacermike]

Russ at Buckeye will set you straight about RO/DI.

Easiest way to raise your PH while doing good for the tank is to add Kalk powder to your make up/top off water. it will raise the PH to 12 for awhile and then it will help stabilize around 8.4 in your tank. Plus it will help raise your CA levels. I've heard of folks using baking soda to stabilize PH, but I've never used it.