skimmer and PH ?

nomorenames · 11/03/2009, 02:45 PM

I took my skimmer out to clean it with 50/50 water & vinegar during that 24hrs all my corals look real bad on my SPS no pe and LPS and softies dont look healthy at all could it be that the skimmer areating the water had the tank at a PH and when I took it out it drove the PH to be to acidic tank was doing fine before I cleaned it my overflow from the tank to the sump enters below the water level so I was thinking the only way for it to get O2 was from the surface aggation and the overflow box what do you guys think TIA

Randy Holmes-Farley · 11/03/2009, 03:21 PM

I doubt the skimmer being offline made everything quickly unhealthy, but it is possible I guess.

I'd worry more about O2 than pH in most cases.

nomorenames · 11/03/2009, 03:25 PM

could lack of O2 result in what Iam seeing and if so will they recover? fish dont seem affected thats why I thought PH

Randy Holmes-Farley · 11/03/2009, 03:41 PM

IME, lack of O2 hits fish before corals. I'd keep looking for explanations.

Measuring pH may be useful, but I doubt it is the cause.

tmz · 11/03/2009, 03:46 PM

Have you measured your ph? I would also be a little concerned about a 24hour drop in aeration.There are likely other issues( toxins, stirred up material when th4 skimmer was removed, etc) since I don't think simply cutting the skimmer off for 24 hours would result in a rapid deterioration in coral health unless they were on the edge already.

nomorenames · 11/03/2009, 04:14 PM

PH test tested normal for my tank ~7.7-7.8 trates were also normal for ~7 the only other thing I did while the skimmer was offline was add new GFO and carbon

Randy Holmes-Farley · 11/03/2009, 05:54 PM

Did you rinse them well? Sometimes the fines can irritate creatures.

nomorenames · 11/03/2009, 07:30 PM

I did rinse it but now that you say that I could have done a better job

tmz · 11/03/2009, 11:45 PM

I've had a few problems after adding new gfo and/or carbon in the past presumably related to fines since PO4 reduction was not prcipitous.

11/03/2009, 02:45 PM	#1
nomorenames Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa,FL. Posts: 250	skimmer and PH ? I took my skimmer out to clean it with 50/50 water & vinegar during that 24hrs all my corals look real bad on my SPS no pe and LPS and softies dont look healthy at all could it be that the skimmer areating the water had the tank at a PH and when I took it out it drove the PH to be to acidic tank was doing fine before I cleaned it my overflow from the tank to the sump enters below the water level so I was thinking the only way for it to get O2 was from the surface aggation and the overflow box what do you guys think TIA __________________ "I AM JACK'S COMPLETE LACK OF SURPRISE" Current Tank Info: 54gal corner mixed reef

11/03/2009, 03:21 PM	#2
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 67,277	I doubt the skimmer being offline made everything quickly unhealthy, but it is possible I guess. I'd worry more about O2 than pH in most cases. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Club 65535 Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

11/03/2009, 03:25 PM	#3
nomorenames Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa,FL. Posts: 250	could lack of O2 result in what Iam seeing and if so will they recover? fish dont seem affected thats why I thought PH __________________ "I AM JACK'S COMPLETE LACK OF SURPRISE" Current Tank Info: 54gal corner mixed reef

11/03/2009, 03:41 PM	#4
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 67,277	IME, lack of O2 hits fish before corals. I'd keep looking for explanations. Measuring pH may be useful, but I doubt it is the cause. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Club 65535 Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

11/03/2009, 03:46 PM	#5
tmz Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 10,697	Have you measured your ph? I would also be a little concerned about a 24hour drop in aeration.There are likely other issues( toxins, stirred up material when th4 skimmer was removed, etc) since I don't think simply cutting the skimmer off for 24 hours would result in a rapid deterioration in coral health unless they were on the edge already. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: 500g system consisting of a 120g reef sps mixed,a 90g lps,a 90g sps dominant,a 30g breeder lps frag tank ,a 40g sps frag tank,a 20g refugium,a29g refugium, an 88gal sump with live rock and rubble. Calcium reactor and kalk doser , mh pc and vho

11/03/2009, 04:14 PM	#6
nomorenames Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa,FL. Posts: 250	PH test tested normal for my tank ~7.7-7.8 trates were also normal for ~7 the only other thing I did while the skimmer was offline was add new GFO and carbon __________________ "I AM JACK'S COMPLETE LACK OF SURPRISE" Current Tank Info: 54gal corner mixed reef

11/03/2009, 05:54 PM	#7
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 67,277	Did you rinse them well? Sometimes the fines can irritate creatures. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Club 65535 Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

11/03/2009, 07:30 PM	#8
nomorenames Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa,FL. Posts: 250	I did rinse it but now that you say that I could have done a better job __________________ "I AM JACK'S COMPLETE LACK OF SURPRISE" Current Tank Info: 54gal corner mixed reef

11/03/2009, 11:45 PM	#9
tmz Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 10,697	I've had a few problems after adding new gfo and/or carbon in the past presumably related to fines since PO4 reduction was not prcipitous. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: 500g system consisting of a 120g reef sps mixed,a 90g lps,a 90g sps dominant,a 30g breeder lps frag tank ,a 40g sps frag tank,a 20g refugium,a29g refugium, an 88gal sump with live rock and rubble. Calcium reactor and kalk doser , mh pc and vho