Death by High PH?

[Amy Palmieri]

Hello all, my reef has been up and running for 3-1/2 years now, and I
couldnt be happier with it.tonight while doing some minor cleaning I noticed
my big Emerald crab sitting on the top of the reef. This is odd, as he
usually only appears when the main tank lights are out. I reached out to
give him a playful push and he didnt move!!!! Dead as a doornail! Now I
started to wonder why this might have happened. I gave the water a quick
test with the PH meter, and it read 8.7...........The highest Ive seen at
the peek of the lighting cycle was 8.4-8.5........Could this have been the
death of him?All other occupants seem OK. What can I do to bring the PH down
a few points?
Is it safe to assume that the second part(calcium)of B-Ionic might possibly
lower the PH seeing as how the first part(alk) raises the PH........
TIA, Darryl

[Pszemol]

pH is very rarely the cause for sudden death.
Especially such small difference 8.7->8.5 and
when other animals are ok.

Is it possible your crab just starved?
Do you have any macroalgae in your tank for
it to snack? Did you target feed it with algae?

"Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message ...
> Hello all, my reef has been up and running for 3-1/2 years now, and I
> couldnt be happier with it.tonight while doing some minor cleaning I noticed
> my big Emerald crab sitting on the top of the reef. This is odd, as he
> usually only appears when the main tank lights are out. I reached out to
> give him a playful push and he didnt move!!!! Dead as a doornail! Now I
> started to wonder why this might have happened. I gave the water a quick
> test with the PH meter, and it read 8.7...........The highest Ive seen at
> the peek of the lighting cycle was 8.4-8.5........Could this have been the
> death of him?All other occupants seem OK. What can I do to bring the PH down
> a few points?
> Is it safe to assume that the second part(calcium)of B-Ionic might possibly
> lower the PH seeing as how the first part(alk) raises the PH........
> TIA, Darryl
>
>

[Amy Palmieri]

Yes, I feed some macro from the refugium as well as spirulina,there is also
some small valonia algae in a few obvious spots that he definately cold have
gotten to.
So you do not thiink that 8.7 is anything to be alarmed about????
"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> pH is very rarely the cause for sudden death.
> Especially such small difference 8.7->8.5 and
> when other animals are ok.
>
> Is it possible your crab just starved?
> Do you have any macroalgae in your tank for
> it to snack? Did you target feed it with algae?
>
> "Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message
...
> > Hello all, my reef has been up and running for 3-1/2 years now, and I
> > couldnt be happier with it.tonight while doing some minor cleaning I
noticed
> > my big Emerald crab sitting on the top of the reef. This is odd, as he
> > usually only appears when the main tank lights are out. I reached out to
> > give him a playful push and he didnt move!!!! Dead as a doornail! Now I
> > started to wonder why this might have happened. I gave the water a quick
> > test with the PH meter, and it read 8.7...........The highest Ive seen
at
> > the peek of the lighting cycle was 8.4-8.5........Could this have been
the
> > death of him?All other occupants seem OK. What can I do to bring the PH
down
> > a few points?
> > Is it safe to assume that the second part(calcium)of B-Ionic might
possibly
> > lower the PH seeing as how the first part(alk) raises the PH........
> > TIA, Darryl
> >
> >

[Amy Palmieri]

Also, the PH is generally at the beggining of the lighting cycle 8.2, and
then by the peak, 8.4.......8.5 was the highest I'd ever seen. But when I
saw 8.7 tonight I was a little alarmed, as my parameters rarely deviate.
"Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message
...
> Yes, I feed some macro from the refugium as well as spirulina,there is
also
> some small valonia algae in a few obvious spots that he definately cold
have
> gotten to.
> So you do not thiink that 8.7 is anything to be alarmed about????
> "Pszemol" > wrote in message
> ...
> > pH is very rarely the cause for sudden death.
> > Especially such small difference 8.7->8.5 and
> > when other animals are ok.
> >
> > Is it possible your crab just starved?
> > Do you have any macroalgae in your tank for
> > it to snack? Did you target feed it with algae?
> >
> > "Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message
> ...
> > > Hello all, my reef has been up and running for 3-1/2 years now, and I
> > > couldnt be happier with it.tonight while doing some minor cleaning I
> noticed
> > > my big Emerald crab sitting on the top of the reef. This is odd, as he
> > > usually only appears when the main tank lights are out. I reached out
to
> > > give him a playful push and he didnt move!!!! Dead as a doornail! Now
I
> > > started to wonder why this might have happened. I gave the water a
quick
> > > test with the PH meter, and it read 8.7...........The highest Ive seen
> at
> > > the peek of the lighting cycle was 8.4-8.5........Could this have been
> the
> > > death of him?All other occupants seem OK. What can I do to bring the
PH
> down
> > > a few points?
> > > Is it safe to assume that the second part(calcium)of B-Ionic might
> possibly
> > > lower the PH seeing as how the first part(alk) raises the PH........
> > > TIA, Darryl
> > >
> > >
>
>

[Dinky]

"Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message
...
| Also, the PH is generally at the beggining of the lighting cycle
8.2, and
| then by the peak, 8.4.......8.5 was the highest I'd ever seen. But
when I
| saw 8.7 tonight I was a little alarmed, as my parameters rarely
deviate.


How about your other params? salinity, nitrate, phos, etc.

[Amy Palmieri]

salinity=35
nitrate=0
phos= 0
calcium-400
temp=82.3f
"Dinky" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
>
> "Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message
> ...
> | Also, the PH is generally at the beggining of the lighting cycle
> 8.2, and
> | then by the peak, 8.4.......8.5 was the highest I'd ever seen. But
> when I
> | saw 8.7 tonight I was a little alarmed, as my parameters rarely
> deviate.
>
>
> How about your other params? salinity, nitrate, phos, etc.
>
>

[Pszemol]

"Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message ...
> Yes, I feed some macro from the refugium as well as spirulina,there is also
> some small valonia algae in a few obvious spots that he definately cold have
> gotten to.

Have you seen it pick on algae? Have you actually seen it during eating?
I have lost one in a tank heavily infested with green hair algae and
other macroalgae... It did not switch from what was it eating in the
ocean, did not grow for 4 months and finally one night it died...
I have found it on the bottom not moving with no aparent reason.

> So you do not thiink that 8.7 is anything to be alarmed about????

Not if you keep it at 8.5 the other times...
BTW - What is the measurement error of your meter?
When have you calibrated you probe recently?
Electronic measurement can be often misleading...

[GamePlayer No. 1058]

How long have you had your emerald crab? I was only able to keep one for
about 3 months, and he was pretty big, then I was told that in captivity,
they may last 2 to 3 years. (Of course I've also been told that 2 to 3 years
is premature, and that they should last years and years and years in an
aquarium), I dont know which to believe, but my LFS has a nice tank thats
been setup for about 15 years and they tell me they can't keep them past 3
years old either in their main 500 gallon tank.

So, just curious.....

"Amy Palmieri" > wrote in message
...
> Hello all, my reef has been up and running for 3-1/2 years now, and I
> couldnt be happier with it.tonight while doing some minor cleaning I
noticed
> my big Emerald crab sitting on the top of the reef. This is odd, as he
> usually only appears when the main tank lights are out. I reached out to
> give him a playful push and he didnt move!!!! Dead as a doornail! Now I
> started to wonder why this might have happened. I gave the water a quick
> test with the PH meter, and it read 8.7...........The highest Ive seen at
> the peek of the lighting cycle was 8.4-8.5........Could this have been the
> death of him?All other occupants seem OK. What can I do to bring the PH
down
> a few points?
> Is it safe to assume that the second part(calcium)of B-Ionic might
possibly
> lower the PH seeing as how the first part(alk) raises the PH........
> TIA, Darryl
>
>

[Marc Levenson]

Amy,

You can lower pH slowly by adding white vinegar to your tank.

If you want to get your pH closer to 8.0 - 8.3 instead of so high, use ESV's
B-Ionic Bicarbonate. Unfortunately, I have 10g of that in the garage that I
can't use, because I need the one that boosts pH. Bicarbonate is the one to use
that will maintain Alk and Ca and not boost pH.

Marc


Amy Palmieri wrote:

> Hello all, my reef has been up and running for 3-1/2 years now, and I
> couldnt be happier with it.tonight while doing some minor cleaning I noticed
> my big Emerald crab sitting on the top of the reef. This is odd, as he
> usually only appears when the main tank lights are out. I reached out to
> give him a playful push and he didnt move!!!! Dead as a doornail! Now I
> started to wonder why this might have happened. I gave the water a quick
> test with the PH meter, and it read 8.7...........The highest Ive seen at
> the peek of the lighting cycle was 8.4-8.5........Could this have been the
> death of him?All other occupants seem OK. What can I do to bring the PH down
> a few points?
> Is it safe to assume that the second part(calcium)of B-Ionic might possibly
> lower the PH seeing as how the first part(alk) raises the PH........
> TIA, Darryl

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