Reef advice needed

[Ocean Images]

Well, today my ORP monitor arrive, I think I have read everything possible on the internet about ORP readings. I know the reading should be around 375 - 450 I know that as the PH goes up the ORP reading goes down. I was anxious to dip the probe in and see where my readings were :D
239:( my smile was quickly wiped away..........All the reading I did stated the ORP readings should NEVER fall below 320, if you fall below this number then something is not right with your system....

I have been experimenting a little with kalkwasser for the first time, I have been dripping it slooowly during the night, my calcium level is around 450, my alk level is around 4mg/l, my salinity is 1.023....however my PH is high at 8.43 in the evening and 8.26 in the mornings. I want to bring my PH back down, that may help my ORP reading go up but I am not sure.
I am looking for help from the experienced reefers to get me heading in the right direction :help:
** The PH probe is only three weeks old and has been calibrated.
I have a new refugium that has had the lights running 24/7for about a month with lots of calurpa but I have just shut the lights off tonight to see if this will help with the PH readings.
Thank you in advance,
Bill

[stephane]

your PH is perfect dont try to get it down

For the ORP I have never utilize one but I read on them and most of people who use them only take in consideration rapid drop of ORP more than the initial reading a drop mean that someting rong is happen

As far as your low reading good skimming carbon use water change will help but dont be to worry about it if the tank look well

For the extreme UV and ozone will get up your ORP azap!

[Ocean Images]

Thanks Stephane, the tank does look good. I used a little ozone straight into the skimmer and that did the trick.
I did a little research last night in the "Marine Atlas #1" it has a chart on Redox readings; the optimum is 370mv @ 8.0 PH, however following the chart indicates that a Redox reading of 288mv @ 8.4 PH is the same water purity as the optimum level. I am now around 274mv @ 8.4 PH with the help of the ozone. I believe that once I get a "decent" skimmer in place I will cut out the addition of ozone.

[stephane]

IMO you have begin by the rong side, the first gadget to buy when you begin a reef should be Descent skimmer

Ozone and ORP are IMO only GADGET and praticaly useless and maybe armfull (ozone) if not very well understand ozone is a sterilizer and is far from help a tank to cycle and will kill most of
Phyto,zooplankton,bacteria, that are need to feed coral

I hope you dont have a DSB because it will probably be completly useless and maybe get you whith problem in the long run if you use ozone the fauna in your DSB will never going to be able to trive with ozone

Secon dontg read to much those old. book look at the date your atlas have been edited, the method describ in those old book are good but be carefull to mix the natural aproch or any new aproch whith the old "hight tech" gadjet describe in those book
I bet bristleworm are report to be harmuful in your atlas???? I have thousand in my tank and they are the best scavenger ever
;)

[Ocean Images]

I am learning all this now, this is my first reef attempt. I have had fish only tanks and the so called "best skimmer" the Berlin was fine for those tanks but does not appear to be capable of keeping up with a reef tank. I am going to add this Berlin to my pile of other goodies :D

[stephane]

read and ask before to buy are going to be you best friend in reefkeeping :D

[Andy]

Hi Bill

My pH ranges between 8.05 and 8.25 daily. ORP usually sits at around 410 in the morning and at 395 by the end of the light cycle. My ORP generally falls with time as water quality deteriorates. I generally do a 15% water change every month and passively use carbon in the sump. Following a water change and the first few days of fresh carbon filtration, my ORP will climb by 20-30 mV. I agree with Stephane's comments. If your tank looks good and your ORP is stable, then I wouldn't sweat a low number. If the ORP suddenly drops, you should start to look for a cause like a dead fish, cucumber.... I usually do a quick check of my ORP daily and this usually indicates whether everything is OK or not.

Good luck with it.

Andy