# HELP!! Soilmaster Select makes my pH go way down.



## bennyDbunny (Aug 28, 2007)

HI:

I have this problem, Soilmaster Select keeps throwing my Kh and pH way down
My pH is now below 6 and I can't even measure Kh.
Has anyone have this before. Do I just keep adding Baking soda? It makes a small change in Kh but after a day or two goes back down, Im also injecting Co2 at about 2 bubbles a se cond.
Any ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks


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## Glouglou (Feb 21, 2006)

Soilmaster have a base PH of 6 and a CEC of 19.

Because is CEC (cation exchange capacity) Soilmaster suck up everything in your water column, nutrients and carbonates... 

If you add some carbonate you should (after Soilmaster is fill up with nutrients) slowly get back where you want...


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

CEC is a measure of the capacity of a substance to absorb cations - positively charged ions, like iron or potassium or ammonium, not negatively charged ions like carbonate, nitrate, phosphate, etc. So, high CEC should not cause SM to absorb the carbonate from the water. But, I don't have a clue as to why it does drop the pH, assuming it really does.


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## scott53326 (Sep 17, 2006)

I am going on 1.5 months now with SMS. All I can say is it has dropped my KH and PH.

In Green Bay out of the tap our water with my test Kit is between 5-6 for Kh. After 1.5 months my Kh is at 2 now. The first two weeks with SMS I was measuring 1 or less.

-Scott


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

I have noticed this with my SMS tanks, give it about 9 months for your SMS to break down a bit remember below 6 isn't necessarily bad as long as water is clean, your injecting the correct amount of co2, and and your nutrient uptake from the plants is adequate your not going to see a ph crash (baking soda helps neutralize KH), sms released crap in my water for about that long (9 months), I just kept adding baking soda prior to turning my lights on and the SMS eventually settled in and stopped affecting the PH and TDS levels


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## scott53326 (Sep 17, 2006)

Thanks for the info Jazz.

One question though. Have you been vacuuming your gravel with like a nylon socking over the end of the siphon or anything or are you just siphoning off water. I to get cloudy water form time to time yet. Nothing very bad..it's just not crystal clear by any means. 

-Scott


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

bennyDbunny said:


> HI:
> 
> I have this problem, Soilmaster Select keeps throwing my Kh and pH way down
> My pH is now below 6 and I can't even measure Kh.
> ...


 Hi
That's good, you should be happy. Don't add any baking soda or any pH buffers, they make it worse. Don't worry about your KH and pH. Plants and fish love it, unless they are African Cichlids.

Thank you
Edward


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## bennyDbunny (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks Edward, Thats encouraging.
I'm triying to apply PPS system of fertilizing and it calls for at least 30 ppm of Calcium and SMS sucks it all up, plus my snails are turning white and diying, Also, I have Lots of algae.
Like This:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...ems/45389-should-i-concerned-about-algae.html

My 50 Galon Tank As of today, after dosing with Marine Liquid Calcium From Kent. I also bought Calcium Carbonate but have not used it.
pH 6.2 Finally Up from 5.?
Kh 3dgh
GH 4dgh
Po4 .5
No3 10ppm
Ca 30ppm
light coralife 4x 65 watt lamps (2 10k and 2 6.7k)
I'm dosing according to PPS
Co2 2DPS
6ml of SS
12ml of PFS
24 drops of Epson Salt Solution
24 Drops of Trace elements (Flourish Supplement for Planted Aquarium)
and 5 ml of flourish Excel
Daily.

Fish
4 Neon Rainbows
3 Irian Rainbows
7 Signifer Rainbows
12 Neon tetras
2 Male German Blue Rams
2 Panda Corycats

Plus I added a 15 Watt UV sterilizer to get rid of green water 3 weeks ago, it worked for the green water But I wonder wath will happef I turn it off.

My Plants are, a back wall of very thick but short (about 4 inches wont grow tall but sends Lots of runners) Valisneria, a bunch of Apo Bulbs that are giant. Lots of this






in the ground,but its all covered with algae tht wont let it grow, Also this






And This






Are growing big.
Thanks for all your help guys.


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Hi
So you have over 5 Wpg? For how many hours a day? 
The Marine Liquid Calcium is calcium chloride CaCl2, not the best idea. Get some CaSO4 instead, your plants and snails will love it. 
Why are you dosing PPS-Classic? Do yourself a favor and mix some PPS-Pro, much easier. 


The UV sterilizer is really a great tool, any time you see green water just turn it on for a week and done.


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## bennyDbunny (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks:
Why do you think is a bad idea?
I cant find any calcium sulfite but I have calcium carbonate, will that help?

I will start on PPS pro ASAP.
Any Idea on why my baby tears are the only plant with algae in the tank?

I have a schedule of 4 hrs morning and 6 hours in the afternoon of light.

Thanks again.


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Hi
You can read about CaCl2 here, post #42. Not bad if only one plant has problems, maybe it needs more time or it needs to be moved to a place with more or less light.


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