Low PH

[LakeEd]

This is more a question for Boomer... but does the temp of makeup water newly mixed with salt... have anything to do with the pH???

 

[DonW]

Will do. The thing I still don't understand is when I make fresh ROdi water and mix the salt outside with a powerhead thats mixing and sucking in air and making bubbles... Why does it test at 7.6? before it ever makes it to the tank. If I do a 25% water change and add saltwater with a PH of 7.6, I should expect my PH not to change.... right?

If your making up salt mix outside with Io mixed at 35ppt you should have a good ph value. If not I'd check the ph test. What Boomer and I were getting at with a water change would be to lower nutrients. If your tank is a little overloaded its going lower its own ph naturally. There is no reason for ph to be that low if its mixed outside for a day. FYI alot of ph cal solutions are way off.

Don

 

[Boomer]

Ed, Yes temp has an effect on pH

Jim & Don

 

[NaH2O]

FYI alot of ph cal solutions are way off.

Don

Don's right. Here is an article: A Comparison of pH Calibration Buffers by Randy Holmes-Farley

If it were me, I'd start out by recalibrating my pH probe, then do the tests suggested, and post the results. Follow up with a 25% water change (mixing for at least 24 hours), then do the tests Boomer suggested and post results again. How old is your pH probe? Is it stored or used continously?

 

[BCT182]

Well just as an update, I took tank water (7.6) outside, bubbled it for about 2 hours. (7.6) I mixed new saltwater outside for three days. Tested it, 7.6 so then I tested the tank water with a fasTEST. 8.2 I guess I had put to much faith in the ph probe being that its electronic. In answer to your question Nikki, the probe is on and in the sump 24-7. I thank you all for the guidance and hopefully now I can figure out how to calibrate the probe.
Brett

 

[NaH2O]

Brett - when was the last time the probe was calibrated? Also, is it running on battery or do you have the AC adaptor? Sometimes people report interference when using it plugged in. What brand of monitor are you using? (sorry if any of these were answered previously)

 

[Vicki]

Hi Brett,

I have two Pinpoint monitors. I check them against eachother about twice a month. Whenever they're more than around .05--.10 apart, I calibrate them. I have the 7.01 and 10.01 fluids.

Bring yours over and we can calibrate them all together.

Vicki

Well just as an update, I took tank water (7.6) outside, bubbled it for about 2 hours. (7.6) I mixed new saltwater outside for three days. Tested it, 7.6 so then I tested the tank water with a fasTEST. 8.2 I guess I had put to much faith in the ph probe being that its electronic. In answer to your question Nikki, the probe is on and in the sump 24-7. I thank you all for the guidance and hopefully now I can figure out how to calibrate the probe.
Brett

 

[4251cpd]

Xenia seem to be a good low cost indicator of pH shifts as proposed by A. Calfo in the aforementioned book on coral. I've seen it myself. Less active in the evening during lights out, took the tests a few times and the theory/observation/anecdote seem too co-inkey dinky to be a shot in the dark sterotype. Mike.

 

[Boomer]

They als do better at higher ALk.

 

[4251cpd]

They als do better at higher ALk.

And a "dirtier" tank, my frag from 6 weeks ago is now threatening to take over the tank. POM POMS GETCHRE POM POMS HERRRRRRRRE!!!!!!