puntific Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 So I got a pH probe with a Aqua Jr. Now I know in too much detail what my pH is doing. I got it calibrated and it seemed my pH was around 8.4. Then I added my new used sump and did a water change. Now my pH is below 8 and I have to use Ca(OH)2 to keep it up!!! It also drops 0.4 during the night to 7.6. Corals seem fine except two zoas/palys frags which have closed up. Not sure if it's related or coincidence. When I noticed the low pH, I turned off my Ca reactor until it's been corrected. Is this a good move? What else should I do? I do run a lights on my cheato at night. What sort of behavior comes from a pH probe that is going bad? Am I in the danger zone? I need to check the pH of my new salt water and curent Alk. of tank. puntific more to follow I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 I myself would not have shut down your reactor-but not sure how you ahve it set up, is the controller running it or are you running it 24/7, timer etc. I used to get swings as well not as bad but 8.17 as a high during the day and 7.90 at night, I dont have a fuge just a sump. The PH is mainly why I have opted to have a Kalk rector which I will run using my controller. A great PH additive is Brightwells "PH+" its the only buffer that boosts PH and thats it (no KH boost-nothing PH only). I used it for a couple days before my Kalk reactor went online and I wish I had found it when ever it came out. All the other buffers I found boost PH and ALSO boost KH. I've not seen PH above the 8.3 unless you are dosing something-not sure what (Ca(OH)2) Calcuim hydroxide you are using or what form of Calcuim hydroxide or how it directly correlates to boosting PH??? SWF carries the PH+ and I think its only 6-10 dollars a bottle. If it was me I would get your Ca reactor back online before your Ca and KH start swinging and then everyone is going to get irritated. If your probe was part of the used controller you got ( i think I read that somewhere) I would bet your probe is going or gone. They go out over time and if it was dry (not enclosed in that plastic cap as it is when you buy them new) then I would put money on it being shot. If you can keep the probe "wet" it lasts, when the are removed and left to sit and the bulb gets and stays dry-they die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puntific Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 More data... Ca 375 KH 3.43 meq (near 10 dKh) pH of my new salt water as measured by this probe: 7.75 (which means really about right at 8.05 or so...) pH probe in a purchaced buffer solution of pH 7: 6.7 after having been calibrated with pH 7 and pH 10 about two weeks ago. This seems like a pretty big slip. Time to get a new probe or should I just be willing to recalibrate every 2 weeks? Based on this mornings reading in the buffered solution, it looks like my pH is only dropping to about 7.8 (yesterday) and 7.9 today. Looks like I've been trying to fix the wrong problem! puntific Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 My advice (YMMV): don't get too hung up on the pH rollercoaster, it can drive you nuts. IME, overnight dips to 7.6 aren't the apocalypse (though I wouldn't want to go much lower). I swing from a daytime high of 8.3 down to 7.7 or so overnight and that seems pretty normal. Running a big (a 5 gallon fuge full of chaeto had zero effect on overnight pH on my 55gal tank) fuge on a reverse lighting cycle can help, but the best thing I've found is kalk dripping. I drip 24/7, but if I was concerned about overnight pH I'd switch to lights-out dripping only in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Also, check out this posting: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16138292&postcount=6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new school Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 +1 andy too many variables, however do make sure your mag is 1350-1450 with your current calc numbers and dkh at 10, your meter is off. re setup your calcium reactor and make sure your regulator is not fluctuating by keeping a close eye on the stability of your bubble counter. too much c02 will drive your ph down as well. is your reactor undersized for the tank? if so this could effect it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algae Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Gotta agree with Andy on this. What kind of probe do you have? I put a generic on my AC and it goes out of wack about every 2 months or so. I know that Miles (impur) runs a skimmer airline outside to fight carbon dioxide inside the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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