40 gallon holding tank

[pdiehm]

Due to some unwanted pests, I have moved livestock over to a 40 breeder (including coral). Alkalinity is 8.3, but my pH is 7.4. I have my powerheads at the surface so there is good surface agitation. I know that we don't want to chase pH, but should I add something to raise it up or am I looking at a calibration thing (mind you, my probe was reading 8.1 in the disply, and used 40 gallons of that water for the 40 breeder fill up. I added a bottle of biospira...could that be the reason the pH has fallen?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Due to some unwanted pests, I have moved livestock over to a 40 breeder (including coral). Alkalinity is 8.3, but my pH is 7.4. I have my powerheads at the surface so there is good surface agitation. I know that we don't want to chase pH, but should I add something to raise it up or am I looking at a calibration thing (mind you, my probe was reading 8.1 in the disply, and used 40 gallons of that water for the 40 breeder fill up. I added a bottle of biospira...could that be the reason the pH has fallen?

Biological processes are a possible cause.

Are you using a skimmer on the holding tank? I got a rather significant pH boost from running an outside line to my skimmer silencer.

 

[pdiehm]

Biological processes are a possible cause.

Are you using a skimmer on the holding tank? I got a rather significant pH boost from running an outside line to my skimmer silencer.

I am not, I'm just using a basic HOB AC 70 filter, a couple pieces of rock from my display, and a bag of biomedia that's been in the sump for 2 years. I'm thinking this will be used for 3 weeks. I "could" move my HOB-1 down there if I really needed to, but for 3 weeks, I would prefer not.

 

[pdiehm]

pH is down to 6.35. the corals in there are open and extended. I'm thinking it's a calibration thing. Will also do a 10g water change

 

[Gareth elliott]

If have a known ph sample could always see if it matches. I am not an expert on ph probes

 

[pdiehm]

If have a known ph sample could always see if it matches. I am not an expert on ph probes

I suppose I could test it on some rodi. that should be 7 should it not?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I suppose I could test it on some rodi. that should be 7 should it not?

Definitely not. You need calibration buffers.

I doubt the tank pH is 7.4.

 

[pdiehm]

As do I. Apex reading it lower. Going by what I am seeing until my calibration fluid gets here

 

[pdiehm]

So, I'm not sure what happened, the lights came on, and the ph went from 6.38 to 7.99. It's at 7.85 currently. Wonder if changing the probe from the sump to the breeder messed with it, and just needed some time to reboot.

That said, my surviving coral continues to grow with polyps out, so I was pretty sure that the pH wasn't as low as the reading was indicating. I have some calibration fluids en route though.