At how high the PH become dangerous?

[fr3n0z]

Hi guys, I am dosing balling 3 part method with carbonate.l (not bicarbonate).

Tank is in the kitchen, where we live most of your days. Skimmer intake is from outside via airline.

I was keeping pH around 8.3/8.5. it's been 4 days that we are out of the house and pH is rising at around 8.7. I need to get worried? I can cut dosing via remote eventually. I should reduce it? Will be back home tonight.

pH is took with a cheap w3988 wifi controller but I've attached to it a APERA probes that is sold as professional. Tested against Hanna pen Ive never had discrepancies

**Spikes in chart are from dosing time since I am dosing right on top of the pH probe (will change that In Few days that I change tank)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If that pH is accurate, more aeration will lower it. I'd double check it's accuracy, however. Most often, pH values above 8.6 are test error.

Some folks do run pH quite high, with the primary known issue is increased precipitation of calcium carbonate on sand, pumps, heaters, etc.

 

[fr3n0z]

If that pH is accurate, more aeration will lower it. I'd double check it's accuracy, however. Most often, pH values above 8.6 are test error.

Some folks do run pH quite high, with the primary known issue is increased precipitation of calcium carbonate on sand, pumps, heaters, etc.

Thanks for the answer, I will recalibrate probe when at home to see if it's correct. Hope not.

On the side, you said that more areation will lower PH. Does that mean that O2 rise pH until at a point and then start to interact with something else and so it will lower it?

Obviously I dunno nothing about, I've started to take air skimmer from outside to rise the pH and I would like to understand why too much areation can lower it again

 

[fr3n0z]

I did not calibrate yet but as soon at home I've checked with 2 pH pen and a tropic marin drop test. Results were consistent at 8.6 we got home at around 17.00h and now is 21.00 that the curve, I find it impressive how much of a difference we make on ph.

 

[Garf]

I did not calibrate yet but as soon at home I've checked with 2 pH pen and a tropic marin drop test. Results were consistent at 8.6 we got home at around 17.00h and now is 21.00 that the curve, I find it impressive how much of a difference we make on ph.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the answer, I will recalibrate probe when at home to see if it's correct. Hope not.

On the side, you said that more areation will lower PH. Does that mean that O2 rise pH until at a point and then start to interact with something else and so it will lower it?

Obviously I dunno nothing about, I've started to take air skimmer from outside to rise the pH and I would like to understand why too much areation can lower it again

pH does not depend on O2, only CO2.

 

[Heabel7]

I did not calibrate yet but as soon at home I've checked with 2 pH pen and a tropic marin drop test. Results were consistent at 8.6 we got home at around 17.00h and now is 21.00 that the curve, I find it impressive how much of a difference we make on ph.

Me too! Before I started drawing air from the outside to my skimmer. I could tell when my kids got home from school. Even if they had a friend over. Before I was drawing air from outside I would see my ph drop to 7.6-7.7 and that was summer time. Both my tank disasters happened in the winter. Sealed up 5-7 people in my small house I can only imagine how low it would go before I was testing it.
Now I dose kalk at night to bring it up. I started late last year and would peak 8.4 on a good day. Now that the weather is getting nice and windows are open I’m peaking above 8.5. Today looks like an 8.6 day. I haven’t seen any side effects yet. But I am worried. Checked all majors elements and nitrate/phosphate levels. Everything is good and polyp extension is good. So I’m going to keep the train rolling until the corals tell me something is wrong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Me too! Before I started drawing air from the outside to my skimmer. I could tell when my kids got home from school. Even if they had a friend over. Before I was drawing air from outside I would see my ph drop to 7.6-7.7 and that was summer time. Both my tank disasters happened in the winter. Sealed up 5-7 people in my small house I can only imagine how low it would go before I was testing it.
Now I dose kalk at night to bring it up. I started late last year and would peak 8.4 on a good day. Now that the weather is getting nice and windows are open I’m peaking above 8.5. Today looks like an 8.6 day. I haven’t seen any side effects yet. But I am worried. Checked all majors elements and nitrate/phosphate levels. Everything is good and polyp extension is good. So I’m going to keep the train rolling until the corals tell me something is wrong.

lol

That's funny. Monitor kids doing things you told them to not do (such as have friends over) by pH in the aquarium.

'You're grounded, because my tank pH declined"