High ph not sure why please help

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

Over the last two months my ph has slowly climbed from 8.2 to 8.9. All my other parameters are great and i use a apex controller with lab grade ph probes to get my results for ph so I assume there very accurate. What is the best way for me to lower my ph? Also I'm not sure if my sump light has been coming on at night when my display tank lights go off. Could this be the issue?

 

[Tahoe61]

If the sump light does not come on that would tend to give a lower pH. Have you calibrated the probe lately?

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

I haven't calibrated lately but I have two probes in different places and they are reading the same

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

I also used my reef master kit and it appears to be on the high side

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

How bad is a 8.9 ph my growth has slowed a little but not much

 

[RacinRevo0818]

I would calibrate Ph probes before doing anything.

 

[J Rog]

Also check where your alk is at. When my alk lowers my PH gets higher

 

[Reefing Madness]

Even having your sump light on at times your DT lights are off, will help you some there. Do you have lids on your tank? House closed up? Powerheads breaking the water surface? Skimmer? Any Macros in the Sump? Other chems your using? Whats your ALK and CAL?

 

[redfishbluefish]

If your Alk and Calc numbers are right on, your pH can't be 8.9 (and assuming your not adding some other unknown chemicals) I'd have an LFS or some other reefer check your pH.

 

[mcarroll]

[...]All my other parameters are great and i use a apex controller with lab grade ph probes to get my results for ph so I assume[...]

emphasis mine....correct pronunciation according to my 11th grade english teacher: ***'u'me

But seriously... CO2 from the atmosphere more or less dictates pH levels in seawater. It's more or less impossible to have depressed levels of CO2 around your tank, so the number has to be suspect. Nothing man-made is perfect.

Pick up a cheapie pH test kit or cheapie hand-held meter just to cross-check your results. Not a bad use of dip strips like these.

Can you snap a current pic of the installation of the pH probe?

Also, this article may be interesting.

-Matt

 

[redfishbluefish]

...................Can you snap a current pic of the installation of the pH probe?..........

On this note, I don’t think many know that you can not submerse any pH probe. If the probe gets submersed, it’s done. You must keep the wire end above the waterline. I have my probe in a special bulkhead made to hold a pH probe.

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

I have a Calcium reactor and a great skimmer that's working properly. My calcium is at 440. I will check my all tomorrow because I will have to get another test kit as Mine is out. I don't have any macro in my sump just a lot of LR. My house is not closed up and I have no lids on the tank and a power head making a good current on the surface. Thank for everyone's help.

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

Also one ph probe is submerged and one is in a acrylic tank coming from the calcium reactor and it's not submerged. However the one that's submerged in the sump that I just calibrated gave accurate readings and has Been submerged for about a year.

 

[mcarroll]

I think that's the same or similar to a "cable gland".

-Matt

 

[adevice]

My Ph was drifting upward, but I checked it with a test kit and needed to recalibrate the probe. *If* you need to drop the Ph you can use distilled white vinegar, as will all things add slowly and test.

 

[mcarroll]

If your Alk and Calc numbers are right on, your pH can't be 8.9 (and assuming your not adding some other unknown chemicals) I'd have an LFS or some other reefer check your pH.

Thinking about this more....if you had some wicked photosynthesis happening, you could in theory get the water into a CO2-depleted state where pH could definitely rise quite a bit. We do see this effect in planted tanks, which are often low alk/low flow.

Thing is that most of our reefs are in CO2-elevated spaces and are extremely well aerated with that air....so it's just "very very unlikely" that your pH is really 8.9.

The chart at this link can give you a sense of how it "could" happen though...as well as a picture of why it's pretty unlikely.

-Matt

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

Thanks for all the help guys. Can I go to a swimming pool store and get ph solution to calibrate my probes? I just assumed this would be faster than ordering it because none of the lfs Cary it around here. I will run test on all my parameters tomorrow and let y'all know the results. I'm thinking you may be right about the probes because I did a 35 gallon water change with RODI water today and nothing has changed. That's 35 gal in about a 150 gal system