ph low

[jose hernandez]

cannot keep my ph up its at 7.46 i have a brs jumbo co2 scruber but the media depletes in about a week and is there another way to keep it up ive tried opening the window and run a tube from the skimmer dosent work my systems is a red sea reefer 750xxl

 

[jwshiver]

How are you measuring your pH?

 

[jose hernandez]

i have the apex probe tested before and after i calibrated it to make sure

 

[jwshiver]

Does it stay at 7.46 all day or does it swing? If it swings what is the average daily high and low?

 

[andrewey]

jwshiver hit the nail on the head. What is your daily range? I would start with your pH probe and determining whether that value is accurate before I'd move on to anything else. What is the source of your calibration solutions and how are you calibrating the probe? Does the probe seem relatively accurate when placed in the standards after calibration?

 

[jose hernandez]

its swinging 7.59 when i looked at the co2 scrubber noticed the media was depleted but have no more to refill it

 

[jose hernandez]

its up and down when i refill the scrubber it goes up to 7.8 but then it starts to decline i calibrate using the apex calibration 7 and 10 solutions

 

[jose hernandez]

refiling the media is no longer a option for one its out of stock in brs and 2 its becoming expensive to keep it up ans running also i do not have a refugium didnt feel i need for filtration figured my skimmer marine pure media block and chemipure would take care of nitrates and phosphates

 

[andrewey]

Do you have any extra calibration solutions? If you were to place them back in the solution, what would you read?

For example, I have an old pH probe (no longer in use) that read ~1 lower at all times (hence why it needed to be replaced). I can calibrate it until the cows come home, but my tank will read 7.3 and if I place it back in solution, both will read low. I'm not saying you need a new probe, but I would make sure you are calibrating correcting and your probe is working as intended before you start looking elsewhere. If you are pulling outside air and have tried a CO2 scrubber, I would be pretty surprised if you were reading 7.46 and didn't notice a difference after airing out your residence.

What is the full range. Is the 7.46 the low or is it the average. On Apex, you should be able to see the daily minimum and maximum- can you post those here.

 

[jose hernandez]

just started to get that low as for putting the tube out the window my partment is located towards the back of the building really no air coming in at all i use the ac and put the fan to circulate air around the living room probe is less is 6 months i replaced beacuse i dropped the older one and it cracked ordered more solution

 

[andrewey]

Are you able to screenshot your fusion to show the full range?

 

[jose hernandez]

just tested alk was a little low for me 7.6 so just added some

 

[jose hernandez]

here it is

 

[jwshiver]

When you calibrated the probe did you place the solutions in the tank for approx 30 minutes to come up to temperature? If you did not then your calibration is not accurate.

 

[jose hernandez]

yes i did

 

[jose hernandez]

i was told alk would help but dont wana go that way hear to many negatives about it would adding a refugium help?

 

[jwshiver]

What is your dkh

 

[jose hernandez]

it was 7.6 so added some this morning now its 8.0

 

[jose hernandez]

try to keep it at 8.3 i have no doser yet still deciding either use a doser or calcium reactor

 

[jwshiver]

Two part will help raise the pH as will Kalk. Calcium reactor will drop it some.
I know it is a costly gamble but I would purchase another Apex probe or purchase another pH meter to check against the Apex probe. There are several to choose from. I have a Hanna wireless HALO for just this purpose. If I think the probe for my tank or the probe for my calcium reactor is off I'll use it to double check against the Apex readings. I just replaced my calcium reactor pH probe this weekend because it was reading off .07 against the Hanna HALO. That was to be expected because the probe was a year old.