What’s wrong with my ph

[MACHO]

Hello everyone. I have run into an issue first off the tank has been up for about 4 months everything was good I have a stylo hammer and toadstool in a 200 gallon system right now. My problem is no matter what I do my oh doesn’t seem to get up to the 8.1-8.3 range how I would like it. I am running a co2 scrubber on a eshopps s-200. A refugium with about a football sized chateo as well as dosing soda ash. Alk is at 8.8 calcium 400. Phos-.08 nitrate at 7. At the start when I added chateo and co2 scrubber my fluctuations were from 7.9-8 now I got an alarm on my apex the ph is 7.74 and is still dropping with the lights on I also dose 5ml of nopox a day. Just seems like everything that’s running on the tank is based on ph mostly any help would be appreciated. First pic is today of where it dropped substantially second pic is what it was swinging at only a little bit ago. I am running my skimmer wet I was running dry but just wasn’t pulling out enough organics.

 

[homer1475]

First thing I would suggest, make sure the probe is calibrated.

 

[MACHO]

First thing I would suggest, make sure the probe is calibrated.

Wouldn’t the fluctuations still be relative though even if prove hasn’t been calibrated in a while?

 

[MACHO]

Wouldn’t the fluctuations still be relative though even if prove hasn’t been calibrated in a while?

First thing I would suggest, make sure the probe is calibrated.

Also I go to the lfs regularly to be info and such and they test my water and it’s normally .5 off from what the apex tests that’s also in a cup driving

 

[homer1475]

Apex PH probes are known for taking nose dives. Just dunk the probe in some 10.0PH solution and just see if it reads properly.

FWIW...

With what your doing for PH, there is no way it is under 7.8. Unless the tank is an completely closed up room with little no O2 getting in.

 

[homer1475]

Also I go to the lfs regularly to be info and such and they test my water and it’s normally .5 off from what the apex tests that’s also in a cup driving

This is easy to test.

Go get a cup of water, set it outside and stir it up for a couple hours. Then test it, bet you it's higher.

Same as taking a sample to the LFS, By time you drive there, your driving out some of the CO2 which increases PH.

 

[arking_mark]

With a well aerated tank, any reading below 7.8 is suspect.

Aquarium pH Distilled

I just wanted to share my understanding of reef pH which is mostly based on: Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com Many would agree that reef tanks can be successful with pH between 7.8 – 8.5 NBS and daily swings as great as 0.5 NBS. Natural pH levels in our ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[HuduVudu]

You need to know what your room CO2 is. Also you tank is new which means that is producing nitrate aerobically. This depresses pH.

Not sure why you are trying to drop phosphate this is part of what is need for plant life which consumes CO2 in the tank. I would leave the nitrate and phosphate alone.

One other side note if you dosing soda ash ONLY, you are doing it wrong and you are going to have wierd problems down the road. If you have been doing this for a while then down the road could be now. Two part MUST be dosed with both parts.

My 2 cents.