Will Microalgae Reactor help with pH swings at night.

[BZOFIQ]

I too dont see 7.1 anywhere. I believe at that low a pH everything would be either dead or dying at fast pace.

what is up with these 2 points on the graph, are you measuring some sort of reference liquid?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not seeing anywhere above in a picture where the pH says 7.1.

I see 7.72 in the display and 7.74 in the sump?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

#reefsquad Does the graph show 7.7 or 7.1? Is it Laurel or Yanni? Is the dress black or gold?;Facepalm

 

[reeferfoxx]

He's a long ā not a short a.;Hilarious

 

[Diesel]

I say to be safe “Yanni”


No kidding, maybe test with a ph digital handheld meter as everyone has one to test your new saltwater mix
Test early morning and late afternoon to take the question of doubt out the confersation.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I say to be safe “Yanni”

 

[reeferfoxx]

I too dont see 7.1 anywhere. I believe at that low a pH everything would be either dead or dying at fast pace.

what is up with these 2 points on the graph, are you measuring some sort of reference liquid?

I'll agree here that the spikes aren't normal and could be hardware or Apex related.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There is a known problem called a ground loop in measuring pH. Two different grounded pH probes in the same solution might cause this:

https://www.turtletough.com.au/ground-loop-troubleshooting-for-ph-loops/

The classic symptom of a ground loop is a sensor that reads correctly in buffers, but gives a reading grossly in error when placed in the process liquid. In a typical process measurement, the pH sensor is connected through the process liquid and piping to earth ground. If the circuitry in the pH analyzer becomes connected to a second earth ground, current will flow through the reference electrode. A voltage proportional to the current and the electrode resistance develops across the reference electrode. Because the voltage is in series with the other cell voltages, the ground loop current causes the pH reading to be substantially different from the expected value. The currents created by ground loops are often unstable, so pH readings affected by ground loops are often noisy.

 

[rob safron]

I have the probes soaking in vinegar and will clean well and re cal. Not really sure how you don’t see that 7.0 ish readings when the digital readout states 7.1. Regardless the spikes were points where It was in cal solution.

 

[Africangrey]

There is a known problem called a ground loop in measuring pH. Two different grounded pH probes in the same solution might cause this:

https://www.turtletough.com.au/ground-loop-troubleshooting-for-ph-loops/

The classic symptom of a ground loop is a sensor that reads correctly in buffers, but gives a reading grossly in error when placed in the process liquid. In a typical process measurement, the pH sensor is connected through the process liquid and piping to earth ground. If the circuitry in the pH analyzer becomes connected to a second earth ground, current will flow through the reference electrode. A voltage proportional to the current and the electrode resistance develops across the reference electrode. Because the voltage is in series with the other cell voltages, the ground loop current causes the pH reading to be substantially different from the expected value. The currents created by ground loops are often unstable, so pH readings affected by ground loops are often noisy.

So if that is the case, would measuring Cal reactor and Display tank with 2 different probes cause the ground loop interference, since the two are in the same body of water.
Would double junction probes solve the problem?

 

[rob safron]

So after cleaning and calibrating, lights are now at 50% I get DT 7.81 and sump 7.88. Pretty off. I tried measuring tank water in a cup out from the tank and get the same. I tried removing a temp probe and didn’t see much difference after several minutes. Grabbed a test kit which I hate for pH and here is what I got. Very hard to believe what’s correct.

 

[reeferfoxx]

So after cleaning and calibrating, lights are now at 50% I get DT 7.81 and sump 7.88. Pretty off. I tried measuring tank water in a cup out from the tank and get the same. I tried removing a temp probe and didn’t see much difference after several minutes. Grabbed a test kit which I hate for pH and here is what I got. Very hard to believe what’s correct.

I would believe the pesky difficult manual procedure of titration over any Apex probe.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Regardless the spikes were points where It was in cal solution.

...... but if you had it in calibration solution why was it sitting in the solution days apart? What was the purpose?

 

[rob safron]

Because I didn’t believe the numbers so I decided to crack open cheap cal solution to test it against.

 

[BZOFIQ]

. Grabbed a test kit which I hate for pH and here is what I got. Very hard to believe what’s correct.

That's more like it. How do your animals in the tank look. Do they look like they are in pH 8.2 or 7.1?

 

[BZOFIQ]

Because I didn’t believe the numbers so I decided to crack open cheap cal solution to test it against.

If at first you don't succeed?

 

[rob safron]

Everything look fine. I get growth, just not as fast as others. And I can’t get my reds/pinks less brown and more red.

 

[Diesel]

What a mess

 

[rob safron]

 

[Ecvernon]

The apex recorded your lowest set point 7 and highest 10 while you were calibrating.

The stored data does not differentiate between measurements taken while calibrating vs actual in tank ph measurements.