AC3 probe placement

[omahaduke]

What is the optimal placement for the temp, ORP and PH probes? Should they all be in the display tank? Sump? Should they be in a high flow area? Should they be in the light or shaded? Should they all be close together, or far apart?


Any input on this subject would be appreciated!

 

[rezaktp]

Just use common sense, put the probes so they see average water conditions. The temp probe should not be placed at the chiller discharge, and the PH probe should not be placed right where you dose alk. I have my probes placed in my sump section right before the water is returned to the tank.

 

[omahaduke]

I will give that a try..

 

[omahaduke]

Just use common sense, put the probes so they see average water conditions. The temp probe should not be placed at the chiller discharge, and the PH probe should not be placed right where you dose alk. I have my probes placed in my sump section right before the water is returned to the tank.

Where do you dose Kalk, if not in the sump?

 

[ciphros]

I run my probes in the overflows from the tank back to the sump.

 

[omahaduke]

I run my probes in the overflows from the tank back to the sump.

Do you run temp, ph and orp in the overflows?

 

[ciphros]

Yes, all of them are in my overflow, have been for over 2 years

 

[tjw00]

I run my probes in the overflows from the tank back to the sump.

Never even occurred to me to run probes in the overflow box. I run all but one ph probe in sump. Great idea!

 

[ciphros]

I like it since that way the temp is really the temp of the tank, not artficially cooled by my chiller loop. Same thing for pH - since I dose into the sump, I'm not seeing artifical increases due to dosing Alk right where the probes are. Also, since my overflows are external, the temp in the overflow isn't increased due to lights hitting the shallower water area there either. My results have been very good with this set-up.

 

[scbauer]

I have my probes floating in my sump, right next to where my overflow drains into my sump.

One rookie move I mad (although I had been in the hobby for 4 or 5 years already) was to put my heater below my probes. Didn't realize it for a few months until I looked at my AquaController temp graph and wondered why it looked like it did. Tank would need to be warmed up a bit, heater would turn on, then 30 seconds later, heater would turn off, then 10 seconds later, it needed to be warmed up again... pretty sure it just turned on and off every minute (the polling interval of my ACIII).

-Scott

 

[omahaduke]

I moved my probes to one of my overflows last night. My PH was at 8.29, after the move it dropped to 5.97 and this morning it has dropped to5.84!

These crazy things!!! I am not sure what I am going to do so that I can get an accurate reading all the time at this point.....life as much easier pre-AC3, when I had no idea what my ph was except when I tested it weekly........

 

[zoohoot]

I have my temp and pH probes in my overflow as well, but occasional unusual pH readings have me thinking they might be better off in the sump. My pH usually runs between 8.0 - 8.2 steadily raising and falling throughout the day/light cycle. But every few days my pH will level off at a constant reading for hours, then return to its normal cycle. It doesn't happen with any regularity or pattern, that's why i was thinking it might be a probe placement issue.

 

[aleonn]

It didn't occur to me to place the probes in my overflow. I plan to purchase the Apex unit soon (depending on holiday discounts), and was wondering if the probe wires are long enough to reach from the sump level (where my controller will be placed) to the top of my overflow (approximately 5' in total).

 

[zoohoot]

The probe cords are quite long. Not sure if they are 5 feet, though. If someone else doesn't jump in with an accurate length, I can measure mine when I get home tonight.

 

[omahaduke]

According to Neptunes website.....the cord is 10' long.

 

[aleonn]

Sweet thanks! Looks like one overflow will house my heater and the other will house my probes )

 

[omahaduke]

I put my probes in my overflows a couple of nights ago, and I still had crazy readings. So last might I tried spreading them around in my sump, being careful not to have the cables running near anything electronic. Same dang problem......very low readings.

 

[omahaduke]

Well......last night I rerouted cables and cords! I am still having the troubles with the probe readings.

I tested ph with a test kit and also a test strip(just as a double check), and both were reading slightly over 8.0.

I am not sure what to do next to try and get this to work consistantly. The really odd thing is that my ORP is going up and down in relation to the PH!!!