Huge PH Problem
- Thread starter Bonvivant
- Start date
There are other interference issues as well. Measuring the pH in a cup of tank water away from tank lights and such can also diagnose such interferences. 
Algae can cause excessive CO2. I agree with Randy, 7.3 PH is just hard to believe. The natural compound on the saltwater should provide some sort of buffering. Check to see if you any interfernce going on. If that does not work, check the CO2 how Randy described. Believe me, this man knows his saltwater chemistry! Let us know what you find out.
Bonvivant
New member
Thank you so much to all of you. Randy, you are the guru and I appreciate you taking your time to consider my problem. If I can ever help in some way feel free to shoot me a pm. I can not match your expertise in science but I am an attorney. That goes for all of you too!
Ok, so here is the plan for tonight. I am going to aerate a cup of water outside for an hour. I am going to check for any potential sources of interference with the probe. My system is not hooked up to the computer but the wires are pretty jumbled together with other wires. I have one packet of calibration solution left over. I'm going to see what kind of reading the probe gives with this. I don't have any nuisance algae problems but I do have a bunch of macro-algae that I added to the system when I added the sump and display refugium. However, I have the sump and DT on a reverse lighting schedule.
One other question: do I have to take any action to remove precipitate from the corals or macro algae? if so, how?
Ok, so here is the plan for tonight. I am going to aerate a cup of water outside for an hour. I am going to check for any potential sources of interference with the probe. My system is not hooked up to the computer but the wires are pretty jumbled together with other wires. I have one packet of calibration solution left over. I'm going to see what kind of reading the probe gives with this. I don't have any nuisance algae problems but I do have a bunch of macro-algae that I added to the system when I added the sump and display refugium. However, I have the sump and DT on a reverse lighting schedule.
One other question: do I have to take any action to remove precipitate from the corals or macro algae? if so, how?
That sounds like a fine plan.
Sorry, what precipitate?
Algae doesn't generally cause low pH. If anything, lit algae photosynthesizes, using up CO2 and raising pH.
OTOH, very low pH may accelerate algae by providing CO2.
Sorry, what precipitate?
Algae doesn't generally cause low pH. If anything, lit algae photosynthesizes, using up CO2 and raising pH.
OTOH, very low pH may accelerate algae by providing CO2.
Bonvivant
New member
I had some abiotic precipitation when I tried to raise dkh from 9.6 to 11. I guess that proves that ph was probably normal. I determined that the probe is bad. I have another o.e coming in tomorrow. Hopefully things are not horribly out of whack. Im gonna lose a few nice sps colonies. Im angry at myself. I should have known bettsr.
There's not much you need to or can do about such precipitates. They disappear from view over a week or two, and cause no apparent harm, usually.
Scrape the glass, like there is algae on it and it generally comes of that. But on rocks and such, it disappears over time. I do not think it dissolves. It just ends up disappearing into the sand and detritus. I've had it happen several times. It takes a week or 10 days.
I discuss it and related issues here:
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm
I discuss it and related issues here:
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm
Bonvivant
New member
Ok, so here is the update. I received the new DA probe. I calibrated it and tested it. It is spot on. I rerouted the cable so that it is not close to any other power cable. The new measurement was 7.77 with lights on to 7.47 middle of night period. So I am right back were I started. I am waiting for my Kalk reactor to arrive. Maybe that will help matters.
Did you try measuring pH away from the tank in a cup of water?
Are you using the same calibration fluids? They can go bad.
Are you using the same calibration fluids? They can go bad.
Bonvivant
New member
I did the test and yes the PH did raise from 7.6 to 8.1. The calibrating solution came with the new probe. What i don't understand is why the house would be saturated in Co2 now. Before I added the extra volume to the tank PH was never an issue. Could it be that there is now much more surface agitation with the larger sump; RDSB; and new display refugium?
So aerating a cup of water inside will tell you whether it is excess CO2 in the air, or just the aquarium.
Bonvivant
New member
Ok, I will do the inside test tonight. If it is excess Co2 in the aquarium then am I correct in saying that Limewater supplementation should resolve the issue? I think it must be excess Co2 in the house since when I increased agitation of the sump surface it actually lowered ph.
Limewater helps whatever the cause is. Open windows helps only if the indoor air has excess CO2. Increased aeration with the existing indoor air only helps if the air has normal CO2.
You can't really know without trying. In many cases it is.
ColaAddict
In Memoriam
Can someone direct me to a link to properly using limewater?
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