I need pH help!

Gordonious

Gordonious

Active member
Ok, I am stumped poor and really not sure what is going on at all. I am pretty sure I typed this all up once, but can not find it. I am currently running two 20long tanks chained together with hardly any bio load at all. It wasn't until I moved to my new home in Newark that I ever paid attention to my Calcium and Alkalinity levels as I was running a FOWLR again with no bio load.

I measure my tank very often and do so even more when I moved. The problem began with a misunderstanding of alkalinity which I still don't get and possibly over dosing of C-Balance. My test kit which is one from Aquarium pharmaceuticals always looks like I had a normal pH of about 8.2-8.3 Problem is when I took a sample from my tank to a fairly reputable LFS they checked it with a test strip which checked multiple things. I had come in to ask about my Alkalinity, but since they used that strip they saw that my pH was out of wack.

Then right there in the store we used the same type of high range pH indicator that is in my kit and it looks perfectly normal just like it does at home. So I have no clue what my pH is. To top it all off today I snuck a sample from my tank into a Chem lab we had today and checked it there using a digital probe we were using for the lab.... 7.96 However our TA set them up and calibrated them so I am not counting on that being accurate as he really doesn't seem to have a clue of what he is doing.

Sorry I am long winded, but it's complicated and if I don't type it now I would just be typing when I got questions.
 
I'm not in your club but will offer my perspective. Any LFS that uses test strips doesnt know what they are doing.

I have a pinpoint pH monitor that I keep clean and calibrated. The API test you mentioned is about the closest liquid test kit I've seen yet to the real thing. I would trust it. (Unless its old)
 
That is always the rough part. I bought the API test from an LFS about 3 years ago that did not seem to whip through there inventory. I have experience with old test kits failing in past, so this is why again I checked it three different ways.

I really should get something such as the pinpoint, but I am trying not to. I won't have the money for it until I get my second pay check in about two weeks. I would like to wait until three weeks and get a pH probe and attach it to my PC.
I am always on the run and it's hard to spend the money when I could do much better and be a million times happier with a little more patients and funding.
 
Well then for now, pick up a new AP test kit. They are affordable but very accurate.

Someone gave me one and I tested my tank with it. It was easy to read and dead on balls accurate with my pinpoint. :)

The Fastest High Range ph kit by Aquarium Systems is just as good IMO.
 
Well I went out and purchased a Red Sea high range pH test and it looks like 8.6 I thought I was color blind or something and asked my roommate to check and he said about the same thing.

Do you happen to know the relationship between Alkalinity? I have a Carbonate Hardness / Alkalinity test from Salifert. I know they aren't the same and I still will not know my pH, but like if it's impossible to get an Alkalinity of X if you have a pH of whatever then I know I don't have a pH of whatever. (ok pulling out the real technical terms now, perhaps it's time to give up and head to bed)

BTW I just need information. I need help and I appreciate it regardless of where it comes from. I am not in the DRClub either as I just moved here and they are to busy to meet in the summer.
 
So far
-8.2 from two different Aquarium Pharm test kits
(checked again a moment ago)
-"way low" from Unknow dip strip
-7.96 from questionable pH prob

I am going to test the KH/Alk again. I am now thinking I need to know how KH effects pH to really understand the material in my chemistry class.
 
dkh will effect ph but the level of co2 in the water is going to play a big role also.

dont even bother with the test strips again, there not worth the paper they are made out of and will only confuse you.

out of all the tests you did the one i would believe is the ph probe, but if its not calibrated correctly or if you put a sample in a container, went here then there then to the lab, by the time you had it tested the CO2 level could have been higher then what is really in your tank.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php


http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php
 
Went directly from the house to the LFS where they put the stupid test strip in. When I did it in the lab I took it in a sealed water bottle which was filled at least half way, but it could have been 2.5 hours befoe I got to it I'm not sure.

I geuss the thing I've got to decide is how much pH buffer to use and perhaps for that I should just find out what is the max ammount I can use from Sea Chem. I was worried before since there product says it would, raise and maintain pH that it wouldn't lower it, but a true buffer should.
 
I dont recommend pH buffers to raise pH.

What is your Alk currently at ?

What are you trying to achieve here. Its a little unclear. :confused:
 
My goal is to not have a ph of 7 or a pH of 9, but a normal pH. Regardless if my pH is a little low or a little high it should pull it closer to the 8.3 range which I think is where I want to be. To much buffer would be a bad thing, but if I knew it wouldn't raise it any more if it was already high I might as well use the amount the package recommends.

Underlying goal, keep my fish, inverts, and coral alive. Since I'm not clueless to the water chemistry of my tank I am worried, but am not sure what to do.
 
the problem with PH buffers is that they artificially skew the Co2 content of the water(there mostly sodium carbonate,aka baked baking soda or washing soda)

by adding ph buffers you lower the Co2 content of the water and the PH rises, but as soon as you add it ,the water wants to equilibrate back to the surrounding air, so then the PH starts to fall again. so you add more buffer, and so on. as your doing this your Alk/dkh continues to rise and before you know it you have a dkh of 16+ and you PH is still low.

if i were you i would forget about the PH right now and just worry about your Alk/dkh, get that where you want it(about 3 Alk or 8.5 to 9 dkh) when you reach that then test your PH. if it turns out lower then your target of 8.3 then either start dosing Kalk to raise it or aerate the water from an out side air supply, either through your skimmer or with a simple air stone.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7791741#post7791741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gordonious
Alkalinity 4.57meq/L or KH of 12.8dKH
Click to expand...

thats too high, and thats because of the PH buffers
 
I don't believe it is because of the Sea Chem pH buffer because I haven't used but one dose of it in the last 3-4 months. It comes from probably the start of the problem when I overdosed with C-balance because I misunderstood my calcium and Alk levels. I think it is from the B bottle, or "Liquid Alkalinity", portion. Don't think I am correcting anyone as you could not know this, just want you to be able to understand what exactly happened so everyone might be able to help me better.

So at this point should I just do some water changes with nothing but RO/DI and Oceanic Salt?(nothing but salt and water) I think maybe a 4 gallons every other day at least three times checking measurements a couple hours after each change? Again the system currently has roughly 42 gallons in it between two connected 20gallon longs and a large aquaclear.

I currently have about 5 articles I need to read from RC and Advanced A, but the 4 chapters in my chemistry text book and too many chapters in my Ecology book have to come first, can't support my tank for long if I flunk out, lol.

I really want to understand this stuff and I'm working on it just don't want to take a month before I can read things to find out things were drastically wrong two months ago and easily fixable. I appreciate everyone's help and input.
 
the Alk will fall on it own as long as you dont add any more Alk buffers or PH buffers. IMO its better for the tank to have it fall on its own rather then doing water changes and have it drop fast.
 
Thats great. Wish you luck

The first thing on your list though should be to get off that Oceanic salt. Way too much calcium for a FOWLR tank.

If you got a lot left, you could buy a bucket of low calcium salt like Instant Ocean and mix it 50/50 until its gone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
High Alkalinity & Low PH
Replies
9
Views
468
monkeysee1
monkeysee1
R
Ph Control Set Up
Replies
0
Views
171
rdavidw
R
J
Calcium very elevated
Replies
3
Views
162
jcarlilesiu
J
F
Cannot raise PH levels, aquarium with Calcium Reactor
Replies
1
Views
320
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
A
I need advice on lighting jebao AL-120
Replies
5
Views
166
griss
griss
Back
Top