I swear my T-5's are causing pH swings!!!

[Morgandy]

Randy,

you gave me advice the other day on my pH swinging from 8.1 - 8.7 in a few hour period. More aeration, even though there is a ton, I gave you my parms, which were pretty well in good ranges. I use baking soda to supp. alk, per the calculator. And, I've basically over the course of this week done a 100% water change (30-35% every other day since Sunday).

I bought a new Nova T-5 kit 2 weeks ago, which seems to be when this all started. In the morning, pH is 8.1 - 8.2. I'll leave the blue actinics on, and it starts creeping. When I turn the whites on, it starts JUMPING. Yesterday, I left just the blues on until about 4, and the pH didn't go as high. Today, I turned the whites on about noon, and now, at 6, the pH is at 8.7. I just turned them out so my poor fish and corals don't explode.

Is this possible these lights are causing it?

Btw, you asked what meter I'm using. I use a 1 Milwaukee unit all the time in it, and the other Milwaukee unit that you put in to check, and pull out. Not liquid or test strips.

Also, what are the effects that the fish feel (or that you 'think' they would feel), from these kind of fluxuations?

thx!!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The brighter the lights, the more photosynthesis can take place. And the more photosynthesis, the more CO2 is used up and the higher the pH will get. So yes, brighter lights can lead to a larger pH swing, and generally higher pH.

In general, I am not concerned about daily pH changes as long as they do not go outside of normal ranges, but going above 8.5 is undesirable, and should be limited by more aeration or higher alkalinity.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

fwiw, I have the milwalkee sms 101 ph meter. I have eerie feeling towards this meter. Their probe(milwalkee) that came with it was trash within a month. I had wide swings in ph. You may want to check that out too. Randy has an article somwhere about testing the accuracy of the meter to a solution of Borax. The meter should fall within that range of ph when mixed.

Also, do you know what your current alkalinity is?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Here's the borax article:

20 Mule Team to the Rescue...Again
http://web.archive.org/web/20001102...twork.com/fish2/aqfm/2000/feb/bio/default.asp