StephNewman
Active member
I can't keep my ph from dropping, what is the most likely cause?
ph issue
- Thread starter StephNewman
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StephNewman
Active member
I feed them once a day but sometimes probably put more in than I should though with all the critters in my tank I doubt much is left behind. My calcium level is always high around 450, I haven't check mag for awhile.
StephNewman
Active member
I didn't check the alk before ading the kh buffer so it probably won't be reading whatever i would have been, but it seems like when my ph is off so is the kh usually
chadfarmer
Premium Member
what are you using to measure ph?
GigaFish
New member
I kept having pH issues where I couldnt ever get it to go above 8.0, I could only maintain it between 7.8 and 8.0. This is on a 115gal with a 20 gallon sump and skimmer. I decided to drop one of those 3" airstone disks connected to an air pump rated for 60 gallons into the display because I read that it might help. I did this at 8am and by 6pm my pH was 8.3 reading on a pinpoint meter.
StephNewman
Active member
high range ph drop test by aqurium pharm
Everything everyone else has already said is correct.
To gain the best advice you need to provide more information about your system. Temp, SG, Alk, Ca, Mg, method of Ca/Alk maintence, skimmer, circulation, bioload, etc.
IME, most hobby quality colormetric test kits have a have a range in error of about +/- 0.2 pH, so, if your worried about being accurate then buy a pH meter. In addition, the pH will raise and lower substantially during night and day cycles. So if your not testing at the same time each day your pH drop may be normal, depending on how big it is. It's best to use a calibrated pH meter and measure both at night and during the day. Even better, get a data logger, like an Aquacontroller and you can automatically record readings every hour or less and graph them.
I have a fuge and frag tank on an opposite light cycles as the main tank and automatically dose my 2-Part when the main tank lights are off. On average, my pH still drops from 8.2 to 8.0 or less at night. However, I'm also dealing with a much smaller system volume.
Hope some of that rant helps
To gain the best advice you need to provide more information about your system. Temp, SG, Alk, Ca, Mg, method of Ca/Alk maintence, skimmer, circulation, bioload, etc.
IME, most hobby quality colormetric test kits have a have a range in error of about +/- 0.2 pH, so, if your worried about being accurate then buy a pH meter. In addition, the pH will raise and lower substantially during night and day cycles. So if your not testing at the same time each day your pH drop may be normal, depending on how big it is. It's best to use a calibrated pH meter and measure both at night and during the day. Even better, get a data logger, like an Aquacontroller and you can automatically record readings every hour or less and graph them.
I have a fuge and frag tank on an opposite light cycles as the main tank and automatically dose my 2-Part when the main tank lights are off. On average, my pH still drops from 8.2 to 8.0 or less at night. However, I'm also dealing with a much smaller system volume.
Hope some of that rant helps
StephNewman
Active member
my skimmer is on 24/7 it is an octopus nw200, temp is 82 (yhis is another problem i have, it can get up top 86 at times), method of ca/alk is supplements such as kent calcium and kent pro buffer dkh, though never need the calcium supplement, it is always in range. circulation is 4 maxi jets in my tank (one recently upgraded to a sure flo) and 24 mag pumping from sump. I probably have a large bioload with about 11 fish but all but one of them is pretty small (under 3 inches). Not sure about aeration (how do i increase that?). I will do all my test kits and get back on the other stuff, however i added the probuffer dkh so alk and ph are probably normal right now.
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