Ph levels!!!

[Gavmariner]

Hi everyone,
I have jus had my water params tested by lfs and informs me my ph is at 7! He says it's the salt I use (tropic marin pro reef) it's an expensive salt so could the level drop in any other way? Also Shud I buff this back up?
Thank you 4 all advice

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

[welcome]

I'd suspect a bad test. Can they retest? Maybe with another test kit?

You should add test kits to your list of things needed.

 

[ezerasurfr]

what time of day did you test? if you tested in the morning, you may see a natural drop in Ph from lights out time. I would test again in mid afternoon, then maybe suspect a bad test. Try another test kit or even a dip strip to see how far off it could be.

 

[thegrun]

Taking water into a fish store to test ph is a waste of time if you don't live next door to the store. Ph will shift once out of the tank. You need to test the water right after it come out of the tank.

 

[disc1]

taking water into a fish store to test ph is a waste of time if you don't live next door to the store. Ph will shift once out of the tank. You need to test the water right after it come out of the tank.

+1

 

[garydan]

i agree with above, taking it to the LFS to measure PH probably isn't going to be effective because it depends on the aeration of the water.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

Randy (you'll seem him posting regularly around here) wrote that, and it really is one of the most useful articles i've ever read. I've read it two or three times and i still learn more every time i read it. :spin1:

If your PH is that low (or just low), I wouldn't blame the salt mix quite yet. Read the above article, check your alkalinity and aeration. Maybe you need to suppliment? Are you running a skimmer?

Buffers aren't typically a good idea, they're a bandaid that just doesn't last. Best to figure out the root problem and solve it.

 

[gweston]

TMPro is supposedly intended for use on systems with calcium reactors. You can dose alk to boost PH up though.

From Tropic Marin

"PRO-REEF has never had a KH higher than 7° at 35 PSU salinity. If you make up saltwater with a lower salinity it will result in lower KH, of course.
Higher KH in the salt could rapidly result in KH higher than 8° when running a calcium reactor or adding two/three part calcium additives. Since KH higher than 8° can cause serious problems with SPS we still are convinced that 7° KH is a very good KH for a reef salt and we will not change it.
Natural seawater has a KH of only 6.5° at 35 PSU ("normalized alkalinity")."

There is a rather long running thread on that salt:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1971241

Maybe some useful info in there?