ReefTankHunter
Member
Where dose everyone put there ph probe. If in the sump.What chamber and with what equipment is in there.
ph probe placement
- Thread starter ReefTankHunter
- Start date
ViktorVaughn
Member
Mine is the my drain section of my sump with 2 other probes, skimmer, GFO pump, and a heater.
Just after the drain section from the tank in an upflow chamber that keeps the bubbles out! I have never had to recalibrate my Conductivity, PH, or temp probes in that spot! Will add ORP at some point I'm sure. I do shake them from time to time to release any algae as that chamber is right next to my refugium light and has some light spillover. The probes are by themselves, unless you count a manual thermometer and sump high floats as equipment.
ReefTankHunter
Member
Thanks, I got mine in the drain as well,I'm getting a low reading. Corals are ok, ph reading 7.75 max at daytime, and at night low is 7.68
Mark9
New member
jason2459
Well-known member
The farther away the probe is from the main body of water the more of a chance it will be higher or lower then the readings in the main display tank with potentially higher swings.
Especially if you dose anything. Like calcium reactors or carbon dosing (vinegar, vodka, etc) may cause lower pH readings but some 2 part dosing or kalk dosing will most likely cause a much higher reading. Also, being in a more closed in area may also decrease the pH reading etc.
I find a higher pH reading in my sump then my display. I have a pH probe in the drain section of my sump and a pH probe in the back overflow of the display tank. It's about a .1 to .2 difference depending on timing.
I would have thought it wouldn't have been that different but my sump is also just over 15' away in my basement. I would have thought the pH would be lower but my skimmer is also in the drain section aerating the water which I think is what's increasing the pH there.
So, I guess moral of the story is don't chase specific numbers as they will vary day by day, hour by hour, and location to location. Just try and stay in a good range. And try and be as close to the main body of water you are are actually concerned about and understand what can influence those readings.
Good readings
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/
Especially if you dose anything. Like calcium reactors or carbon dosing (vinegar, vodka, etc) may cause lower pH readings but some 2 part dosing or kalk dosing will most likely cause a much higher reading. Also, being in a more closed in area may also decrease the pH reading etc.
I find a higher pH reading in my sump then my display. I have a pH probe in the drain section of my sump and a pH probe in the back overflow of the display tank. It's about a .1 to .2 difference depending on timing.
I would have thought it wouldn't have been that different but my sump is also just over 15' away in my basement. I would have thought the pH would be lower but my skimmer is also in the drain section aerating the water which I think is what's increasing the pH there.
So, I guess moral of the story is don't chase specific numbers as they will vary day by day, hour by hour, and location to location. Just try and stay in a good range. And try and be as close to the main body of water you are are actually concerned about and understand what can influence those readings.
Good readings
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/
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Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
Low readings could be caused by the house being " closed up " for the summer heat.
If you can open the windows for a day recheck it & see if it goes up.
If you can open the windows for a day recheck it & see if it goes up.
As long as you have adequate turnover between the tank and the sump, just about any spot in the latter that gets good water movement will suffice. I do try to put all probes upstream of any dosing pipes - particularly 2-part or kalk. It's also generally useful to try to avoid spots with high light levels or excess bubbles.
jason2459
Well-known member
Good point about the turn over. I think I have fairly low turn over of about 4x turn over (~750gph) going through my sump compared to DT volume.
ReefTankHunter
Member
Thanks for the good points.And yes its calibrated, and new.Im not going to panic. Getting good growth on acros. I think if i do anything,will try running more water through sump.
Steve Atkins
New member
In heater section of sump, which is also the gap between the two weirs separating the 2nd and 3rd main sections.
Before media reactor, skimmer and dosing. Heaps of flow.
Before media reactor, skimmer and dosing. Heaps of flow.
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Well, depending upon your current flow, and whether the tank and sump are in a similar environment, you may not have to. I cannot think of any good reason why pH would be different in the display versus the sump; unless you are discharging Kalk water right next to the probe. Temperature is more likely to vary between the display and sump, although even that is not common unless there is very low turnover and/or the ambient room temperature varies dramatically between display location and sump location. IME 3-5 times display volume per hour will equalize parameters between the tank and sump. No good reason I can think of to go any higher.
jason2459
Well-known member
Well, like I said above I'm seeing a .2 difference between the back overflow of my display tank compared to just over 15' of drain pipe to the drain section of my basement sump. Around 4x turn over at ~750gph.
Temp is exactly the same between the two locations. Right now my pH probe behind the display tank is reading 8.31 (can be verified on my reeftronics page) and the lights just fully turned off. My basement sump drain section is reading 8.56(soon to also be on Reeftronics). I do dose kalk via ATO but it's in a downstream section from where the pH and temp probe reside. Only thing I can think of that would increase the pH by so much is my skimmer which really isn't that powerful IMO but it does a great job.
Temp is exactly the same between the two locations. Right now my pH probe behind the display tank is reading 8.31 (can be verified on my reeftronics page) and the lights just fully turned off. My basement sump drain section is reading 8.56(soon to also be on Reeftronics). I do dose kalk via ATO but it's in a downstream section from where the pH and temp probe reside. Only thing I can think of that would increase the pH by so much is my skimmer which really isn't that powerful IMO but it does a great job.
Sorry,I guess I missed that. It is curious. I also have run dual pH probes and there is about a .02 difference that I chalk up up to calibration differences. I would have thought if your tank pH were low due to CO2 issues, you might see a higher reading in the sump due to off gassing, but that your tank is 8.3 makes that unlikely. Have you posted in the chemistry forum; maybe somebody there can offer a useful opinion.
jason2459
Well-known member
Yep, I was ready to chalk up calibration offset as an issue but they are pretty far off. If it was hundredths of a point off I wouldn't think anything of it.
There is one variable in that one is being read by an Apex and the other a reefkeeper but both calibrated with 7/10 solutions several times in the past couple weeks to make sure and validated with 7/10 solutions a borax 9.2 solution and all were reading with in .01-.02 which I think was a temp diff
So I have to assume they are fairly accurate. I haven't posted in the chem section yet and waiting to get another Apex PM2 module and move that pinpoint probe connected to the reefkeeper over to it. Then that should get rid of that variable though I don't think it's an issue. After that I was going to post something. I'm not worried at all but it is fun.
There is one variable in that one is being read by an Apex and the other a reefkeeper but both calibrated with 7/10 solutions several times in the past couple weeks to make sure and validated with 7/10 solutions a borax 9.2 solution and all were reading with in .01-.02 which I think was a temp diff
So I have to assume they are fairly accurate. I haven't posted in the chem section yet and waiting to get another Apex PM2 module and move that pinpoint probe connected to the reefkeeper over to it. Then that should get rid of that variable though I don't think it's an issue. After that I was going to post something. I'm not worried at all but it is fun.
