pH spike

[Reefugee]

I noticed that my torch coral (which my clowns are hosting) is almost completely dead. As of yesterday, it was doing fine. Anyway - I checked my setup to see if maybe my calcium reactor, skimmer, or ozone generator had gone nuts. All of it looked fine. However, my pH was at 8.5. It has been running around 8.2 for awhile. Any suggestion on what might have caused my pH to spike up? I haven't tested my other water chemistry - but I will test it tomorrow.

Minh

 

[Pico1]

Were the lights on more than 12 hours? What were your temps? 8.5 really isn't that bad.

 

[Reefugee]

Jordan,

I have two 250 watt MH. Each metal halide is on for 5 hours. One is on from 5 till 10 and the other is on from 7 till midnight. Light in the refugium isn't on at a regular basis (timer went bad awhile back). Temperature is a constant 79-80. It occasionally goes up to 81.

Good point about 8.5 being not too bad. I guess I am just surprised that it's so high compared to where it normal is.

Minh

 

[Pico1]

Water quality sounds good. Something must have fell on it or must be stinging it. Anything agressive near by? I had a cap fall on my hammer coral and the hammer just turned it into slime in a matter of hours. Usually most LPS will sting but not be stung.

 

[Justin74]

Could have spiked higher and inevebitily lowered by the time of your testing too. Something that goes that high though would tell me some buffing or dosing, reacting etc would be the likely culprit.

-Justin

 

[Reefugee]

Haven't added anything to the water - do buggering or dosing. Oh well, I am going to test the water today and do a water change tomorrow. The torch is completely dead. Time to find a new home for my clowns.

Minh

 

[Reefugee]

Checked my pH tonight, and the pH meter was reading 8.67! ARGGG...

Then I was wondering if the battery was low, and if that could give a false reading. mmmm... So I change out the batter and the reading went down to 8.3 (or something like that). Then I remember that I have two pouches of calibration fluid (Buffered at 7.00 and 10.00). I put the probe in the pH 7 solution, and it was reading 7.3x. Calibrated it down to pH 7.00. Then I put the probe in th pH 10.00 calibration solution. It read 10.00. Probe is now calibrated. Put the probe back in my tank and the pH read at 8.00.

So my tank went from 8.67 to 8.00 by replacing the battery and calibrating it. I guess this is just a friendly reminder that we should remember replace the battery AND calibrate the probe.

Minh

 

[Underwaterparadise]

Was the torch the only thing to die? If so I bet it was stressed from the clowns.

 

[otterpop510]

wow, thats crazy about such a big change in reading just by changing batteries.. thats kinda scary..

 

[Justin74]

Wow, nice troubleshooting Minh. I wouldve typically assumed that the reading would be lower with dying batteries, hunh, nice job though. Now you just have to dial it up a couple notches and your set! 8.0 is soo much easier to work with than 8.6 heheh. Hows your tank coming along? Whats it looking like? Too early to share some pics?

-Justin

 

[Reefugee]

BTW - the pH meter is a PinPoint. I am using a 9V battery instead of the AC adapter because I read somewhere that the AC adapter gives reading that may fluctuate.

Justin - tank is coming along nicely. I will try to take some pictures soon and post it.

Minh

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7729693#post7729693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefugee
BTW - the pH meter is a PinPoint. I am using a 9V battery instead of the AC adapter because I read somewhere that the AC adapter gives reading that may fluctuate.

Minh

I had that same problem. When I ran the pinpoint with the 9V adapter and my lights were on the reading would jump all over the place.