Why isn't my pH higher?

Ok, I didn't know that, but the average hobbyist didn't use them.



And the outside co2 levels would play a part. But it is not preventing his pH from being above 8.0.
You don't know the accuracy of his measurement,,, or even the co2 levels specific to his exact location. There are other factors besides co2 that determine overall pH values, & as bertoni said "It could be a measurement issue. That'd be my first guess. Either the pH measurement or the alkalinity could be the issue, with pH measurement issues being more likely. Outside aeration should get the pH beyond 8.0 after a few hours".

My pH is constantly 8.2 to 8.3 & I live on the same planet as nemmy.
Consider this, even if his ph tester was off, if he uses the same tester for his tank, then outside, even being off there would be a difference, and he's not seeing one.

He's pulling fresh air in from outside. If that air is limiting the pH level, then yes the outside air is a contributing factor. If inside his pH was say 7.8, then the same water outside is 8.3, then I would say there is something inside causing this. But it's the same in or out.

Same planet, correct, your sig says you are from down under, is there much manufacturing near you? The OP stated "I just at this moment remembered there's a coal burning plant about 1 mile from my house".
What is your outside Co2 level?
 
Consider this, even if his ph tester was off, if he uses the same tester for his tank, then outside, even being off there would be a difference, and he's not seeing one.

He's pulling fresh air in from outside.

Exactly; he's already pumping outside air into his tank through the skimmer. Why would aerating that same tank water outside make any difference?

If that air is limiting the pH level
Of course the co2 in the "air" is limiting the pH value, but average atmospheric co2 levels aren't specifically limiting nemmy's, or anyone else's pH to below 8.0 as you are asserting.

Same planet, correct, your sig says you are from down under, is there much manufacturing near you?
I don't live that far from a steel works, & there's plenty of industry surrounding that. What affect that has on the co2 levels in my backyard I don't know?

The OP stated "I just at this moment remembered there's a coal burning plant about 1 mile from my house".
Measurements would need to be taken to determine if co2 levels in his immediate vicinity (outside his front door) are higher than global average. I would doubt there'd be any significant difference overall, especially to a significance to affect his pH.

What is your outside Co2 level?
Well, it would be at around 415ppm I'd imagine.

I think your argument suggesting that current co2 levels being responsible for an unproven & baseless assertion of an increase in low aquarium pH values, now compared to 2005, is possibly the result of an obsession over the alleged climate crisis.
 
SNIP--->

I think your argument suggesting that current co2 levels being responsible for an unproven & baseless assertion of an increase in low aquarium pH values, now compared to 2005, is possibly the result of an obsession over the alleged climate crisis.

Let's pump the brakes right here. Without you knowing me personally, I take slight offense to your comment.

Lets take ALL indoor/outdoor factors out of the equation, riddle me this, in 2005 the global atmospheric Co2 level was below 370 ppm. Today (as reported 12-May-19) its at 415ppm. Can you deny that the increase in Co2 levels do not have any effect on lowering the pH levels in ocean water?

And for future reference, all my vehicles are big and loud. I'm Greta Thunberg's worst nightmare.
 
riddle me this, in 2005 the global atmospheric Co2 level was below 370 ppm. Today (as reported 12-May-19) its at 415ppm. Can you deny that the increase in Co2 levels do not have any effect on lowering the pH levels in ocean water?
Well the topic of this thread is aquarium pH values, & incorporates how co2 value, indoor & outdoor, affect aquarium pH. Now you want to talk about ocean surface pH values & how atmospheric co2 values affect this. But the two are completely separate issues because they work in completely different ways. A fish tank is not the ocean.

This goes off topic, so Iā€™ll just say this.

In the ocean, surface pH values are controlled by 1. primary production by photosynthesising organisms assimilating the C from Co2.
And 2. by deep water up-welling.

This is why paleo data for surface water pH shows significant changes over hundreds of years despite atmospheric co2 being steady at 270 - 280 ppm.

This is also why the first known major reef building episode by calcifying organisms was able to occur 550 million years ago despite atmospheric co2 level being 5,000 ppm.

Carbon is continuously recycled by organisms in the ocean. It is assimilated by micro - macro algae & seagrass for example just like terrestrial flora. This raises ocean surface pH values just as algae filtration raises pH in aquaria.
In the ocean fish & other organisms eat the algae & incorporate the C into their body tissue. The fish & other organisms die, sink to the bottom of the ocean, break down & release the C. This is why pH values fall with depth.

There is a term called the pH horizon. It distinguishes the pH value between ocean surface water & deeper water. This deeper water with a lower pH value upwells to the surface. And changes in the rate of up-welling / down-welling, changes in ocean currents, etc, changes how much mixing occurs between deep ocean water & surface water, over time. This changes pH values.

Lastly, keep in mind that reports of surface ocean pH value becoming less Basic over the last 100 years is not based on measurement, but based on a computer model projection programmed using one particular hypothesis, an incorrect hypothesis IMO.
 
If the alkalinity is in the normal range (7-11 dKH), then the pH of the water should be about 8.2-8.3 or so after three hours or so of aeration outside. If that doesn't happen, then the pH or the alkalinity kit might have problems. For a running tank, there aren't any other very likely scenarios.
 
If the alkalinity is in the normal range (7-11 dKH), then the pH of the water should be about 8.2-8.3 or so after three hours or so of aeration outside. If that doesn't happen, then the pH or the alkalinity kit might have problems. For a running tank, there aren't any other very likely scenarios.

Just for clarity sake, I'm using salifert alk test with an expiration date of 2022. For my pH tests I'm using a recently cleaned and recently calibrated Apex lab grade double whatchamacallit pH probe.

7dkh (salifert), 450 cal (salifert), 1500 mag (salifert) + outdoor skimmer air gives me pH 7.86-7.9

Bumping to 8/8.5ish(color changed at 8 slightly but fully changed on 8.5)on my alk got me to 8.0-8.1 range. Just started bumping my tank to 9dkh to see how it acts. But I like to give it at least 48hrs of Apex swing logs before I draw any conclusions.

The only thing in my tank that should be eating any alk would be coralline algae luckily. The only other things are my clown pair and anemones.

I will say though that after adding the skimmer air line it took a good 24-48 hours for it to hit it's highs and lows consistently. The pH did start rising in a few hours but didn't hit its peak in a few hours.

This is become quite the debate!
 
It's possible that the calibration is off or there is some sort of electrical interference happening. The pH should be about 8.2 if aerated enough outside.
 
It's possible that the calibration is off or there is some sort of electrical interference happening. The pH should be about 8.2 if aerated enough outside.

I ended up doing a bunch of 30% water changes. Biggest I could pull off. 8.05-8.24 swing now. I'm thinking while the numbers looked right, something in the balance was just not right.
 
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