pH problems

[NanCrab]

I know my tank is new, and everything actually looks good and seems healthy but I’m still worried. I know I’m not supposed to chase numbers but I have the probes ya know?

I cannot get the pH up. I add eight-four every day but I’ve never even gotten it to 8 on the probe although occasionally Red Sea test kit will show a good number but generally probe is pretty accurate.

We have closed house syndrome and way too many 2 and 4 legged creatures in here. I looked at CO2 scrubbers, way out of my budget. Same with kalkwasser reactors. I have an oxygen concentrator because I’m supposed to wear oxygen at night. Should I use it to add oxygen to the sump water? Or just not worry about it because fish/corals and inverts don’t seem to mind?
Woke up to the attached reading...same story every night. It drops more at night for some reason.

 

[lmm1967]

without calibrating the probe.....

Put the probe in any calibration solution for at least 5 minutes and confirm the reading matches the solution.

I do this with both 7 & 10 calibration solution that is semi close to the tank water temp (ph doesn't change very much at all with temp changes but I still prefer to be close).

This confirms your probe calibration without going through recalibration.

Any time a measurement seems crazy or odd I always troubleshoot my measurement - usually that is where the issue lies if everything is doing well.

 

[kullas]

My ph was running 7.8 to 7.9 I ran my air intake for my skimmer outside and it bumped it up to a 8.1 to 8.2 not a huge difference but put me over the 8 mark

 

[NanCrab]

Guess I will go buy enough tubing to run it out a window. Thanks

 

[Shawn]

Guess I will go buy enough tubing to run it out a window. Thanks

It's either that or a CO2 scrubber. Example. Last night around midnight my PH was 7.9, with me being home all day. I open my windows and this morning it's 8.2. It's totally a fresh air issue.

 

[jcook54]

My pH runs around 8.0 and has for years. Seeing that yours is still on the low side, I'd shoot for 8.0 and see if you could get it stable there. Better to have the variation between 7.6 - 8.0 than trying to get it up to 8.4 and having that swing be greater.

 

[bzb]

Going through the same thing here! The tubing trick seems to have stabilized me at 7.8, which is where I was previously to everyone being home all day. I'd still like to get it higher, but I think that's going to require me evicting these dang mouth breathing kids.

 

[NanCrab]

Going through the same thing here! The tubing trick seems to have stabilized me at 7.8, which is where I was previously to everyone being home all day. I'd still like to get it higher, but I think that's going to require me evicting these dang mouth breathing kids.

We have 7 people here and 4 dogs and a cat. The grandkids are usually at school and my daughter is usually at work. The 4 legged’s are always here. Our brain injured son spends 99% of his time in his man cave so doesn’t contribute too much CO2 to the environment. Problem is we had just barely set up the tank and cycled it when quarantine started so we never even got a chance to see what our stable normal would be, but even during cycling it was always less than 8

 

[bzb]

I've always been at 7.6-7.9 since setting up my tank. I've read that the low 8s will show better/faster coral growth - but things are growing fine in my tank.

The fish don't seem to mind the swings, at all. SPS are still encrusting and have good polyp extension. Zoas are still multiplying (very slowly, but it's happening). Xenia is out of control.

My hammer coral is looking pitiful, though - but could be due to pH swings or my current battle with phosphates.

 

[NanCrab]

“My hammer coral is looking pitiful, though - but could be due to pH swings or my current battle with phosphates.”

I have HOB filters on my QT tanks and boughtsome little spongy filters that remove phosphate. I put 2 of the little ones in the first filter cup with the small bag of carbon and filter floss on top.That combination brought my phosphate down from .2 to .01 on Hanna checker

 

[lmm1967]

I've often considered literally throwing away all PH probes (except the pinpoint one I use to verify alk tests). Why? Search for Jason Fox's PH management - which essentially boils down to - ignore it.

I'd love to have PH at a constant 8.2 24/7 - but it simply ain't gonna happen.

All in all - I haven't been able to bring myself to just completely ignore it - but I do want to monitor for large swings / trends. A dosing pump goes crazy and my very first indication may be a PH swing - for that reason - I keep the PH probes connected.

 

[dball711]

FWIW, I do not test PH and have only tested once in the past 6 years. With your tank being so new I think the only thing you can gain looking at this so closely is a headache. Don't chase numbers...

I would avoid adding any chemicals as they may fix what you're targeting but can throw off other levels and cause a chain reaction.

 

[Shawn]

FWIW, I do not test PH and have only tested once in the past 6 years. With your tank being so new I think the only thing you can gain looking at this so closely is a headache. Don't chase numbers...

I would avoid adding any chemicals as they may fix what you're targeting but can throw off other levels and cause a chain reaction.

This in a nutshell.

 

[NanCrab]

Thank you everyone. I think the only way to ignore is to unplug the Apex. I have it for sale anyway. Not that there’s been any interest but I think I want to go in a different direction.

 

[Adam]

Other than getting the air line installed to the skimmer and/or getting fresh air into the house constantly there aren't any options that don't cost money.
Adding oxygen to the water will do no good and probably end up doing damage. It's a common misconception that adding O2 will help and it has nothing to do with pH. O2 will not absorb CO2 and remove it from the water column, only air and photosynthesis will. Without removing the CO2 the pH will stay low. I've done more than my share of homework on this.

Once you're ready to start dosing, either 2-part or Kalk you will see some help.

With that many people and animals in the house it might be worth looking into getting an HRV or ERV ventilator installed. A little costly, yes, good for not just the pH of the tank but everyone's health in the house too.

 

[Shawn]

Thank you everyone. I think the only way to ignore is to unplug the Apex. I have it for sale anyway. Not that there’s been any interest but I think I want to go in a different direction.

I swear by my Apex. I'm setting up my lighting canopy currently and have an EB832 just for the canopy.

I think the main takeaway here is don't really sweat PH numbers until you're full of corals and whatnot. I've got a tank full of corals that's currently at 8.1. That's with constant alk dosing. Until you're relying on dosing to maintain coral nutrient levels, ignore PH. Then when you are dosing check it at times, but don't do anything to change the pH other than fresh air. I've sworn off chemicals as when you add something you change something else.

 

[appaloosa1224]

I always believe stability is better than trying to tinker with things that'll cause bigger swings. My 40 has run at 7.6-7.8 for most of its 10 years.

 

[NanCrab]

I always believe stability is better than trying to tinker with things that'll cause bigger swings. My 40 has run at 7.6-7.8 for most of its 10 years.

Wow ok. Well I will stop adding the eight four

 

[appaloosa1224]

Wow ok. Well I will stop adding the eight four

Not saying it's an ideal situation, but nothing has suffered from the lower pH. I don't have any fancy coral in there anyways, just some leathers a hammer and some xenia. Like others, I don't frequently test pH (until last week when I decided I have enough time to start tracking some numbers, lol).

 

[NanCrab]

Not saying it's an ideal situation, but nothing has suffered from the lower pH. I don't have any fancy coral in there anyways, just some leathers a hammer and some xenia. Like others, I don't frequently test pH (until last week when I decided I have enough time to start tracking some numbers, lol).

If I didn’t have the Apex I probably wouldn’t be worried about it. It’s just there on my phone to look at and fret about lol.