Question About PH & ORP Probes...

[MarkSurrey]

Hi, I have recently got myself a VitalSine PH monitor & have a couple of questions about it.

Firstly the probe has water inside of it, Is this normal? I bought it used so Im replacing the probe anyway but Im just curious to know as it don't look cracked anywhere.

Secondly, the monitor also says it can read ORP with the correct probe, What does ORP stand for so I can research it?

Thanks in advance. Mark

[dzhuo]

Originally Posted by MarkSurrey

Firstly the probe has water inside of it, Is this normal? I bought it used so Im replacing the probe anyway but Im just curious to know as it don't look cracked anywhere.

I am not sure about water inside but it's normal for the probe to be moist.

Originally Posted by MarkSurrey

Secondly, the monitor also says it can read ORP with the correct probe, What does ORP stand for so I can research it?

ORP stands for oxidation reduction potential. ORP and the Reef Aquarium.

[disc1]

Originally Posted by MarkSurrey

Hi, I have recently got myself a VitalSine PH monitor & have a couple of questions about it.

Firstly the probe has water inside of it, Is this normal? I bought it used so Im replacing the probe anyway but Im just curious to know as it don't look cracked anywhere.

The liquid inside is part of the reference cell and it has to be there. Some probes have a small hole and are re-fillable, but we tend to shy away from those in the aquarium hobby. Some probes have a gel instead of a liquid.

Originally Posted by MarkSurrey

Secondly, the monitor also says it can read ORP with the correct probe, What does ORP stand for so I can research it?

Thanks in advance. Mark

ORP is Oxidation Reduction Potential. It looks like dzhuo got you a good link. It's not the sort of thing that is really necessary to bother with, but under certain circumstances, it is useful as a diagnostic tool. It is needed when using ozone to control the ozone dosage.

[aandfsoccr04]

wow that's really confusing

[dzhuo]

Originally Posted by aandfsoccr04

wow that's really confusing

If Randy said he has to learn a great deal of electrochemistry of NSW and had help from other chemists in order to write that article then yes, it's complicated. On the other hand, Randy's article is great for beginners who wants to understand what ORP means and he has a way to put it in words even non-chemists can undersand.

In a very simplified term, ORP is water's ability to "purify" itself. The "purification" is done by oxidizers such as oxygen, ozone and hydrogen peroxide which attract electrons from organic matters such as fish food, waste, vitamins, etc. When this chemical process happens, the waste breaks down and eventually becomes carbon dioxide. ORP is a measure of the water's ability to do that. If your water is "dirty" (lots of organic matters, uneaten fish food, debris etc), the ORP is low (because it takes a lot of oxidizers to purify it again). If your water is "clean", ORP should be high enough and your tank is said to be in good state. Ozone, for example, is one such oxidizer that's very efficient at breaking down waste so it's common for people running ozone to monitor ORP. Other than using ORP to make sure we don't over dose ozone, people who adds carbon source (vinegar dosing, running bio-pellet, etc) to their tank also occasionally monitor ORP. Why? Because a sudden drop in ORP from oxygen depletion can be a sign of bacteria bloom to come.

Other than that, most people do not have to worry about ORP at all.

[MarkSurrey]

Hi, thanks for the heads up. I'm going to read up about ORP now & atleast I know my PH probe ain't ruined (though il renew it anyway). Cheers guys.

[110galreef]

I picked up my APEX last yr and got the ORP meter ...just because. It seems to typically hover around 430'-440's. Drops to like 390's right after WC and then a day or so later is about 430+. It is 448 at this very moment.

I run no ozone or dose any carbon sources. I realize that the reading is in essence irreleavant but what is an "Ideal" range or a bad range? can ORP really be to high?

[dzhuo]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

I run no ozone or dose any carbon sources. I realize that the reading is in essence irreleavant but what is an "Ideal" range or a bad range?

There is really no such thing as "ideal" ORP. Anywhere from 0 to 450 has been recorded in coral reefs.

Originally Posted by 110galreef

can ORP really be to high?

Yes. You can easily and quickly kill majority of all bacteria with high ORP (650+).

[110galreef]

Ok so if my tank trends in the 430-450 range, but starts to trend down does that show the water is dirtier?

[dzhuo]

It could be one of the indicator but not necessary which is why tracking ORP is kind of meaningless. Generally speaking, yes it means your water is "dirtier" than what it used to be.

[110galreef]

Gracias,