High PH - 8.74-8.9

TheNamesBond · 04/13/2016, 08:42 PM

My tank seems to just always stay at around 8.8

I add vinegar and it drops for a while but over a few days always goes back

tanks are around 550 galleons with around 500 galleons of sump and Refugium.

Have a mixture of fish and corals. Tanks 18 months old. In general most things seem happy .. lost one of 5 sea anemone last week - but the rest seem very happy - the one just shrunk and rotted within 36 hours.

Change water every 8 weeks around 40%

temp is around 29 and pretty constant.

Shall i just leave it? what could be causing the high levels? I have checked the sensor with manual tests and the PH level is confirmed.

Aqualund · 04/13/2016, 08:50 PM

Most likely High Alkalinity, What is your Alkalinity at?

Also what lights are you using? (in regard to the mortality of the anenome)

bertoni · 04/13/2016, 09:21 PM

What is being dosed into the pump? That pH is high enough that I think it's a measurement error. Does the tank have a skimmer? Aeration should bring the pH under control.

TheNamesBond · 04/13/2016, 10:04 PM

Im using 3 AI hydra lights with an apex controller - .... im not 100% sure about the diff between ph and alkinity

TheNamesBond · 04/13/2016, 10:07 PM

i have 2 skimmers - and i have had air pups as well - i have loads of flow.. (5 pumps and max 12,000 lph)....i have re tested with 2 kits and my apex..

bertoni · 04/13/2016, 10:26 PM

Alkalinity is a measure of the water's buffering capacity. For our tanks, it measures most bicarbonate and carbonate. I'd probably ignore the pH, since I don't think it's accurate. The only reasonably possible way to get the pH that high would be limewater.

TheNamesBond · 04/13/2016, 10:28 PM

Here are some pictures

https://goo.gl/photos/6JNRjiC2M3GWBdNq6

TheNamesBond · 04/13/2016, 10:30 PM

Hi

i use fresh sea water - i will test again the PH - i will try and re calibrate the apex sensor

Aqualund · 04/14/2016, 07:48 AM

Yeah sounds like testing error. Everything you are doing from lights to using fresh seawater looks like you're doing just fine. Pictures look good too.

But to be sure, you might want to get an alkalinity test and see what it is, just to know.

oseymour · 04/14/2016, 07:54 AM

My Apex PH probe was showing 8.5 to 8.7 until I re-calibrated it with ph 7 and 10 solution. If you have the regular probe and it's old or was dry, it can shift pretty fast and need to be calibrated once a month.

bertoni · 04/14/2016, 01:46 PM

In addition, some (or all) pH meters are prone to electrical interference. That's a fairly common issue.

TheNamesBond · 04/22/2016, 08:55 PM

Hi So yes it was bad test results - hadn't re calibrated by Neptune PH for 1 year - now i know to do every 3 months at least. .. it seems my real PH is down at 8.04 so now is low! maybe because over the last month i added a lot of vinegar.

Thanks for the advice - my Phosphate now seems high at 2.5 using the Hanna test kit

bertoni · 04/22/2016, 10:14 PM

8.0 actually is good for a tank in a house with the windows shut. I wouldn't worry. The phosphate does seem rather high, but many animals won't care.

gmlee · 04/24/2016, 10:36 PM

Just out of curiosity I tested my alkalinity the other day and my Hanna tester was reading around 5.5 dkh. I put in some seachem additive to raise my alkalinity and then my ph shot up just as high then levelled out in a few days. I also use the apex ph probe but have not calibrated it since new.

04/13/2016, 08:42 PM	#1
TheNamesBond Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20	High PH - 8.74-8.9 My tank seems to just always stay at around 8.8 I add vinegar and it drops for a while but over a few days always goes back tanks are around 550 galleons with around 500 galleons of sump and Refugium. Have a mixture of fish and corals. Tanks 18 months old. In general most things seem happy .. lost one of 5 sea anemone last week - but the rest seem very happy - the one just shrunk and rotted within 36 hours. Change water every 8 weeks around 40% temp is around 29 and pretty constant. Shall i just leave it? what could be causing the high levels? I have checked the sensor with manual tests and the PH level is confirmed.

04/13/2016, 09:21 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	What is being dosed into the pump? That pH is high enough that I think it's a measurement error. Does the tank have a skimmer? Aeration should bring the pH under control. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/13/2016, 10:26 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Alkalinity is a measure of the water's buffering capacity. For our tanks, it measures most bicarbonate and carbonate. I'd probably ignore the pH, since I don't think it's accurate. The only reasonably possible way to get the pH that high would be limewater. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/14/2016, 07:54 AM	#10
oseymour Euphyllia Addict Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 1,424	My Apex PH probe was showing 8.5 to 8.7 until I re-calibrated it with ph 7 and 10 solution. If you have the regular probe and it's old or was dry, it can shift pretty fast and need to be calibrated once a month. __________________ Just started Red Sea Reefer 350 (75 Gallon) Build Thread - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2555495 Current Tank Info: Red Sea Reefer 350

04/14/2016, 01:46 PM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	In addition, some (or all) pH meters are prone to electrical interference. That's a fairly common issue. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/13/2016, 08:50 PM	#2
Aqualund Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Appleton, WI Posts: 879	Most likely High Alkalinity, What is your Alkalinity at? Also what lights are you using? (in regard to the mortality of the anenome)

04/13/2016, 10:04 PM	#4
TheNamesBond Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20	Im using 3 AI hydra lights with an apex controller - .... im not 100% sure about the diff between ph and alkinity

04/13/2016, 10:07 PM	#5
TheNamesBond Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20	i have 2 skimmers - and i have had air pups as well - i have loads of flow.. (5 pumps and max 12,000 lph)....i have re tested with 2 kits and my apex..

04/13/2016, 10:28 PM	#7
TheNamesBond Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20	Here are some pictures https://goo.gl/photos/6JNRjiC2M3GWBdNq6

04/13/2016, 10:30 PM	#8
TheNamesBond Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20	Hi i use fresh sea water - i will test again the PH - i will try and re calibrate the apex sensor

04/14/2016, 07:48 AM	#9
Aqualund Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Appleton, WI Posts: 879	Yeah sounds like testing error. Everything you are doing from lights to using fresh seawater looks like you're doing just fine. Pictures look good too. But to be sure, you might want to get an alkalinity test and see what it is, just to know.

04/22/2016, 08:55 PM	#12
TheNamesBond Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20	Hi So yes it was bad test results - hadn't re calibrated by Neptune PH for 1 year - now i know to do every 3 months at least. .. it seems my real PH is down at 8.04 so now is low! maybe because over the last month i added a lot of vinegar. Thanks for the advice - my Phosphate now seems high at 2.5 using the Hanna test kit

04/22/2016, 10:14 PM	#13
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	8.0 actually is good for a tank in a house with the windows shut. I wouldn't worry. The phosphate does seem rather high, but many animals won't care. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/24/2016, 10:36 PM	#14
gmlee Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Canada Posts: 387	Just out of curiosity I tested my alkalinity the other day and my Hanna tester was reading around 5.5 dkh. I put in some seachem additive to raise my alkalinity and then my ph shot up just as high then levelled out in a few days. I also use the apex ph probe but have not calibrated it since new.