High pH causes?

[InvaderJim]

I recently finished a chemiclean treatment for Cyano that left me with dino's that I am currently battling, but one of the other side affects I've noticed is that my pH has gotten very high. My tank was stable 8.0-8.3 for months running a co2 scrubber on my skimmer. After the treatment when I put my skimmer back online my pH spikes to 8.6+ every day without the scrubber even installed. I feel like the tank has really good surface agitation, and I've even dosed seltzer water to add co2 to the tank several times and it's only a very temporary fix. The pH usually gets down to it's normal range at night but during the day when the lights are on it just skyrockets.

So far I've cleaned and re-calibrated my Apex probe and tested with Red Sea & API pH test kits to confirm my suspicions. I'm also not dosing anything other than NeoPhos, and trisodium phosphate, to help fight dino's.

 

[mdb_talon]

What is your alk at? Unless it is crazy high i would bet that your probe is just needing calibrated.

 

[InvaderJim]

What is your alk at? Unless it is crazy high i would bet that your probe is just needing calibrated.

Alk is at 8.2

 

[arking_mark]

Alk is at 8.2

I'd start by recalibrating your probe.

Photosynthetic organisms will reduce CO2 and increase your pH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Agree. recalibrate before adding any more CO2.

 

[chema]

I guess that you turned off your skimmer while doing the cyano treatment. Did you take advantage of that to clean the skimmer?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If the skimmer is indeed off, then that can certainly cause wider pH swings than usual.

 

[InvaderJim]

I'd start by recalibrating your probe.

Photosynthetic organisms will reduce CO2 and increase your pH.

I recalibrated again with some new fluid I ordered and it seems everything seems to be good now. I guess my calibration fluid went bad. I'm also guessing my pH probe being so close to my skimmer during the chemiclean treatment knocked it out of whack. I had the skimmer running the entire time overflowing back into my sump.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I recalibrated again with some new fluid I ordered and it seems everything seems to be good now. I guess my calibration fluid went bad. I'm also guessing my pH probe being so close to my skimmer during the chemiclean treatment knocked it out of whack. I had the skimmer running the entire time overflowing back into my sump.

Sounds good.

Happy Reefing.