High PH without KALK or ALK dosing

[FisheRare]

Good morning reef keepers. i am having a issue with ph.,not being low but high. i had a ammonia spike and decided to change my salt mix from red sea black bucket to tropic marin pro reef . after making the change, 4 WC to get the red sea salt fully out of the system.
After the change my PH is 8.35 to 8.45 all day even in the middle of the night. now i know we all like high PH but im not dosing kalk or alk and im stumped that it could be this high all day windows closed. i have two PH probes 1 for fusion and 1 milwaukee stand alone, Both are accurate. i cleaned my sump and ORP stays at 190. i added 8ml of MB7 to help recolonize the bacteria
My paremeters
Alk 8.32
cal 456
mag 1286
temp 78
PHosphate 1.0
Nitrate 7.1

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

Many of SPS keepers would love that dillema! I don't see any issue in that personally. Typically it's excess CO2 dissolved in the water that drives pH downwards naturally.

Is that PO4 reading correct? 1.0ppm or is it .10ppm? Mag is also a bit low, but not bad.

 

[FisheRare]

Many of SPS keepers would love that dillema! I don't see any issue in that personally. Typically it's excess CO2 dissolved in the water that drives pH downwards naturally.

Is that PO4 reading correct? 1.0ppm or is it .10ppm? Mag is also a bit low, but not bad.

0.10 sorry. and yeah i love a high ph ,but when it makes sense. im not dosing kalk or alk and for it to be 8.3 to 8.45 all day even through the night with windows closed is not normal

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Photosynthesis during the day consumes CO2 and raises pH. If aeration is not complete, the pH will often rise. The vsjues are fine, but if you want them lower, more aeration will lower it (if it is accurate).

 

[FisheRare]

Photosynthesis during the day consumes CO2 and raises pH. If aeration is not complete, the pH will often rise. The vsjues are fine, but if you want them lower, more aeration will lower it (if it is accurate).

Thanks for the reply. if you seen my entire post this all started from an ammonia spike. my normal ORP is 385 ,i changed salt mix from red sea black bucket to tropic marin pro reef and since then my ORP is at 200 ammonia is 0.05 so for my PH to stay 8.3 all day without dosing Kalk or Alk seems odd and the windows are closed. which is what made me notice because my ph always drops when i close the window even when dosing kalk
These are my latest readings
ALK 7.6
Cal 494
Mag 1240
Nitrate 4.1
Phos 0.09
ORP 202
PH 8.3
Salt 33
Temp 78.4
And i am not dosing anything at the moment,i used some carbon but stopped since it only made ORP drop more

 

[twentyleagues]

Just a thought is the ph probe accurate?

 

[EliMelly]

Tagging the expert @Miami Reef

 

[FisheRare]

Just a thought is the ph probe accurate?

I have 2 PH probe's 1 apex fusion and 1 stand alone milwaukee PH controller and hanna PH checker all reading 8.3 , 83 and 8.5

 

[bubbgee]

If you need to dose alk without raising pH much, switch to baking soda for the time being. I use this to correct the alk back to range. Or do some carbon dosing with TM Bacto Balance which just maintains the PO4 and NO3 range within each other and the carbon dosing can cause drop in pH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks for the reply. if you seen my entire post this all started from an ammonia spike. my normal ORP is 385 ,i changed salt mix from red sea black bucket to tropic marin pro reef and since then my ORP is at 200 ammonia is 0.05 so for my PH to stay 8.3 all day without dosing Kalk or Alk seems odd and the windows are closed. which is what made me notice because my ph always drops when i close the window even when dosing kalk
These are my latest readings
ALK 7.6
Cal 494
Mag 1240
Nitrate 4.1
Phos 0.09
ORP 202
PH 8.3
Salt 33
Temp 78.4
And i am not dosing anything at the moment,i used some carbon but stopped since it only made ORP drop more

I’m not seeing anything unusual or cause for concern. pH 8.3 is not unusual.

 

[FisheRare]

I’m not seeing anything unusual or cause for concern. pH 8.3 is not unusual.

My system has never hit 8.3 without dosing kalk and windows closed .the co2 buildup keeps my ph at 8.03 -8.1. ever since the ammonia spike and the salt change from red sea to tropic marin pro reef it's doesnt go below 8.3 and my orp has been 200 since the spike. my system is over 5 years old and never hit 8.3 without kalk

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My system has never hit 8.3 without dosing kalk and windows closed .the co2 buildup keeps my ph at 8.03 -8.1. ever since the ammonia spike and the salt change from red sea to tropic marin pro reef it's doesnt go below 8.3 and my orp has been 200 since the spike. my system is over 5 years old and never hit 8.3 without kalk

Am ammonia spike and ORP change generally do not impact pH directly. I expect it most likely that if you have not changed the air around the tank and the pH rose on a salt mix change at the same alk, that perhaps the meter needs to be recalibrated.

pH is determined mathematically by the alk and the CO2 in the water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is also a possibility that you are adding more trace elements and that is boosting photosynthesis.

 

[FisheRare]

It is also a possibility that you are adding more trace elements and that is boosting photosynthesis.

That definitely sounds like a possibility. and it seems like the only thing that makes a little sense. Do you think a 50% WC will rebalance it ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That definitely sounds like a possibility. and it seems like the only thing that makes a little sense. Do you think a 50% WC will rebalance it ?

Not sure I understand what is being rebalanced.