High ph.

Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef · Aug 16, 2023

I got a reef factory ph monitor to maintain a stable ph as I thought it could be on a lower end.

I’ve kalibrate it twice and I am getting a ph of 8,8. It’s summer and main door to garden is wide open en tank is blushed in fresh air. I run kh at 10. I can’t see anything going bad in my tank. All look happy I keep a mixed reef with many sps.

I wonder could it be that high because of all the fresh air and my high KH? And how bad is 8,8 to me it seems a lot. Thanks in advance for the help.

PeterC99 · Aug 16, 2023

Can you take a sample to your LFS and get the numbers confirmed?

Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef · Aug 16, 2023

PeterC99 said:
Can you take a sample to your LFS and get the numbers confirmed?

My LFS hasn’t got a ph meter. KH I am sure it’s correct.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 16, 2023

pH 8.8 is almost certainly not accurate.

What did you calibrate it with? DId it read the calibration fluids correctly after calibration?

Simple aeration will bring pH 8.8 way down.

Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef · Aug 16, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
pH 8.8 is almost certainly not accurate.

What did you calibrate it with? DId it read the calibration fluids correctly after calibration?

Simple aeration will bring pH 8.8 way down.

I bought the device new today. I calibrated it with the ph4 and ph7 probes that came with the device. I’ve done it twice before putting it in the tank. . And just now I took it out and calibrated it again a few times after each other to be surten it’s at 4 and 7.

Calcium is 440
Magnesium 1440
Po4 0,8
Nitrate 10
KH 10

From what points it becomes a problem? As to high.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 16, 2023

Reza’s Reef said:
I bought the device new today. I calibrated it with the ph4 and ph7 probes that came with the device. I’ve done it twice before putting it in the tank. . And just now I took it out and calibrated it again a few times after each other to be surten it’s at 4 and 7.

Calcium is 440
Magnesium 1440
Po4 0,8
Nitrate 10
KH 10

From what points it becomes a problem? As to high.

pH in a reef tank is never too high unless you are dosing very high pH additives. As pH rises above 8.4, the problem is increasing abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate on pumps heaters, sand (especially new sand), etc. I generally consider up to pH 8.55 fine, and above that point is a trade off of benefit vs detriments.

I'd recommend calibrating at pH 7 and 10, if you can. It's always best to have the measuring point in between the calibration points.

Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef · Aug 16, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
pH in a reef tank is never too high unless you are dosing very high pH additives. As pH rises above 8.4, the problem is increasing abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate on pumps heaters, sand (especially new sand), etc. I generally consider up to pH 8.55 fine, and above that point is a trade off of benefit vs detriments.

I'd recommend calibrating at pH 7 and 10, if you can. It's always best to have the measuring point in between the calibration points.

Thank you for feedback Randy, I appreciate. I am going to get a nother device to check and be surten. I bought this thing to get some surtenty and it got me even more confused lol.

jda · Aug 16, 2023

Handheld pH pen is decent for spot check. They are usually less than $20 and fairly accurate. It looks like Amazon in Netherlands has some for about the same price. Just rinse the probes off with freshwater before you store it and they have lasted a long time for me.

Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef · Aug 16, 2023

jda said:
Handheld pH pen is decent for spot check. They are usually less than $20 and fairly accurate. It looks like Amazon in Netherlands has some for about the same price. Just rinse the probes off with freshwater before you store it and they have lasted a long time for me.

Thanks I wil check into it.

Red Sea 425 XL Mixed_Reef · Aug 16, 2023

I calibrated it again and the ph been stable between 8.10 ph and 8.40. The measurement seems solide and it’s very stable and in the range I hoped for. I had to do it multiple times for the machine to work.. perhaps it needed some time to settle in. But thanks all for reply’s