Little help with Apex pH probe calibration

[Vincent100]

Hi all
Totally new to using the apex controller so need a little helps
Just calibrating (trying) the pH probe
I need to remove the clear cap yes ? Lol and place the probe in my tank water than press automatic calibration
Also there a little clear liquid inside the cap
Do I need to wipe the end of the probe before placing in the water, or will it not hurt my tank
So sorry be be asking this but I need to do it right lol
Thanks

 

[Vincent100]

Pic

 

[jml1149]

1. Yes, remove the clear rubbery tip.

2. Give it a rinse in a cup of tank water if you'd like.

3. You need calibration solution for the calibration process. I think the Apex comes with calibration solution. Do you have the calibration solution? Should be 7.01 and 10.01 pH.

 

[Vincent100]

Thanks jml
It's all sorted now , I'd never used one before so didn't want to to make a mistake
It's a new unit so all the solutions came with it
Thanks

 

[Vincent100]

So is my salt probe not working right ?
Set the apex up last night , calibrated the probe following the instructions
Last night it was reading 38.3 i'v added RO
Last night and today .... maybe a liter slowly
My tank is a red sea 350 , about 300 liters of water
I know what I added won't change it much but surely the salt level is not gonna go up

My probes are in the return section of my sump
I had my water tested yesterday at my lfs they said it was 28 and I should have lower it just a little bit

I'm baffled

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Before relying on your probes, I would spend time cross checking them with other tests.

For example, before thinking that your salinity is way off, pull out a refractometer and check it manually (as always, verify the refractometer is properly calibrated using either RODI or calibration solution depending on manufacturer's recommendation). Before trusting the pH probe is always correct, cross check it with a pH test.

Also know that the probes will drift over time and that it is recommended to re-calibrate every 3 months or so. More often (monthly) if you are dosing based off the readings.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So is my salt probe not working right ?
Set the apex up last night , calibrated the probe following the instructions
Last night it was reading 38.3 i'v added RO
Last night and today .... maybe a liter slowly
My tank is a red sea 350 , about 300 liters of water
I know what I added won't change it much but surely the salt level is not gonna go up

My probes are in the return section of my sump
I had my water tested yesterday at my lfs they said it was 28 and I should have lower it just a little bit

I'm baffled

You are confusing different types of units.

The 38.3 is ppt (PSU). Salinity.

At that level, the specific gravity is likely about 1.0289.

Consequently, I don't think they disagree that much (38.3 ppt vs sg = 1.028).

Both are a tad high. I'd slowly drop it to 35 ppt.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I would re-calibrate your Salinity probe, I found that my calibrations were more accurate when I floated my solutions in a ziploc bag for about 30 minutes to get them the same temperature as my tank.

I agree with Randy, I think when your LFS said "28" they were referring to 1.025 SG verse the reading of 38.3 ppt the Apex probe provides.

 

[Vincent100]

Thanks guys for your help

Just one more quick question
When I got the probes out of the box the pH and ORP had caps on them weres the salt probe never , was it ment to come with a cap on ? Also the little glass bit of the probe has some white stuff stuck to it .. sort of looks like glue

 

[Vincent100]

Sorry about all this just want it to be working right

 

[Vincent100]

Or is that inside the glass lol , eye aren't what they used to be

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Conductivity (salinity) probes are stored dry, so no cap is needed.

pH probes must be stored with water/salt solutions around the glass tip, so a cap is normal.
ORP can be stored dry, typically.

 

[Vincent100]

Thanks Randy
Well my probe is reading 0.5 in a cup of RO so must be faulty , shouldn't it be 0 ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy
Well my probe is reading 0.5 in a cup of RO so must be faulty , shouldn't it be 0 ?

I'm not sure that probe can read zero correctly (maybe it can). Many conductivity probes do not have the needed dynamic range to read both RO/DI and seawater salinity.

Additionally, the temperature is critical for salinity measurements by probe, so the temp sensor needs to be in the same solution.

 

[Vincent100]

Well waited a day and looked at it today and this is what it says
As you can see its saying my salt level is all over the place yet I have auto top up , just the one that comes with the red see but still does a job
Any thoughts

 

[Vincent100]

 

[Vincent100]

I also know it's showing my temp all over the place but I run a titanium heater off of a simply Aquaria temperature controller which has great write ups by it's users

Edit just tested my 3 temp readers up against each other and all 3 read different
I'm starting to get frustrated
Simply Aquaria temperature controller is Reading 78.8
Apex is Reading 79.1
Doseing pump temp reader is 81.5

Bang my head off the wall time lol

 

[XNavyDiver]

I noticed all your probes are in the return section of your sump. Being that that section of sumps usually has the most tendency to have a water level that fluctuates the most, there is a possibility that the probes might get exposed to air from time to time. Also, the temp probe is right next to the heater. I think most folks put that probe upstream of the heater so as to get a more accurate temp reading of the display tank. I put all my probes in the middle section of my sump, in the refugium and my heater is in the return section, the next section downstream of the refugium.
I don't know if it's a big deal or not. For what its worth, maybe something to think about.

ps- you have a very nice tank, btw!

 

[Vincent100]

Thanks for your input Navydiver
I'v just moved the probes to the middle section of the sump and will test in a few hours , I'll let you know how it goes

 

[jml1149]

Hmmm, are you dosing two part? I see spikes in your pH, and corresponding drops in ORP, which would likely indicate the spikes are real.

The fluctuations in your salinity look an awful lot like your temp profile, are you perhaps running the salinity probe cord in the vicinity of your heater cord? The salinity probe wire is susceptible to noise, and the salinity spikes appear to be regularly periodic.