pH traumatizes me

Randy Holmes-Farley

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The problem is that I'm already stressing more :/

I suggest before getting too worked up, if you want to monitor pH, get a pH meter. Kits cannot easily be checked for accuracy.
 

exnisstech

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The problem is that I'm already stressing more :/
Like I said I doubt you will enjoy this hobby but I hope I'm wrong. Stress causes health issues. I have a hobby because I enjoy it. I get plenty frustrated but I don't stress. I save that for I important things like paying bills and raising kids lol. Kids are grown and I have zero debt so I have very low stress levels these days and like to keep it that way. I'm for sure not going to stress over pH because there is little I can or am willing to do to change it when there is no need.
 

WallyTime7

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It would more impact your dosing if you have that automated. Whenever my PH drops, that next 24-36 hours my alk/ca consumption drops significantly. thus more swings.
 
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littlehermit0

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Like I said I doubt you will enjoy this hobby but I hope I'm wrong. Stress causes health issues. I have a hobby because I enjoy it. I get plenty frustrated but I don't stress. I save that for I important things like paying bills and raising kids lol. Kids are grown and I have zero debt so I have very low stress levels these and like to keep it that way. I'm for sure not going to stress over pH because there is little I can or am willing to do to change it when there is no need.
That Hobby is happy because of the pets, stressing at the same time, worse when I get bored of a pet and Want a new one, but the new one just restarts the stress especially if expensive, like the 2 clowns I got for 50$ and it died after 2 weeks because I didn't know LFS were bad, I have 4 fish tanks and 2 frog terrariums that I always work on them and never got time for anything, I hope I won't fail classes because of that
 

Reefering1

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These pods are literally everywhere jumping on the glass in my tank what about them?
Pods are good, no stress there buddy. Was suggesting a peaceful distraction that still keep you involved with the tank. Watch the pods, they're interesting...
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I thought it was the reverse but a digital meter would save alot of money I was looking for one yesterday
How would you check a kit? You’d need seawater at a fixed pH within range of the kit.
 

BeanAnimal

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I did a "secret method" on my salifert test, where I can use 1 drop to be accurate enough and saves 500 tests, but nevermind, what I wanted to buy is the strachem pH "buffer" or easier, JBL pH plus
Mayb your "secret" method is not so accurate and there is a reason to use a larger sample volume.... :zany-face:
 

BeanAnimal

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20240324_103512.jpg
Oh god... I SWEAR IT WAS ACCURATE BEFORE, the soda helped?!
Or maybe doing the test properly produced a more reliable result. Occam's Razor to the rescue.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Well I use salifert and when there's something suspicious in the test I test my seawater in bottles or my freshwater tank

Well, pH 7.4 is beyond suspicious. It would be extraordinarily rare if accurate, and I have seen thousands of pH reports. i do not recall seeing any value that low that is accurate and not at least partly test error, aside from emergency situations like a CO2 cylinder valve malfunction (or when i put dry ice in my sump as an experiment lol).

Kits are a problem because:

1. Aging pH indictor dyes can chemically change.
2. It is very challenging to validate them at home without a pH meter on hand.
3. I would not be convinced that all pH kit manufacturers understand that a pH kit for fresh water may not give accurate results in seawater. the ph indicator dyes may change the pH at which they color change in seawater compared to fresh.

I would trust that Habib Sekha of Salifert understands #3 (unlike possibly other companies), but #1 and 2 are out of his control.
 

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