while we seem to be on the chemistry conversation, my pH has dropped to about 7.6. i believe typically it should be about 8.0 - 8.2 or thereabouts. other than water changes, how else can i increase it?

get a new ph meter.

First make sure the reading is accurate. If it is, then several things:

Vent the room well. Ambient CO2 levels can affect pH.

Out of control deep sand beds can suppress pH.

Calcium reactors can drop tank pH.

Low alkalinity can make the tank more susceptible to pH changes.

Layton

I use Reef Buffer by Seachem it Raises ph to 8.3

But haven't had to use it for ages

Probably a cheaper way as I'm just finding out

7.6 seems to low, so the ph meter need calibration or changed.

Cheers Layton. Its an American Marine Pinpoint, I calibrated it a couple of months ago but will redo and test. Will check ventilation - quite likely to be that as its only ever seemed to have dropped once the room was halved in size and door added.

Thanks Fay but not really into additives (except calcium reactor of course) would rather treat the cause than the symptom

Reef buffer is just a fancy version of baking soda. Has a few other elements which contribute to total alkalinity mainly boron.

Layton

Also probes need to be calibrated more often than every couple of months, and stored properly otherwise they can lose their accuracy faster than they otherwise do.

Layton

I noticed that the quality of the probes makes a big difference also. I am using glass probes which seem to be far more accurate.

cheers

How old is your calibration fluid it does have a short shelf life.

If you need some try this place http://www.belltechnology.co.nz/ they're in Penrose.

I use them because they have Quinhydrone which I need for my AquaController2. I couldn't find any down here.

Last time I got some they only had 1l bottles, if that is still the case just split it up with someone else because it is good quility and cheap.

There are some other things that can cause your readings to be misleading, if your controller does not compensate for them. Both temperature and ORP affect these readings.

Most Controllers that take all of these readings have compensation for this as it is the industry standard these days, in my controller I can turn the compensations on or off.

I don't know anything about your unit as I have never had one.

Another problem with alot of the units on the market is that they only have single point calibration, this is not a very accurate way to calibrate a probe, two point calibration is best as it calibrates the probe within a start and end point. Single point is in the middle and as the probe gets older, no mater how good it is, can very more as it moves away from the centre point of calibration.

If you know your pH is OK I think the best thing you could do is get some new fluid, if that fails a new probe. If your unit is single point then you must use a lab grade probe.

another piece of flash equipement = another headache!!

don't worry to much about your PH, you are not a newbee to this hobby! do your corals look bad? have they stopped growing? do your fish look bad? do you see anything wrong in the tank?

if you answered all the above questions with no then remove your PH probe, put it in a box and chuck it under the tank (or sell it on trade me to some poor soul who up til now had a peaceful goodnight sleep). then go bed and sleep well without worrying about PH. dream instead about your new setup.

What Cookie said.

Baking soda and aeration thru skimming.

Baking soda will sort it in a matter of hours.

1 x heaped teaspoon per 300 litres of tank water will raise PH by approx 2KH.

whats PH

Baking soda and aeration thru skimming.

Baking soda will sort it in a matter of hours.

1 x heaped teaspoon per 300 litres of tank water will raise PH by approx 2KH.

pH and KH are two different things, although closely related.

Putting baking soda in the tank actually has the potential to temporarily lower pH.

Layton

It's one of those thingies that blow water around.

Phone number.....