Low Ph for months, please help

Vdlibrtr

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
39
Reaction score
6
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello, a few months ago I suffered a tank crash where I lost basically everything and now thay I have all my parameters back in order my Ph is reading at 7.4 throughout the day.

I'm dosing tropic marin np bavto elimi to bring my phos down before using their bacto balance because I have an issue with keeping nutrients up. also started dosing a less than full dosage of all for reef

my parameters are as follows:
alk: 9.1
ammonia: 0
nitrate 0.2
phosphate .12
calc 420-450
magnesium is 1280
salinity 1.025

I've got two chemipure elites running in my filter chambers because I've been trying to bring my phosphates down after a successful battle against dinos, a skimmer going 24-7 and my tank is a 35 gallon.. I recently upgrades about 6 months ago and my crash was almost 3 months ago, params have been stable for about a month.

thanks in advance for the help, I believe its the reason my anemones keep dying!! I've also got one that I'm pretty sure is dying but won't let go of the rock, not sure if that would cause any of the aforementioned problems.
 

homer1475

Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
11,820
Reaction score
18,897
Location
Way upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would not believe the 7.4. At that low of a level, you start to dissolve your sandbed which would buffer the water bringing it back up to a safe range.

I would get a second test, and/or opinion on that PH. Apex probes are not reliable regardless of how you calibrate them.
 
OP
OP
V

Vdlibrtr

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
39
Reaction score
6
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would not believe the 7.4. At that low of a level, you start to dissolve your sandbed which would buffer the water bringing it back up to a safe range.

I would get a second test, and/or opinion on that PH. Apex probes are not reliable regardless of how you calibrate them.
well when I do a test at my lfs it's usually arlundn7.8 or.7.9 but thats after waters been sitting stagnant in a cup for 15 minutes.. should I cross check it with a new hanna ph checker? my corals, crabs and snails are doing fine, its just the Bta and RFA.. thanks for the reply!
 
OP
OP
V

Vdlibrtr

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
39
Reaction score
6
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Even an API kit would do for this. Anything other then an apex probe to confirm.
thanks! I'll pick something up tomorrow to see. Do you know of any reason why the apex probe would read a 10 solution correctly but wouldn't read the tank water correctly?
 

homer1475

Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
11,820
Reaction score
18,897
Location
Way upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For as long as I have owned an apex, I would never trust the value of the PH probe. It's great for a quick glance, but I would never make adjustments on what it reads. I would always get a second opinion/test.

And no I have no idea why they read wrong, they are just not the best Ph probe on the market.
 

TheBear78

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2022
Messages
493
Reaction score
381
Location
United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Are you feeding the Anemones other than what they get from the All for Reef?
From what I've read they seem to thrive in higher Nitrate environments (as mine appears to) and I can't help but feel that it would be beneficial to raise the Nitrate a little and not just for them.
 
OP
OP
V

Vdlibrtr

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2021
Messages
39
Reaction score
6
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For as long as I have owned an apex, I would never trust the value of the PH probe. It's great for a quick glance, but I would never make adjustments on what it reads. I would always get a second opinion/test.

And no I have no idea why they read wrong, they are just not the best Ph probe on market

thanks so much for the responses! which ph probe would you recommend?
 
Back
Top