Can't get it up?

I can't get my PH any higher than 7.9 I've checked the calibration of my probe several times and it is ok. I purchased a redox meter and an ozone producer and have turned off the ozone because it is reading over 400mv without it.Its been as high as 450mv. (I thought that it would have been low and thus holding down my PH.) I do have a calcium reactor, but I run it at a slow drip and most of the time(90%) the CO2 is off because of the low PH. The PH can drop to 7.6 at night. Any ideas???

 

Try using a ph buffer.

 

I just did that and it did raise the PH to 7.9. I tested my DKH and it was only 6 before I added it. I thought that the calcium reactor would keep it up on its own.

 

Do you have any sand, or pieces of live rock in your tank

 

I know you said you checked the calibration on your probe, but do you have a different pH test kit that you could try to confirm your pH reading?

 

JLine,
You could also test the probe on something you know has a higher pH than 7.9. Either add a lot of baking soda to a quart of water and test it, or mix up 5-10 gallons of fresh sea water like you were going to make a water change.
Added bonus: since the new sea water is made up, you might as well perform the water change!

 

Have you tried Kent Marine Super Buffer? It worked great for me. I add a half dose each week when I do a water change and my PH stays in the 8.2 - 8.4 range.

 

I would suggest slowly adding buffer to your tank and testing the ph after about an hour or so after adding it. It seems to me that your dKH is a little low as well. What are your calcium and magnesium levels?

Also, Vamp 75, asked you about having another type of pH test around. Good idea as this will help verify any off readings that you might get in the future.

Anne

 

Actually, a calcium reactor could be the problem. Make sure you are testing the PH of the effluent as it comes out of the unit. If your CO2 is set to bubble too fast, it will drive down your PH. (The rector works by using CO2 to reduce the PH, which helps dissolve additional calcium from the aragonite media.)

I need to brush up on my Calcium Reactor history, but I believe a slightly low PH (a couple tenths, not a whole point) is normal when they are used.

 

Yeah, Kent's super buffer dkh is a very good product for increasing your ph from 7.9 to 8.2