ZOMG my pH is 8.65!! (Solved:bad calibration solution)

Why should his Mg be so high? Where are you getting those numbers?

You aren't adding anything to supplement ca/alk? Water changes alone are maintaining those levels? Seems like if you had any skeletal growth or any coraline algae growth you would need to supplement with more than weekly water changes.

It's not uncommon in the wild for the pH on reefs to peak around 8.6.

 

Mag. value should be roughly three times Calcium level.

 

I seem to go back to Reefkeeping site whenever I have questions/issues/problems about my tank. I will read once again, see if it applies to my case and let you know.

Thanks Steve so far. I appreciate it!

No Im not dosing at all, none of those 2 part, limewater, kalkwasser or anything. I have only 13 kinds of SPS frags, along with small LPSs in the tank at the moment. They are all happy and growing/encrusting. Coralline algae is growing as well, but no dosing needed. Im using straight up RODI for ATO as well. I use Coralife salt mix.

Do you have a reference source on this?

 

Your welcome - check out the other link on accuracy of calibration fluids also , as many a person has made a change reacting to a test kit or probe reading when in reality it was not needed

Steve

 

Where are you getting that from?

 

Now the pH is showing 8.44.
Last two days chart:

You can see when I calibrated the probe where its off the chart.

A couple minutes ago, the RB LEDs came on, see what happens!

 

Hey Rick hope this helps

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

I still think there might be some reading issues but ..Were you using some time of buffer in the past? Many aquariums with a lot of coraline and sps use as much as 2 dkh per day. I just find it unusual that you have coraline growth and don't have to supplement at all? How often do you take alk reads?

I could find some references if you like, shouldn't be hard with all the ocean acidification studies. I do remember a reef off Japan which had pH peak reads of 8.8. So while not the normal it also isn't that unusual to find high pH. A discussion I had with Calfo he said he was taking peak readings of 8.6 on reef crests in many areas.

A quick search found
The basics of acidication: baseline variability of pH on Australian coral reefs
and from it
Differences were found in pH between inshore
and offshore waters along Ningaloo Reef (means 8.45, 8.53,
respectively). Replicate assessments here ranged from 8.22
to 8.64.

 

Thanks Steve, I am just wondering where the 3x ca level comes from when the first paragraph recommends natural see water levels of 1280 with 1250-1400 being acceptable.

 

Welcome Rick
it goes on to say that in nature Magnesium ions are just over 3 x the volume in weight of calcium ions
hence its generally regarded that you Mag level is 3 x your calcium level
it does not have to be exact and it can be far from exact , many salt mixes these days have elevated calcium levels but do not have 3 x the mag levels
it is very possible to have a tank with 500ppm calcium and less than 1500 magnesium
but in principle a mag level 3 x calc level would be a close ratio to nature

although my preference would be a more natural calcium level rather than increasing mag to be 3 x an elevated calcium level