Is a 9.50 PH BAD?

[duvareef]

Hello everyone ,

So my ph has been consistent at 9.50 for the last month I haven't done anything about it because my SPS are looking great but my zoas aren't opening at all some are even dying is it possible that the oh has anything to do with this ?

Here are some pictures of my SPS;

 

[cmcoker]

How are you testing?

 

[duvareef]

Pinpoint American Ph monitor calibrated !

 

[brandon429]

Post the readings from a standard hobby kit too, would be neat to see. Not agreeing it's 9.5 still, am seeking a skew undefined

 

[Bdog4u2]

You'd need to be doing some serious dosing to get 9.5. Its hard for me to get up to 8.2 and the way the ph scale works the difference between the 2 is huge

 

[brandon429]

I love using biology to debate test kit readings it's total fun. A clown goby says that aint niner fiver

 

[melev]

It's definitely not 9.5.

 

[hybridazn]

My guess is the probe is bad or you mis calibrated. I would try and different test or probe and see what it says

 

[gig 'em]

Definitely try a different test kit. How old were your calibration solutions you used to calibrate your probe with? They have a limited life span once opened.

 

[zoomonster]

Yeah somethings not right. I have a PH probe in my sump next to where the ATO dumps kalk and the PH gets nowhere near that high. Actually don't think I have ever seen it get past 8.5 when the kalk is flowing. For the past few weeks it never registered higher than 8.39.

 

[brandon429]

I believe true 9.5 could kill the filter bacteria, rare, but it would do it. those rascals are tough. not only would no polyps open here if it was true 9.5, the whole tank would be an ammonia soup due to death and no way to oxidize it.

 

[anthonywesty]

Bad reading.

 

[brandon429]

Fun positioning regarding misreading: today it was pH

long ago in the nineties it was a tiny little misreading of .25 for ammonia

the trickle down effect was shocking

Sixteen million stalled cycles
Mass death of filtration bacteria
Seeming mini cycle hysteria
Tons of bottled dosers sold off shelves
batches of salt blamed wrong
batches of sand blamed for causing dinos


And all the readings were wrong and it's taking us this long to show it. Test kit misreads are a big deal lol

 

[duvareef]

Thank everyone I'm actually saving to buy aa apex gold by next month and have more control over my levels thank you !

 

[phantomreefing]

Well what are you using to keep your ph?

Most reef products keep it at 8.3, unless you are using baking soda.

Now that will really explain how your pH got up that high.

 

[phantomreefing]

You can't rely on your probe. Even if you do end up having the latest and greatest lab pro.

I would just double check with a test kit

 

[duvareef]

add kalkwasser to my auto top off

 

[phantomreefing]

Rules out baking soda :/

I guess for the moment the only thing you need to do is to double check with another test kit

Best of luck!

 

[ReefCartel]

Usually Ph probes are never on the exact number. I use the probes to monitor the swings vs. the "Number"

 

[cmcoker]

add kalkwasser to my auto top off

This could easily push pH up. From Randy's article:
"Delivering a small amount of limewater all at once. Adding 1.25% of the aquarium’s volume (1.25 gallons of limewater per 100 gallons of aquarium water) as saturated limewater all at once raises the pH by 0.6 to 0.7 pH units. Such an increase is clearly too large. Adding a smaller portion all at once can, however, be acceptable. Adding, for example, 0.25% of the aquarium volume (0.25 gallons or 1 L of limewater per 100 gallons of aquarium water) will raise the pH by only 0.1 to 0.2 pH units. Unless the pH is high (>8.4) before the addition, that amount is likely acceptable. The other concern with all-at-once dosing is that the local pH in the area of the addition will rise considerably higher than the values above"

So kalk could be pushing it too high, but I still doubt 9.5 as accurate.

Link to article :
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/#5