Everyone’s favorite Continuous pH monitor?
- Thread starter K-pow
- Start date
- Tagged users None
I know I’ve been looking at a lot of them and just can’t seem to find the “perfect one” some are pretty cheap and others are expensive. I’m not too interested in the ones that trend and you plug into the computer
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
Good question. I also am curious about PH monitors. Seems like they're very hit or miss. I see customer reviews; some say works great others say junk. Seems to be with all products. Some are $10 some are $100. And it looks like most have to be calibrated too. And the electrodes need to be replaced after a certain amount of tests, and do they need a solution like the Hanna checkers do? For all the BS it seems like my RedSea PH kit will be easier and less expensive. Idk, I would love to have a digital read out for PH but who knows how well they work. Curious of everyones reply. Thanks for asking the question.
Dr. Dendrostein
Marine fish monthly
Should consider a PH controller, it not only monitors, but need be, can dispense chemicals.
Mine is ....
Buy once and forget about it...
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
How about some info? Price tag? Brand? Do you need to calibrate it? Does it run on batteries? And personally I would not dose PH buffer. If PH is off it's usually an underlying issue. Dosing PH buffer will not fix the problem only put a bandaid on it and potentially cause other issues down the road.Should consider a PH controller, it not only monitors, but need be, can dispense chemicals.
Mine is ....
Buy once and forget about it...
Dr. Dendrostein
Marine fish monthly
There's different chemical than buffers out there for PH control. Price $249. batteries or power pack. And who said about buffer, not me. In systems with $20,000+ in corals, either calcium reactor, or kalkwasser and/or commercial product, like Triton
I bought a used apex.
It can monitor ph and temp and of course do other things for $200
Never set it up and it sits in the closet lol!
Their are plenty good used ones for sale.
It can monitor ph and temp and of course do other things for $200
Never set it up and it sits in the closet lol!
Their are plenty good used ones for sale.
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
Boom well said! I trust your answer.
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
Not sure what K-pow was looking for but I just wanted a simple inexpensive PH monitor. Instant check or continuous. I have Hanna's for Alk and PO4 and Red Sea kits for PH, Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine, Iron, Potassium and Salifert for Strontium. Just would be nice to be able to monitor PH easily for under $40
I have an old Hanna ph meter and a realativly new milwaulkee ph meter with a new apex probe.
Almost never use them.
The apex probe is better than the old Hanna but both read the same.
Mostly use it to test carx effleunt and my tanks ph swing morning to nite.
Do note use a ph probe or controller on my carx.
They do need to be calibrated and cleaned often if they are used in a continuos mode.
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
What about one of the $25 pocket ones on Amazon or Ebay? Think it's worth it or should I just stick with the RedSea kit? It is one of the easiest tests to preform out of all of them. I guess it would just be nice to pull out a pen meter, stick it in the tank and get an instant reading. Do you like your Hanna? I assume you're talking about the red meat thermometer looking one. I was looking at those. Not to badly priced @ $30 but is it worth it in your opinion? I would love an Apex or Reefbot but I don't want to spend that kind of money on a 15 gallon nano tank.
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My hanna is a dual ph and tds meter.
My milwaukee is ph only probe type.
You can get one on ebay for under $100.
Not a fan of stick ph meters but they are ok if you can calibrate them.
What you are using now is fine.
I amost never use mi e to check tank ph as it is alway a 7.9-8.2 swing and I dont worry about it.
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Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
That's good advise. My tank is only 4 weeks old so I'm still learning it's movements but my swings are actually the same. Never below 7.9 never above 8.2...at least yet. I have a refugium that I run a nano bag of ChemiPure Blue (Carbon and Phosphate remover) in the return chamber. The center main chamber I have a Chaeto ball and 2 Mangroves to help stabilization. I also run the grow light at night. I haven't tested the PH since the addition of the ChemiPure but I did just order an Apera PH20 tester pen for $28 off ebay (brand new). Read all about them and how to keep it calibrated. I'll report back how it works. Thanks for sharing your knowledge man!
Vette67
Reefing since 1997
Agree. This is what I use, except I have the combo Milwaukee pH / ORP controller. Always on, you can see your pH in real time. I don’t have anything set up on the pH controller yet, but I have been thinking about dosing kalk to increase pH, when soda ash isn’t quite getting pH raised enough.Should consider a PH controller, it not only monitors, but need be, can dispense chemicals.
Mine is ....
Buy once and forget about it...
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
My PH has been very stable and I don't foresee any issues with having to buffer it (although you never know). But still my tank is a small nano and I don't expect to see any wild PH swings. There's no reason and as well I do everything I can to help to stabilize it. Running an air stone in my skimmer and my lights at night opposite to main display lights on my refugium which also helps balance PH. I also dose Alk at night which I also read can help as well.
Vette67
Reefing since 1997
I always thought my pH was stable too. I have close to 400 gallons in my system, and I was surprised to see how much it actually fluctuates. I do the same thing, with a 40 gallon fuge full of chaeto that runs counter to daylight and outside air feeding my skimmer. I only got that pH monitor a few months ago, after having not tested pH in over 20 years. It’s one of those things that once you see it, you can’t help trying to fix it. I didn’t realize (for way too many years) how low my alk and pH were. So you’re ahead of the game by showing interest in it. It is clear that pH can swing and it doesn’t have a huge detrimental effect on a tank, but there is too much evidence that higher pH (8.2ish) is way more optimal than lower pH (7.6ish). So why not try to create the best environment that we can?
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
Ya I suppose no body expects a spike in PH. I am interested in constant monitor but again I just don't want to spend $100+ on a 15 gallon tank for one monitor. I monitor every parameter I can now. I used to rarely test and when I did it was just Alk and Calcium, we're also going back 15 years. I just started a tank back up and want a show grade coral tank. So ya monitor and test everything. Maybe in time I will buy a PH monitor but for now I have the instant read pen. I like that you ran the fresh air line to keep down on Co2, nice!
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