Keeping PH over 8.0

[vio]

My next option is using a bubbler with a air stone in the sump and see if that works. I was thinking of putting the bubbler intake line outside

Yes, that will help. What i like from u , is....when u ask for help, u come w/most Hard Problem.

Back to OP, dog may be 5% CO2 problem (u just make buy a CO2 meter.lol)
Dosing (in special Vinegar) may be to early for this tank , this is the 180 gal. just setup few months back ? I i will C/P this from one link i pot to u.

"The aquarium is still cycling, and has excess acid being produced from the nitrogen cycle and degradation of organics to CO2."

 

[Dan_P]

I keep putting it back into the calibration fluid and its reading true

I calculated that your air needs to contain ~1500 ppm CO2 to drive the pH of saltwater to 7.8 with an alkalinity of 3 meq/l. This seems to be at the high end for residential dwellings, although not dangerous or detectable by you.

While the CO2 number is approximate, it is big enough to stimulate us to question the pH and alkalinity measurements as well as the source of the CO2 if the measurements are valid.

My thinking cap is still on.

 

[vio]

I calculated that your air needs to contain ~1500 ppm CO2 to drive the pH of saltwater to 7.8 with an alkalinity of 3 meq/l. This seems to be at the high end for residential dwellings, although not dangerous or detectable by you.

While the CO2 number is approximate, it is big enough to stimulate us to question the pH and alkalinity measurements as well as the source of the CO2 if the measurements are valid.

My thinking cap is still on.

So 350-400 ppm, is normal outside ? and 1000 ppm the most inside the house ?

 

[duke62]

Well with 4 people and 2 dogs living upstairs where the tank is in a small cape along with a cat in the basement and the boiler sucking oxygen in the basement it can be the case

 

[Dan_P]

So 350-400 ppm, is normal outside ? and 1000 ppm the most inside the house ?

Buildings that are tightly sealed can have CO2 levels higher inside than outside levels. I have read that a 1000 ppm could be achieved with a lot of people breathing and a well sealed room, but my impression is that you have to work at it. I will poke around for more info on this.

 

[Dan_P]

One person produces ~1 kg of CO2 per day. This would raise the CO2 level in a perfectly sealed 2000 sq ft house to 1556 ppm in 24 hours. That same person in a well sealed 10 x 10 foot room would raise the CO2 level to 24,470 ppm in 24 hours.

I suppose a dog and a cat would contribute a weight proportional smaller amount.

Gas stoves and imperfectly vented furnaces and water heaters would contribute.

 

[duke62]

Im having SO many issues with this new tank Im just about ready to throw in the towel. I cant do it anymore. Nothing is working and I feel like Im just throwing money away. My 92 was so easy and nothing like this was happening. This number is with a basement window open,the top window in the DT room cracked,skimmer hose out the window and Kalk dosed all night through ATO which I left off all day so it can dose a nice dose of kalk water at night. Also re calibrated my PH probe with a brand new Hanna calibrating fluid. After I calibrated checked each fluid and got 7.01 and 10.02. Im so done with it all. Between not being able to control my no3 and po4 and the PH and my pumps failing every 3 to 4 weeks and dying corals Ive had it .

 

[Jaftica]

your probe is probably bad, even though it calibrates, still may not read correctly, take you water to someone with a newer probe or a reliable test kit

 

[oh207]

Not related to your issue, but why is your controller display one day into the future? Wed, 19th.
I'd re-test the pH with good old fashion test kit to confirm.

 

[lnevo]

your probe is probably bad, even though it calibrates, still may not read correctly, take you water to someone with a newer probe or a reliable test kit

+1 Or it's stray voltage in the tank. Let's see some ph test vials. I highly doubt that even with adding Kalk and all that you've done that there is still a ph issue. With the skimmer input outside and windows cracked it should be making a difference,

Also I have not seen the results of the tests I said earlier. Probe in cup of tank water...cup of water aerated outsider and tested with probe, etc. Also what is new salt water testing at?

 

[Jaftica]

+1 Or it's stray voltage in the tank. Let's see some ph test vials. I highly doubt that even with adding Kalk and all that you've done that there is still a ph issue. With the skimmer input outside and windows cracked it should be making a difference,

Also I have not seen the results of the tests I said earlier. Probe in cup of tank water...cup of water aerated outsider and tested with probe, etc. Also what is new salt water testing at?

his probe is 9 months old, its probably shot!

 

[vio]

his probe is 9 months old, its probably shot!

Not only that, I will check the PH w/dif. test, I will test for ammonia trece. I Like Apex but never trust.

 

[duke62]

0 ammonia. Tested everything already

 

[Jaftica]

0 ammonia. Tested everything already

did you check the ph with a different probe yet?

 

[duke62]

Tonight but I think the probe is fine. Opened up another packet of calibration fluid and it read the same thing. 7.01 and 10.02

 

[lnevo]

You can calibrate all day and be great. If it's stray voltage in the tank your gonna be off when the probe goes back in. That's why I asked what it is in a cup of water out of the tank.

Also bad probes tend to visibly show a constant degradation of the ph. But agreed, they can and do go bad relatively quickly.

 

[duke62]

No stray voltage. Charlie checked that already. Put the ph probe in a cup and reads the same results

 

[charliethetuna88]

I would change the probe just for the hell of it urs is older and either way its almost time for a new one

 

[duke62]

So I opened every window in my house on the first floor and opened a window all the way in the basement and got my ph to 8.0. Now its impossible to do this all day and night I am stuck on what moves to make now. Since my ph is dropping to 7.6 maybe even lower when Im sleeping with windows closed there is no way I can think of to keep it around 8.0 or even 7.8. Im out of ideas.

 

[jedimaster1138]

So I opened every window in my house on the first floor and opened a window all the way in the basement and got my ph to 8.0. Now its impossible to do this all day and night I am stuck on what moves to make now. Since my ph is dropping to 7.6 maybe even lower when Im sleeping with windows closed there is no way I can think of to keep it around 8.0 or even 7.8. Im out of ideas.

I live in a tiny one bedroom apartment. If I open the window in the living room pH runs up pretty well. What I'm driving at is that fresh air is clearly going to solve a lot of your problems, as it does mine. The problem is that leaving the windows open sucks.

If your tank is in the basement can you leave that window by the tank open all the time, possibly with a fan blowing out? Any chance of a duct or exhaust fan maybe to/near the tank? I realize this might involve spending $, just throwing ideas out there.

At least you know what the problem and solution is - fresh air. Now to figure out how to get it to the tank.