I tested my PH throught out the day yesturday after I bought a Milwaukee ph electronic tester. Before I tested the water througout the day though I did the calibration that came with the tester. Ok so throught out the whole day is measured 8.0 which is low. but it never varied. My reading across the board as far as ammo. nitrite. nitrate. and phosphate read 0. Calcium is 460 mg/L (ppm). Not sure on alk. I have not aquired that test as of yet. I have a 29gal. with a 12gal. sump with cheato in the sump, and LR. My main display has 6 astrea snails 6 hermit crabs and 2 peppermint shrimp. My cycle ended 3 weeks ago. My light for my sump is a 18watt coralife PC that is on 24/7 for my cheato. I have to add Prime by seachem to take out any chloramine that is in the RO that I get from my lfs they told me the other day that it might be a good idea to get that because the only thing thier filter system cant take out is chlorine. What do you think might be causing my ph to remain low at 8.0? I am trying to get a handle on my water parameters before I even think about adding my 2 percula clowns, also I want my tank to mature a little. Your input would be very helpful.

oh and I am losing about 5gal. a week in top offs because I have no covers, but I tested the ph of the RO top off water and it is 8.0 as well. I dont have a power head in the 5 gallon bucket.

Duke,

Do you get your RO from PetAdvantage in South Burlington? I use the RO from there but I always have to add some Ph buffer cause their RO seems to be about 7.6-7.8 when I test it.

Hay cloob! yea I do. I will do the same then. Must be the salt is getting it to 8.0? What buffer do you use?

Do you mix your own salt, or do you get the Ro premixed?

If you mix your own, what brand?

And do you have any other test kits for pH that you could try instead of the probe, just to make sure somethings not wrong with it?

yea I have the droplets and its hard to tell but when I bumped the drops and the tester, they read the same. I put in instant ocean, and it reads about 8.0 after being mixed.

Try mixing with a different source of RO then. I have my own RO/DI filter and also use Instant Ocean, and my pH is constantly 8.4 without any kind of buffers added to it, with a +/- .01 flux because of lighting and stuff like that. The only thing it can be is your water source... unless somehow all of your testing methods are faulty, or you got a crappy bucket of IO.

well on another post on TR Cloob who uses the same lfs said that whenever he gets RO from our lfs it's 7.8 and mine is running with salt at 8.0 so yea it may be our lfs but I cant get one of those RO filters yet I have been buying stuff non-stop since before christmas for my tank.

Oh lol nm I was talking to cloob on this post :)

Duke, I've been using the Seachem Reef Buffer they have at PetAdvantage. Doesn't take much to raise Ph with that stuff, about 1 tsp.

Come Monday I leave on busines travel for two weeks and I'll have to guide my wife through caring for the tank while I'm away. Talk about SCARY!:eek:

Oh man if I had to leave my wife to take care of my tank I would come back to a death lol. She is a nurse and barley has time for me. My PH is staying at 8.3.

I did a full cleaning of the tankyesterday with a 5 gallon RO water change, replaced the chemi pure bag and recharged the Purigen bag so my wife should only have to make some minor adjustments while I'm away. She'll take the readings and I'll tell her what adjustments to make. Keep your fingers crossed!:agree:

LOL! good luck. I couldnt help myself yesturday and went to PetAdvantage and bought 3 Astrea snails and 2 blue legged hermit crabs for my hair algea outbreak.