Worth testing c02 levels?

[thebigfluff]

Having issues raising my ph. My kh levels are 12 and my ph lingers around 7.6-7.8. I tried baking soda and soda Ash, had no effect on ph. This points toast c02 issue right?
Should I pick this up just to check my house levels?


Fuegobird Air Quality Monitor, HCHO CO2 TVOC Temperature and Pollution Detector for Home, Office or School, Smart Bluetooth Air Quality Monitor, App for Configuration & Data History https://a.co/d/4MMSMKO

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Not sure, but with me I usually only look at 1 star and 5 star ratings to determine products. Middle of the road is like going to a fancy restaurant and eating a bologna sandwich. Just my personal opinion.

 

[thebigfluff]

You know, I think I should try the old fan in the window trick, maybe check ph outside before I go nuts.

But the wireless air quality monitor is kind of cool.

 

[Mayhem]

Kalkwasser drip

 

[wdebenedettojr]

Try opening your windows for a few days. You should notice a difference in pH

 

[DylanCameron]

IMO it’s unnecessary unless you’re a nerd who likes data (like me lol), because your low pH is almost certainly due to ambient CO2. Keep in mind that anything that’s supposed to raise your pH will also raise your KH, so make sure you didn’t over dose. If you want to be certain, just open your windows for a day (tomorrow should be nice and warm) and watch your pH shoot up; also make sure your probe has been calibrated recently.

Great article regarding pH, alkalinity, and CO2: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/

And another article about ambient CO2 levels in general: https://medium.com/@joeljean/im-living-in-a-carbon-bubble-literally-b7c391e8ab6

Honestly, everyone who cares about pH should read those two articles, they’re super insightful.

 

[dz6t]

Is your pH probe calibrated ?
I have seen so many or high pH issues due to pH probes instead of the real pH values

 

[thebigfluff]

Is your pH probe calibrated ?
I have seen so many or high pH issues due to pH probes instead of the real pH values

 

[thebigfluff]

Dosed baking soda last night and ph is now in the 8 range. Kh is unchanged. Weird

 

[MikeG]

Dosed baking soda last night and ph is now in the 8 range. Kh is unchanged. Weird

how are you testing alkalinity?

 

[dz6t]

If you add baking soda to the tank, your alkalinity will increase. Good Alkalinity test kits are sensitive and accurate, Salifert, red sea are some of the commonly used ones. API alkalinity test kit or any test strips are not good enough for reef tank.
For pH, you need a good pH meter that calibrated with pH 7 and pH 10.
Otherwise the pH value is meaningless.

 

[dz6t]

Dosed baking soda last night and ph is now in the 8 range. Kh is unchanged. Weird

If the goal is to raise pH, baking soda is not the right chemical to dose. You need Kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide), Sodium Hydroxide or at least Soda Ash.
Baking Soda will bump up Alkalinity with little effect on pH.

 

[thebigfluff]

So I have a c02 meter now maybe 1600 peak. Normal at 6-900.

Slowly dosed baking soda and now I'm stable at 8

 

[MikeG]

So I have a c02 meter now maybe 1600 peak. Normal at 6-900.

Slowly dosed baking soda and now I'm stable at 8

What is stable at 8, alkalinity? I would not be chasing pH if it were me.

 

[thebigfluff]

What is stable at 8, alkalinity? I would not be chasing pH if it were me.

No my ph. It was stuck 7.4-7.5 tops.

 

[MikeG]

No my ph. It was stuck 7.4-7.5 tops.

So as others have mentioned, baking soda is used to increase alkalinity and will have little overall effect on pH so would be very curious if you were measuring alk while trying to increase pH with baking soda. I was also a bit surprised by the result in one of your other threads that you were having to dose everyday to maintain alkalinity yet you dont really have anything in the tank that would deplete very much of it.

 

[DylanCameron]

Im also curious as to what your alk is currently and what test kit you’re using to measure it

 

[Reefried]

What are you testing PH with? Also need more info on tank and inhabitants. I agree with what Mike G said above. However I also believe PH is equally important as alk, if not more so. To increase ph and keep more stable you could do a few things. I would be running kalk no matter what. You could also open a window/ run skimmer air intake line outside. Or get a CO2 scrubber to run your skimmer air intake through.

Chasing any parameter of our tanks is not advised, and will drive you crazy. Stability is the key. If you make a change wait awhile as it may take months for that change to take full affect. I wouldn’t dose baking soda if it were me.