high ph question....help

[crazybizzle]

Ok so my ph was at low 7.8 using api test kit so i added some.buffer to get it to 8.4 using seachem 8.4 buffer recomded dose was 5ml thats what i did.  That was 2 days ago and i used my ph probe i just got and it read 8.8.

I havnt test with my api kit so im thinking the probe could not be calibrated right considing i got it used.

My questuon is if in deed my ph is 8.8 is this a emergency what should i do? Use a ph dropper,  wait it out and it will drop on its own or water change? Funny thing is since its been raised if im right my corraline is growing super quick and is hot pink.  Other than that help pleasse

 

[Blob-79]

absolutly..before trusting your ph probe, you need to make sure its calibrated. Buying used it great, I do it all the time. just like anything you buy used, ie, light fixtures-change bulbs. cars-change oil, you gotta do the maintenance on the equiptment before you can really use it, cause who knows when the last time it was done

 

[shayneh]

I agree.....I would also say that most of us look at our tanks everyday and sometimes we don't even need a test kit to know something is wrong or that something is really working well. I feel like obi wan kenobi here.... "let go your conscious self and act on instinct" LMAO!

 

[crazybizzle]

Well nothing looks bad at all corals and fish are the same as they were weeks ago hopefully probe just needs to be calibrated. But if ph is 8.8 what do u guys recomded i do

 

[Fraggle Rock]

I'd do Small water changes at the proper ph over the course of a few days, if not longer.
Don't want to drop it too Fast and stress anything out.

 

[shayneh]

So was your ph out or was the probe? I would simply add some vinegar to bring the ph down personally but if your due for a water change it will certainly help.

 

[crazybizzle]

Ok so its been a few weeks ive done 2 water changes the probe is calibrated and i also used my api kit and ph is still high at 8.8.  Nothing seems affected except clove poloyps and my frogspawn and my cleaner wrasse is mia is it time to add some vinegar how much for a 65 or  what??else

 

[shayneh]

I'm almost scared to ask these 2 questions with recent receptions but here goes... Do you have hard water where you live and do you have a softener?.....(Gulp)..... are you using ro/di? Hardness of water will have an effect on ph. If your going to use vinegar I would add 5ml's at a time and wait at least half a day between doses. Remember your also adding a carbon source and you don't want to get a bacterial bloom that will deplete oxygen and mess up ph readings as well as stress the system. 

 

[crazybizzle]

Im using ro/di straight from water store 0tds lol im in windsor  no super problems up until a month ago

 

[shayneh]

If you test TDS and water is from a reputable source I would suggest the next time you do a water change check ph of your make up water. Could be an off batch of salt not that 8.8 is horrible. Biggest thing is making sure your ph is stable and within parameters.