Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm curious how long the average pH probe lasts in a calcium reactor. I have a Milwaukee pH controller that I bought used a year ago and I've noticed that it drifts fairly rapidly and I usually recalibrate it monthly. I know pH probes should be recalibrated every day, but I feel like it drifts further than it should. Then this morning I woke up to my Ca reactor full of CO2 bubbles, cloudy with dissolved calcium carbonate, and the pH probe was reading 7.1. I'm pretty sure the pH probe needs to be replaced now, but wanted to see if anyone else has had a similar issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Been running the same probe for the last 3 years. It drifts at a roughly the same average rate as my newer probe so I still use it. 6 month calibrations usually keep both in line. I used to run water parameter monitoring equipment at a job site in North Hollywood. The pH probe was in-line and had pretty caustic 5.0 pH water running through it at all times. The probe membranes would still last about 1 year before I had to replace the membranes on the pH probes. Yours sounds like a dud and hopefully it didn't nuke your tank. Did you not have another pH probe in the main display tank to tell you the pH is lower than it should be? I would imagine your DT pH got really low during this episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard L Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 +1 on an additional pH probe in the tank. If my Apex sees a pH spike in the display tank it shuts down the CO2 supply until pH normalizes, protecting the corals from not only the pH swing but the associated Alk and Ca spikes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 No unfortunately I haven't added an in-tank pH probe to my system yet. I have no clue what the alk level is or pH is now, I was running out the door when I noticed it this morning. I imagine I'll have some damage this evening on my SPS, but if they haven't died yet from a dip to 82 ppb, who knows! I think I'll replace the probe and hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Get that Apex already Gig em! You travel way too much sir to not have everything automated! At least it comes with one pH probe already so just throw the money you were going to purchase a new probe and put it into a full Apex system. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 It's automated! Just with a Reef Keeper and not an Apex. I have a wedding and honeymoon to pay for, I can't be affording these top of the line controllers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Well snap a 2nd pH probe on that sucker and cut into the flower centerpiece budget! Oh, and don't tell the Miss's I said that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Haha good idea. Do you think if I register for an Apex someone will buy it for me? I knew a few people on this forum who are attending the wedding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Can't hurt to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I think your future wife may kill you if she sees an Apex on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 An apex would get more use then the crystal stem ware and silver flat ware and China plates that y'all are going to register for anyways but never use because they are too "special". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I've been trying all morning to figure out whats wrong with my calcium reactor and I ran the pH probe through the typical 4.0, 10.0, and 7.0 pH calibration solutions and the probe continuously reported about 0.6 high on all three points. I then just unplugged the pH probe from my Milwaukee MC-122 controller and noticed that without a probe connected it was reading ~2.9-3.1. I'm not sure if no signal would create a reading this high, or if maybe my Milwaukee controller is to blame by biasing all pH readings several degrees high. I can't find anything online right now about what the controller will read without a probe plugged in, but maybe someone on here also has a Milwaukee and can see what happens when the probe is unplugged? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Just as an update, I purchased a lab grade pH probe from BRS and replaced my old probe. The pH in my Ca reactor according to my old probe when I changed it was 7.3 and after calibrating the new probe and placing it in the reactor it read 7.1. I still believe there was an issue with the old probe because it was impossible to calibrate it on the 4.0/10.0 calibration points becuase they would never agree. I believe there was probably a span offset in either the high or low range on that probe causing it to be impossible to accurately calibrate it there. The odd thing about this situation though is that if my pH truly has been sitting at 7.1 this whole time, then the question is why has my alk risen from 82 ppm to 136 ppm in a matter of a week? When my old probe first starting creating issues it had a high bias and left the CO2 running longer than it should have coupled with a clogged output line on the reactor causing no turnover in the reactor. Over about a week or two a good inch of media dissolved and I ended up shutting down the reactor, draining it, and cleaning the lines before starting it back up again. JeeperTy and I have a current theory that the alk continues to rise due to left over small particulates that have been trapped within the media from the massive dissolved event. If I had rinsed the media after draining it, this probably would not have happened. I'm just going to run the reactor without any CO2 for a while until the alk levels begin to drop again and I will turn the CO2 back on. Just thought this may be a good lesson learned for anyone else with a Ca reactor who may face a similar situation in the future. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 You forgot to mention my other theory... that you were a bad scientist! [emoji24] Bwahahaha! It is quite baffling to have that much of a rise in alk with basically a neutral solution like you said. We might not ever know but your plan forward seems solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Says the man who left the scientific industry! You forgot to mention my other theory... that you were a bad scientist! [emoji24] Bwahahaha!It is quite baffling to have that much of a rise in alk with basically a neutral solution like you said. We might not ever know but your plan forward seems solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 It's because I couldn't keep a pH probe calibrated... [emoji33] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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