Pinpoint pH monitor vs. API

[stallen]

It's sort of a lengthy post, but please read on and help me out!

So I started dosing with B-ionic 2-part about two weeks ago to get my pH and Ca up. I got a brand new pinpoint pH monitor and I calibrated it with 7.0 and 10.0 solutions right out of the box.

 

I have been watching my pH monitor closely at various times of the day and I've been checking my Ca with a salifert test kit. Over the past weeks I've been dosing my 8 gallon tank with anywhere from 3ml once at day to 3ml twice a day. Before I started dosing my dkh was 7-8. I've been checking my Ca since I started dosing and I get 470 consistanly with salifert. Since my Ca has been running high I occasionally just dose part 1 to get my pH up and skip part 2. My pH has been running 7.98 before dosing in the morning to 8.2 during the day after dosing. I decided to check my dkh today and it was 11! I was surprised it was that high because I've been having a hard time keeping my pH up.

 

I began to question my pinpoint monitor so I used my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals pH test. I hate the color chart which is why I went to the pinpoint. Anyway I got about 8.4 for a pH with the AP test. Wow what a difference in correlation with the pinpoint. So I figured I'd recalibrate my pinpoint monitor. It was pretty much dead on with the calibration solutions. If anything after I recalibrated the pinpoint reading was less!! I was getting 8.09 before calibration and 8.06 after calibration.

 

So now I don't know what to do. I think I should beleive the pinpoint monitor. It's know to be accurate, it's properly calibrated, it can't be the batteries... it's plugged in with ac adapter.

 

So I've got a dkh that is 11... just about ideal. A Ca of 470... just little higher than ideal and a pH that is running low and it's going to get lower tonight. I'd like to bump up the pH a little. How should I do this? I realize that a pH swing is normal from day to night, but it seems like I should be keeping a pH above 8.0 at night and around 8.2 or higher during the day.

 

Should I blow off the AP pH reading of 8.4?

How can I get my pH up a little more without increasing my dkh or Ca any higher?

[cpllongjk]

stallen im having the same problem as you.

my dkh is 7, calcium is 340, magnesium is 1170

 

all on the rise from 2part b-ionic.

 

my ph swings just like yours, 8.0in the morning before i dose, and during the day 8.1-8.2... i used AQI ph test kit too, i hate the thing so much, im such a cheap A$$ tho, i need to break down and buy a salifert kit.

 

i tested 8.2ph, and i took my water to the lfs and they tested it as 8.0... so maybe that test kits always is off.

 

as far as raising your ph, is everything doing ok? if so, dont worry... i always look at the health of my system before i make ph changes.

 

i personally need to raise my dkh and calcium, but youres are all fine, i would say dont worry unless youre having problems

[stallen]

I suppose my numbers are pretty good. I guess I was just frustrated because I wasn't sure what to believe: AP test or the Pinpoint monitor. The more I think about it. I'm going to believe the Pinpoint because when I dip it into the 10.0 solution that's what it reads and when I dip it into the 7.0 solution that's what it reads. Therefore it must be accurate

 

It just seemed to me that with a dkh of 11 that my pH should be higher, but I'm remembering now that just before I started the B-ionic (and even once after I started) I used Seachem's reef builder. It is alk/dkh specific so it obviously did its job.

 

I think what I'm going to do is just use the part #1 of b-ionic to keep my pH up. I'll test my Ca every couple days and start using part #2 when my calcium starts to fall to around 420. Then after a my next water change I'll see what my dkh is doing.

 

BTW, I got a PM from you. Yes, the recommended starting dose is 1ml per 4 gallons, but that is probably just a good maintenance dose. I think it would be tough to get your numbers up with that dosing. Also, yes my inhabitants seem to be doing fine. I just got a few new corals recently and I'm trying to do what I can to keep them happy.