If Ph reading of 7.7 normal?

[News]

Test the water just now and very surprise to find that the PH is only 7.7. I made another test on my tap water and it give a reading of 8.3. Had just change the batteries and calibrate with PH solution 7.0. Just wonder if this pen is faulty? And my tanks occupants look okay lah.

[Kelmen]

Looks like your test pen is haywired. Tap water 8.3!!!??? Oh, that must taste like our marine tank already!

Ask for a help from a nearby reefer or LFS using their test kit.

[Gouldian]

Test the water just now and very surprise to find that the PH is only 7.7. I made another test on my tap water and it give a reading of 8.3. Had just change the batteries and calibrate with PH solution 7.0. Just wonder if this pen is faulty? And my tanks occupants look okay lah.

You need to calibrate with both pH 7 and pH 10 solution in order to be accurate.

[minsmarine]

You need to calibrate with both pH 7 and pH 10 solution in order to be accurate.

Hana pan can't use PH 7 & 10. Tried correct one and another gone.

Anyway, my tap water is 8.2 also

[Kelmen]

Hmm... I believe my tap water (inland MY) here is between 7 - 8 only.

Must be because near to seaside effect.

[hotlemond]

Test the water just now and very surprise to find that the PH is only 7.7.  I made another test on my tap water and it give a reading of 8.3.  Had just change the batteries and calibrate with PH solution 7.0.  Just wonder if this pen is faulty?  And my tanks occupants look okay lah.

tap water fresh from the tap will gives a false reading cos of the chlorine, floride ions that are interfering with the probe.

test it on aged water or distilled.

[Hi_Bear_Bear]

i 'm using hanna ph pen - ph 7 solution is 7

tap water is 8.1

my tank water 8.1

guardian pharmacy distilled water 5.8

is this normal ???

[News]

Hi Minsmarine,

I'm using Milwauk** model PH 600, can I using solution 10 to calibrate. The maual stated that it support reading from 0.0~14.00.

Hi Hotlemond,

What should be the reading of distilled water? Can I just get a bottle of those found in any departemental store and test it or use those boiled water and what should be the reading? Please advise?

If there is nothing wrong with the test pen, having such low PH will cause any problem to the tanks?

Please advise?

[Gouldian]

Hana pan can't use PH 7 & 10. Tried correct one and another gone.

Anyway, my tap water is 8.2 also

You are right! Most pH pen calibrates with just one solution.

[hotlemond]

Hi Hotlemond,

What should be the reading of distilled water? Can I just get a bottle of those found in any departemental store and test it or use those boiled water and what should be the reading?  Please advise?

someone just mentioned 5.8.

wait.., i am going down to 7 11 and pick up a bottle.

but then again, i am not asking you to calibrate with distilled water hor..

[minsmarine]

I have both 7 and 10 but I use only 7 cause mime is HANNA ( borrow from neokn ). Tried to calibrate with 7 & 10 and compared with a expensive PH pen that my friend chemist uses in his lab ( calibrate with 4, 7 and 10 and automatic ).

To my suprise, HANNA gone crazy after calibrated with 7 & 10. So we try with 7 and noted only 6.5 - 8.5 range is accurate, the rest history.

So tried again calibrate with 10, my tank PH is 9.0 geeeeee.

Based on my exp, I would suggest to go for 7, since our tank is around that range.

[SoTongBall]

When was the last time you conduct water change?

I would suggest u do some water change to be a the safe side. Even if your PH pen gave false reading, water change is till a healthy maintenance routine

[hotlemond]

someone just mentioned 5.8.

wait.., i am going down to 7 11 and pick up a bottle.

but then again, i am not asking you to calibrate with distilled water hor..

news,

your Ph pen could be okay. my tap water here 8.3 (west)

didn't see any distilled water at 7 11, the beer looks too enticing... oh well, might as well

I didn't PH test the beer though

[lee]

Probably the good old PH kit is better. I had used Hana and it is rather sensitive.

My tap water here in Pasir Ris is >8. Once I tried by calibrating with a Ph 7 fluid in Iwarna, the cal fluid reads 7, the 2 display tanks read 7.9 & 8.1 and some of the other tanks with fish read from 7.4 - 7.9

[weileong]

tap water fresh from the tap will gives a false reading cos of the chlorine, floride ions that are interfering with the probe.

test it on aged water or distilled.

Not really interference because we are not talking about pure water so you don't expect 7.0

However that being said you will have problem measuring pure water as the conductivity is very low.

[News]

Just had partial water changes last week end (about 10%). Usually do it about fortnightly.

Had add in stronger aeration air and hope this would bring up the PH.

[minsmarine]

Adding HCO3 would speed up ( if u r really encountering PH problem ), since ur PH is below 8.

[News]

Sorry for my ignorance, what is HCO3 stay for?

[minsmarine]

BiCarbonate, not carbonate product base.