When you see pH drop, you think....

[jadefox]

When you see your pH drop suddenly, what is your first thought as to the cause?

When you see your pH drop gradually over time, what is your first thought as to the cause?

Is pH, as Fenner says, "the window on water quality"?

[DarthOcellaris]

i first think of my alk level. Then I think of if I've had my windows open much.

I dose kalk too and if it goes up too quickly, I immediately look at my dosing to see if too much has been dumped in.

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by DarthOcellaris

i first think of my alk level. Then I think of if I've had my windows open much.

Okay...so there you are saying "Well, shucks! My pH is dropping. I better check my Alk." So you check your Alk and it's low. Hmmmmm. What is your first thought as to why your Alk is low?

[hng]

The first thing I'd check is to make sure the pH probe is correctly callibrated.

[jamessp01]

my first thought would be that things are using it faster than Im supplimenting. Short of a precipitation event, thats the only place it could really go, at least quickly anyways. I dont think were talking about neglecting to test or suppliment it to start with.

[Wiskey]

When I see PH drop the first thing I think is "Low Alk".

If I see it consistantly low I think "High CO2 in the house", or if I see it low during a certian time of year same deal.

I really don't monitor it, I pay much more attention to CA/ALK and I feel Algae is my guide,.. it is my window on water quality.

Whiskey

[jamessp01]

Originally Posted by hng

The first thing I'd check is to make sure the pH probe is correctly callibrated.

this is definatly what people should look for if you see sudden pH changes.

The only other things I can think of that may cause fast changes would be kalk overdose making it high, or a runaway calcium reactor shifting it low.

[hng]

Originally Posted by jamessp01

The only other things I can think of that may cause fast changes would be kalk overdose making it high, or a runaway calcium reactor shifting it low.

Agreed, there aren't many things that would cause a sudden, dramatic change in the pH of a system.

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by hng

The first thing I'd check is to make sure the pH probe is correctly callibrated.

Sorry...I should have said that you know your probe is calibrated and/or your test kit is good.

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

When I see PH drop the first thing I think is "Low Alk".

If I see it consistantly low I think "High CO2 in the house", or if I see it low during a certian time of year same deal.

I really don't monitor it, I pay much more attention to CA/ALK and I feel Algae is my guide,.. it is my window on water quality.

Whiskey

Interesting, Whiskey. I am a fly fisherman, and I have competed in this event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming called "The One Fly." The angler has to choose only one fly to fish all day--very unusual for the fly angler that is usuallychanging patterns to "match the hatch" or deal with a particular situation. If you had to test only one parameter, Whiskey, what would you test?

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by hng

Agreed, there aren't many things that would cause a sudden, dramatic change in the pH of a system.

So what you're saying is that there are not many acid producing components in a closed system besides CO2 that will suddenly pull down the pH? Unless of course your Alk is way low.

[Wiskey]

If I had to only test one it's no question.

Alk.

Honistally I test Alk about weekly, CA about monthly, and almost never test anything else,.. I've got a good handle on my system and numbers tend to be where I left them. If something is wrong, or demand has gone up IME Alk will be the first to show me that,.. plus I feel it's the most important thing to have inline.

Algae tells me if my filtration is not up to par, or if I'm feeding too much.

Whiskey

[Loverotties]

Your buffer is low when your Ph is low.

[Twitterbait]

The last time this happened is when i had sand... and the first thing i thought was "crap, my sandbed is full and belching"

and guess what, it was and did

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

If I had to only test one it's no question.

Alk.

Honistally I test Alk about weekly, CA about monthly, and almost never test anything else,.. I've got a good handle on my system and numbers tend to be where I left them. If something is wrong, or demand has gone up IME Alk will be the first to show me that,.. plus I feel it's the most important thing to have inline.

So someone who is monitoring hourly for pH would be clued in to a consistent shift downward in Alk by a decreasing pH trend, right?