How do you guys monitor PH?

[an411]

I was wondering if its something that you check regularly when you test your other parameters. Do you use a test kit or a electronic monitoring device. I am thinking of picking up one of those pinpoint monitors. I am not sure its worth the money or not or should I just continue to check using the test kit every so often.

One last question is how often do you have to replace the probes on these things. I do not use a calcium reactor either if that is needed to be known

[CIGDAZE]

I bought a pinpoint PH monitor not long after getting my tank set up. In my opinion, it's the single best investment I made, after getting so frustrated with the color changing PH test kits. The accuracy and continuous monitoring of the electronic probes are very well worth it.

My probes been in there about 8 months, and it's still as accurate as the day I set it up. I hear they're good for about 18-24 months.

:)

[ZoaFan08]

ACjr

[an411]

That is true never though about that with most controllers you get a PH probe which is a +1 for a reason to get a controller.

[snorvich]

While I have the capability to monitor Ph, I really don't do so. You have to periodically recalibrate the probes and I don't believe in trying to modify Ph, I simply let it go where it wants.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I never test pH at all. It's going to do whatever it wants, and it's not going to get out of a safe range unless you mess with it anyway.

[an411]

What about the calcification? I never really get high ph but mine is a little low I know it flucuates through out the day. I just wonder how much it effects the growth of sps? Would having a more stable PH help in coloration and growth?

[will16]

I use a reefkeeper 2 controllor with the display mounted right in my canopy. Works great. Every time I walk past the tank, a quick glance tells me the temp and ph. It has actually saved me. Turns out that when I turn on the central A/C in the house, my ph plummets dangerously low. The display alerted me to this and I rectified by running the skimmer intake out a nearby window. Without the ph display, I probably wouldn't have noticed unless bad things started happening in the tank.

I look at it so much that by now I can pretty much guess what the ph will be depending on the time of day, time of year and how many people are in the house. I recalibrate whenever I see the number drifting from what I would expect. I think that works out to once every 2 months or so.

[Laddy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14462707#post14462707 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
While I have the capability to monitor Ph, I really don't do so. You have to periodically recalibrate the probes and I don't believe in trying to modify Ph, I simply let it go where it wants.

Totally agree......it's one of those indicators which is interesting to look at, but in the end "it is where it is".......sort of like knowing what % of humidity is outside: what are you going to do about it?

I manage my tanks to a specific Alk/Ca and let pH fall where it falls. The only tank I'm explicitly concered with pH is when I add a new arrival to the QT tank, then throw a Pinpoint monitor on it.

Hope this helps.

[will16]

Oh and I also find it useful to monitor the effects of dosing alk and how much the ph rises with how much I dose. I dose with dosing pumps controlled by the reefkeeper so then program it to deliver on 3 seperate times over night when ph is lowest. This pretty much keeps my ph stable night and day.