PH probes

[volcom69]

Hey everyone not really sure where to put this post so i will just put it here. This morning i went to work my ph was at a normal 7.97 or so, my ph is usually on the lower side and i dont let it bother me since all my corals grow and color very nice. I came home from work and my ph was down to 7.87 which seemed very strange since it usually goes up with my kalk drippings. So i decided to calibrate it, but it went down even further yet to 7.82. Ok so my question is do ph probes go bad after a year of use, something seems off, i tested it with salfert ph testing and its hard to read that thing but it sure looked like it was at 8.00, so im alittle confused. So just curious of the life of these probes. Thanks.

[bertoni]

It might have gone bad, but the problem might just be high indoor carbon dioxide. Did it calibrate properly? Which brand of calibration solutions and what pH were used?

[volcom69]

Could be high indoor carbon dioxide sure, but i have had my windows closed now for awhile here with the A/C on and was never this low before. I used the #7 and the #10 solution cant think of the brand name though. I use the Reef keeper 2 controller for my ph/temp and all that. So just wasnt sure if the ph probe was going bad i have had the probe for well over a year. I thought i read somewhere to replace after a year, but wasnt sure. Thanks

[bertoni]

Well, if it still calibrates properly, then I wouldn't worry too much just yet. Maybe someone was working a little harder indoors for a bit. :) The probe is a bit old, though.

[therealfatman]

The cheap (around $50) gel filled single junction probes very often only last around a year. The most common reason for a lower pH reading is accumalated organics on the pH probe. Cleaning in a dish detergent solution followed by a good rinsing handles the organics problem easily.

[volcom69]

Thanks maybe ill try that, like i said ive always had low ph which has never hurt anything, but not like this and something just seems weird with it. Its a pinpoint probe, but it seemed to take forever to calibrate though so ill give it a couple of days to see what happens.

[loudell]

Instead of "killing the messenger" why don't you recalibrate the probe?
This will accomplish 2 things:
1-it will verify that the probe is still functional
2-it will tell you the actual pH

When you say it takes forever to calibrate; I'm not sure what you mean; I have never used a Reefkeeper 2. The probe tip may need an acid cleaning in some white vinegar for 5-10 minutes followed by a detergent cleaning as described above. Older probes may react more slowly that new probes.

[platax88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15220668#post15220668 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by volcom69
but it seemed to take forever to calibrate

This was happening with my PH probe also when trying to calibrate with my ACJR. The high range calibration would not settle and taking forever. The Probe was giving me crazy readings. I purchased a new one and it calibrated very quickly and now have accurate readings. I would think it is the probe.

[Billybeau1]

I agree. If the probe is taking a long time to calibrate, I would first try the acid wash as lou suggested and if that does not speed up the changes between 7 and 10, then it is time to replace the probe. :)

I have heard of these probes lasting anywhere from 12 to 24 months. Your RK 2 controller may be a bit more sensitive than the Controller which that probe was made for. :)

[volcom69]

Hey thanks everyone for the tips ill first try to clean it really good if it still acts up then ill replace it. Thanks