Low pH Aquavitro Salinity help

[C0rp]

Ive used Salinity for many months now. I just bought a new bucket recently, and after I made up a new batch of water the ph read 8.1. I checked it three ways with a salifert test, a hannah hand held digital, and my reefkeeper elite probe. I calibrated both the digitals the same day. The salinity bucket stated it was tested at 8.6. I called seachem and they asked for a sample. I sent them some salt, which they tested to make 8.59 ph water, measured with multiple instruments. They made two seperate batches which tested the same. Ok, so the salt is good.

Today, I make up 15 gallons of water to 1.026 at 78°, and mixed it next to an open window with the lid off the brute. I made 8.1 ph again. What the hell is going on? Why can seachem make high ph water but I cant?

[bertoni]

If you mix the salt and the water and aerate it until the pH is stable, the pH of the water is set by two factors: the alkalinity level and the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. SeaChem might not aerate the mix before they do the pH measurement. In the short term, the pH is set by the ingredients of the salt mix and the carbon dioxide level in the water.

That said, your meter or the calibration fluids might have an issue. Calibration solutions go bad after air exposure and time, and sometimes electrical interference is an issue. I'd expect the pH to be a bit higher if the container were aerated outdoors.

[C0rp]

Thanks for the reply. I continue to have issues I cannot understand. I made 10 gallons of RODI and put it in a brute with a maxijet set up in aeration mode. After two days, I added API proper ph 8.2 to buffer the RODI before I mixed the salt. I put in a little extra, ph was 8.3, I allow another day of aeration. ph still 8.3, water is up to temp, so I start adding salinity salt. I mix in 5 cups within an hour, and allow two hours of mixing to go by. salinity is at 1.026. I just took ph readings....7.8???!! Ph verified with digital hanna meter (newly calibrated) and Salifert ph kit. Im at a loss what,is happening..I dont even understand how its possible.

[disc1]

The pH of the RODI water has absolutely nothing to do with the pH of the final solution.

What is the alkalinity number? That's a far more important measure than pH.


I never really understood all the emphasis on pH.

[bertoni]

Even with the tiny amount of buffering from the Proper pH, the topoff water pH will have effectively zero effect on the pH of the tank.

[C0rp]

The KH reads 10.6, which is near exact what the label on the bucket guarantees. Just as it guarantees 8.6 pH, which I cannot test anywhere near, which is why this thread was started. Bob Fenner recommends buffering RODI water before mixing salt so as not to use up the salts buffering properties upon initial mixing. Which is why I tried this. End result was worse than initial readings, lol.
I understand the tanks ph is determined by alk and co2, not the water change water. Im just trying to understand why I cant make a batch of water near the guaranteed ph while Seachem has no problem doing it. 7.8 is pretty damn far from 8.6..

[C0rp]

The KH reads 10.6, which is near exact what the label on the bucket guarantees. Just as it guarantees 8.6 pH, which I cannot test anywhere near, which is why this thread was started. Bob Fenner recommends buffering RODI water before mixing salt so as not to use up the salts buffering properties upon initial mixing. Which is why I tried this. End result was worse than initial readings, lol.
I understand the tanks ph is determined by alk and co2, not the water change water. Im just trying to understand why I cant make a batch of water near the guaranteed ph while Seachem has no problem doing it. 7.8 is pretty damn far from 8.6..

[bertoni]

Buffering the RO/DI water basically is a waste of time. If the salt mix is low in dKH, then some buffering might be appropriate. :)