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View Full Version : ORP high after new sump/skimmer install


camaroguy
04/06/2015, 11:27 AM
Hi,

About 4 days ago I installed a new sump and protein skimmer. I am pretty sure my old skimmer just wasn't doing much from what I have seen since. My PH is up .2 or more, and there was more skimmate in the first two days than there was for two weeks with the other skimmer.

Now, I have been dosing NO3PO4x for a while to help with some high nitrates. The numbers had very slowly been coming down before. As of yesterday they seemed to be holding pretty steady at around 10.

Yesterday afternoon I noticed my ORP was above 300 for the first time in months. Last night it was at 350. This morning it is at 455. Any ideas what this might indicate? Did the NO3PO4x finally just suddenly start working overtime with the new skimmer pulling the bacteria flocks from the water?

I will test the nitrates again today just for curiousity sake. I am NOT injecting ozone either.

wolfblue
04/06/2015, 12:30 PM
Your ORP is obviously not 455, probably still around 300. Just a wild guess that the probe tip is fouling. I think NO3PO4x is like carbon dosing? Maybe your getting bio film on the probe but that is an awfully fast drift. Could be its heterotrophs on the probe. Like the bacteria that can grow so fast they cloud water overnight. And they love carbon.

Clean the probe?

camaroguy
04/06/2015, 12:41 PM
Thanks. I had taken it out and swished it in RO water but it looked very shiny still so I didn't think to actually brush it off. After brushing it off its down to 360 which is more in line with what I would expect given recent changes.

slief
04/06/2015, 03:52 PM
Clean your ORP probe with a soft toothbrush. Also make sure there is no air trapped in the tip.