Clean your pH probe

My controller has been showing unusually stable and high pH for the last few weeks. Everytime i would turn on the Metal Halides the pH would shoot up to 8.5. When i turned off the MH bulbs my pH would be stable at 8.4 during the day and 8.2 at night. I knew something was wrong but never though about the Pinpoint pH probe being the culprit. My black and white clownfish were starting to look weired, they were starting to develop stonewash type of texture on their usually deep black coat.

So i went to the store last night and bought some caliberation fluid (pH 7 and pH 10). I took out the pH probe soaked it in white vinegar for about an hour. Took a soft toothbrush to it and gently cleaned the probe of all the gunk and slimecoat. I caliberated it twice and placed it back in the tank.

Guess what my real pH was freaking 7.8

This thing was way off. So lesson learned. Clean your pH probe once a month not once every 4 months

 

Been there done that. I usually just drop the probe in the calb fluid and if it reads what the fluid is then I don't calb it again. Been through that on a ORP probe, I now have two ORP probes that watch my O3 generator now just as a back up.

 

I just hope my clowns will make a full recovery

My pH is still low at 8.03

 

What's your KH levels? That is the real key into your pH probs. Sounds like your carbonates are all used up.