Calibrating a New pH Monitor + a Simple Tweak

Calibrating and installing a new Milwaukee Instruments MC122 pH monitor new out of the box. Also making a simple mod to conceal the bright blue and yellow probe that is unsightly in the aquarium. The water where I live is very hard, so I'll have to cut it with RO to reduce hardness and lower pH in order to support healthy plants and discus.

[@curtisburke3080]

Hey, I just came across your video, I'm looking to get a ph controller and looking at this one. I do heavy planted tanks. Have c02 on timer, but I'm developing bba, and from what I've read, it is caused by fluctuations in c02. My question is, does leaving this set to 6.5 leave the drop checker in the light green stage all the time? Also are you happy with this ph meter still? Thanks

[@hugheymorrow]

I am still happy been using this for many years. Bba is easily controlled with water changes in my experience. I turn off the Co2 controller at night about an hour before lights off so it isn't running all the time. During that time pH fluctuates to about 7.4 until morning when co2 kicks on with lights.

[@curtisburke3080]

@David Hughey oh really, ok. I figured you would keep it running all the time. Thanks for the info! So, bba is related to bad water quality?? I find it only appears in my tank in the direct flow from the filter and wavemaker. So, do you do weekly water charges? Tank is heavy planted, and water tests are good with very little nitrates. Guess i normally go 2 weeks or so between water changes, tho. Thanks for the info

[@hugheymorrow]

@Curtis Burke I'm doing 2 weeks 40% Changes ATM. Have you tried spot treating it with a syringe full of seachem flourish excel?

[@curtisburke3080]

@David Hughey no I don't use excel, I've read vals can't handle excel. I have spot treated with peroxide tho. Again not on the vals. And that's where most of the bba is.

[@hugheymorrow]

@Curtis Burke if it's only on vals and you can't get rid if it, maybe get rid of the vals if the HP treatment didn't work, I have done that long ago, good thing about vals is they are cheap and grow fast of replaced.

[@dobermanguy9437]

I ordered a Milwaukee PH monitor for my saltwater reef are you pretty happy with that monitor so far good video

[@hugheymorrow]

No issues so far, used for years

[@shark89690]

hello do you still have the device? I'm looking to see the electronic card behind the 4 screws following the loss of resistance. Cdlt

[@jorgesalinas1514]

Hello there. Could you help me clarifying a doubt?. How to get the co2 level in my aquarium correct using a ph controller. I have my controller configured in such a way that when it reaches 7.8 it turns off, but on the other hand, the drop checker is still blue, which we know means that the co2 level in the aquarium is very low. TIA

[@hugheymorrow]

What kind of fish are you keeping

[@jorgesalinas1514]

@@hugheymorrow I have a community tank with discus, rhodostomus, roseline sharks and corys.

[@hugheymorrow]

Consider setting it active with a shutoff at ph of 6.5. This will allow much more co2 and those fish should be fine with a lower ph

[@bencebusa1959]

I’m going through the same situation as u are. Had a few discus died on me because I was using co2 on/off with light schedule. At night ph would rise to 8.2 and in light cycle it would drop to just above 7. I now know the ph swing did the damage. Such a stupid newbie mistake I made and it cost me 3 discus so far. My mc122 is coming in a few days. Right now I have the co2 running 24/7 and ph is pretty steady at 7.7 at maybe 4 bps. Drop checker in between blue/green. My KH=15 and GH=4-5 atm. Do u have any advice on lowering my KH? Would u just RO water and add equilibrium or use the acid buffer? I would like to hear your update on your setup and compare. Btw this is my first real tank. Only had betta bowl before. Tank is a 125g with decent amount of plants. I’m always willing to learn.

[@hugheymorrow]

That is quite a gap between kh and gh. I would definitely do some water prep prior to changes. I use a 45 gallon trash can dedicated to water changes. I fill it will RO/DI (100gpd) and add equilibrium to make the gh around 3 to 4. If needed, I add a little seachem alkaline buffer to the tank if the ph starts hanging out below 6.3. My pH monitor shuts off Co2 at 6.3 currently. I use a small pond pump with the python tubing to pump the new water into the tank through my fx6 maintenance valve. For your plants you want the kH and gH to be in the 3-4 range. Discus are a little more tolerant than alot of people say, especially with them being raised in tap water at the breeding farms thee days, however huge gaps between kH and gH with large pH fluctuations is indeed a bit of an issue. One more thing- I used to cut RO with some tap to keep the mineral content before I started using seachem equilibrium with pure RO. I recently learned algae is in the tap water, so I prefer not to introduce spores etc. to the tank. Besides, why not go super clean, and maintain exact hardness parameters all the time, right?

[@bencebusa1959]

David Hughey Yeah the tap water here is very high hardness. If I could I would start all over and use straight RO and equilibrium with acid buffer/alkaline buffer. I’m afraid removing them and starting over will put the remaining 7 discus into shock and lose them so I’m doing daily 15-20 percent RO with equilibrium to lower KH. It’s a slow drop but better safe than sorry. I’m also trying small dose of acid buffer and see if it helps any. Being so new to aquarium I can’t help but to over -research and it’s probably stressing me out just as my tank lol. Today the discus ate and chased each other around sort of like the pecking order fight. It’s a good indicator that they are settled in from what I’ve read. Btw the tank is still on 24/7 low co2 schedule and holding ph 7.7. The controller is still not here thanks to ups. I’ll get it Tuesday now. If u have any new finding please update. I’ll be checking back here. Thanks for replying back with advice.

[@bencebusa1959]

Forgot to mention those nerite snails are incredible with algae. They ate so much algae that the pond snails starved to death. I can’t find a single one. Only bad thing is sometimes they crawl outside the tank.

[@rajadey4919]

Co2 running 24/7. I am not sure about this but do plants go through photosynthesis during the night or without any wrgb light? That means the ongoing Co2 ( 24/7 hrs ) will raise the Co2 levels in tank and oxygen will deplete or at lower level than the Co2 level in the tank. Is that good for discus?

[@bencebusa1959]

Is this probe really slow or is it just me?

[@ArtbyMagic]

If this is like Milwaukee Co2 regulator - I will pass.