I'm not super worried about it since I think my ph stays pretty stable but I decided to get an API master test kit after a while of the strips always showing my water to be pretty acidic. Well I was wondering if anyone can confirm what I think is 7.2-7.4 on the color chart. I had added a Co2 injector to the tank and was worried it would make my ph even more acidic (then I thought it already was) so I filled a large half clam shell with crushed coral to raise the ph back up, but it seems like if my ph is actually so high I think I should take the coral out and those strips were not giving me a good reading.

Extra info, I have only had the Co2 & crushed coral for little less then 24 hours so I think my ph reading is still a result of my regular water. I have another tank that has no ph buffers added to it that also has similar ph results of 7.+

Kinda hard to tell from picture. You might try using a high range pH kit to see if pH is above the 7.6 limit of the current kit.

FWIW my planted tanks with no crushed oyster shell or crushed coral and even with peat moss in the substrate have a pH of 8.4-8.8 with the high range test and "peg" the (low range) test kit.

plants consume the carbon dioxide and return oxygen which caused pH to rise. Especially just before lights out.

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

I did the high range ph test and if was a very light yellowish color so I think that shows that it is at least in that range in the lower ph scale. I defiantly doesn't look like I have acidic water though, since my color looked to lean from neutral to the alkaline side. I guess it should just be left alone since it appears to be about midrange & I know fish prefer stable over perfect ph.

Brent, I think you might be right. It seems to be between 7.2 and 7.6

I did some comparisons on Photoshop and that was my conclusion. :p

__________________

Being both in the aquarium and Tech hobbies I appreciate that answer lol

+1

(Actually I was gonna say 7.2 also but I suck at reading the colors)

.02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

It's not easy reading the colours! I always ask my husband what he thinks the colours are, and we usually disagree. Lol, everyone says liquid tests are more accurate... well, yeah, if they match the colour chart, but they don't always.... and sometimes (like in the NitrIte chart,) the colours are just ridiculous. It goes from bright purple to hot pink to a darker bright pink/purple, but all 3 colours are hard to tell the difference between when actually comparing the test!

__________________
20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Yeah tests are my nemesis. I'm colorblind and the SO has to tell which one it is. Frustrating as heck.

__________________

29g Tall FW: Many Swordtails: 1 lemon, 6-8 neon/pineapple, 1 Gold Tuxedo, ? fry; 1 Clown Pleco; 3 Otocinclus Cats, and MTS.
Planted: Amazon Swords.

The only place where success comes before work
is in the dictionary.

+1 It's hard to be sure from a pic but it looks like it's on the blue side of green rather than the yellow side.