Adding a co2 scrubber to my tank. Does a rapid increase in ph cause any problems?

[glb]

I’m getting ready to put a co2 scrubber on my tank to help the ph in my tightly sealed South Florida house. It runs 7.8-8.0 now. The alk is about 9.5. I know it’s within normal limits but I just saw something that corals grow faster at a higher ph. When I install it, the ph change will be rapid from everything I’ve read. Does this negatively affect the tank or its inhabitants in any way?

 

[Reefer's Cove]

I’m getting ready to put a co2 scrubber on my tank to help the ph in my tightly sealed South Florida house. It runs 7.8-8.0 now. The alk is about 9.5. I know it’s within normal limits but I just saw something that corals grow faster at a higher ph. When I install it, the ph change will be rapid from everything I’ve read. Does this negatively affect the tank or its inhabitants in any way?

Just open your window a few hours every now and then and you wont need a c02 scrubber. My ph sits at 8.2-8.3 by doing that. It's way cheaper and yes they will grow a little faster not a lot

 

[glb]

Just open your window a few hours every now and then and you wont need a c02 scrubber. My ph sits at 8.2-8.3 by doing that. It's way cheaper and yes they will grow a little faster not a lot

I wish I could but I live in Miami and it is too hot and buggy!

 

[Shinister]

I’m getting ready to put a co2 scrubber on my tank to help the ph in my tightly sealed South Florida house. It runs 7.8-8.0 now. The alk is about 9.5. I know it’s within normal limits but I just saw something that corals grow faster at a higher ph. When I install it, the ph change will be rapid from everything I’ve read. Does this negatively affect the tank or its inhabitants in any way?

The CO2 scrubber will definitely help with your PH. Mine went from 8-8.1 to 8.3 range. As BRS tested this, it will increase your alk demand. According to them, they had to double the dosage. But I had to take mine offline because (and this my experience only) the combination of sodium hydroxide, which I dose for alk, and the scrubber didnt work out too well. As the PH rose from the scrubber, demand went up. When I dosed more sodium hydroxide, the PH went up even further causing more demand. Cant say if it was precipitation (no visual signs) or actual demand. It was just a snowball effect. I went as high as 8.5PH dosing 300ml of sodium hydroxide a day. In my tank with a water volume of around 120, that means almost 4 dkh a day and all I have are frags. I know 2 people in my local reef club that are succesfully using a scrubber but they're using calcium reactors. My theory is that since calcium reactors have a slight PH lowering effect its working for them.

 

[glb]

The CO2 scrubber will definitely help with your PH. Mine went from 8-8.1 to 8.3 range. As BRS tested this, it will increase your alk demand. According to them, they had to double the dosage. But I had to take mine offline because (and this my experience only) the combination of sodium hydroxide, which I dose for alk, and the scrubber didnt work out too well. As the PH rose from the scrubber, demand went up. When I dosed more sodium hydroxide, the PH went up even further causing more demand. Cant say if it was precipitation (no visual signs) or actual demand. It was just a snowball effect. I went as high as 8.5PH dosing 300ml of sodium hydroxide a day. In my tank with a water volume of around 120, that means almost 4 dkh a day and all I have are frags. I know 2 people in my local reef club that are succesfully using a scrubber but they're using calcium reactors. My theory is that since calcium reactors have a slight PH lowering effect its working for them.

Interesting. I can see how the high alk would keep the ph too high. Has anyone else out there had this problem?

 

[Sod Buster]

Do you have an apex or such? Asking because the guys at 8.3 constant controlled take the scrubbed air offline, to cabinet, or outside air with electronic ball valves activated from a probe and breakout box. Outside air to the skimmer, c02 scubber fed from the skimmer lid. Elevated ph, the ball valve turns off the scrubber. Drops to 8.2, back scrubbing. It will help, but I agree, not a miracle, but every little bit counts.

 

[Midrats]

Limewater is your friend.

 

[glb]

Do you have an apex or such? Asking because the guys at 8.3 constant controlled take the scrubbed air offline, to cabinet, or outside air with electronic ball valves activated from a probe and breakout box. Outside air to the skimmer, c02 scubber fed from the skimmer lid. Elevated ph, the ball valve turns off the scrubber. Drops to 8.2, back scrubbing. It will help, but I agree, not a miracle, but every little bit counts.

I do have an apex but not a breakout box

 

[Reefer's Cove]

Sodium bicarbonate will lower the ph in the aid if you still use the co2 scrubber

 

[glb]

Limewater is your friend.

I’ve tried limewater before but I hate the sludge. Right now I’m using 2-part. I’m going to convert a gfo reactor to a scrubber. It will cost less than $10 in parts so if it doesn’t work out no biggie.

 

[glb]

Do you have an apex or such? Asking because the guys at 8.3 constant controlled take the scrubbed air offline, to cabinet, or outside air with electronic ball valves activated from a probe and breakout box. Outside air to the skimmer, c02 scubber fed from the skimmer lid. Elevated ph, the ball valve turns off the scrubber. Drops to 8.2, back scrubbing. It will help, but I agree, not a miracle, but every little bit counts.

I was just thinking I can always disconnect the scrubber manually or not run it 24/7. I’m looking for the simplest setup I can get away with.

 

[Sod Buster]

Avast marine makes a nice DIY breakout kit if you want to get crazy. You can even put the magnetic switches in the cabinet door for automatic lights when opened and lots of fun things. Have fun with it. A scrubber is on my list maybe this summer.

 

[glb]

Do you have an apex or such? Asking because the guys at 8.3 constant controlled take the scrubbed air offline, to cabinet, or outside air with electronic ball valves activated from a probe and breakout box. Outside air to the skimmer, c02 scubber fed from the skimmer lid. Elevated ph, the ball valve turns off the scrubber. Drops to 8.2, back scrubbing. It will help, but I agree, not a miracle, but every little bit counts.

Sounds interesting and complicated, lol.

 

[Sod Buster]

Sounds interesting and complicated, lol.

Not complicated at all. To get the best mileage out of the scrubbing media, you want moist/humid air going through the scrubber to the intake pipe on the skimmer silencer. To get the moist air, you use a hole in the skimmer lid to feed the air to the scrubber. That is a double bonus, as the moist air collected from the top of the skimmer cup has already been scrubbed, think a closed loop. The ph will continue to rise until the media is exhausted. Target is a ph of 8.3 on the probe reading. We need a tee fitting on the skimmer air inlet on the silencer for fresh outside air/c02 rich house air, doesn't matter how you have air going to the skimmer, one from scrubber, one from wherever in the tee. When the ph probe hits 8.4, the inline ball valve going to the scrubber from the skimmer lid closes, shutting the scrubber loop off, the ball valve letting outside/ cabinet air opens and runs normally until the ph probe reads 8.2. Bang, the scrubber valve opens, fresh air closes, averages out at a pretty constant 8.3 ph.

 

[glb]

Not complicated at all. To get the best mileage out of the scrubbing media, you want moist/humid air going through the scrubber to the intake pipe on the skimmer silencer. To get the moist air, you use a hole in the skimmer lid to feed the air to the scrubber. That is a double bonus, as the moist air collected from the top of the skimmer cup has already been scrubbed, think a closed loop. The ph will continue to rise until the media is exhausted. Target is a ph of 8.3 on the probe reading. We need a tee fitting on the skimmer air inlet on the silencer for fresh outside air/c02 rich house air, doesn't matter how you have air going to the skimmer, one from scrubber, one from wherever in the tee. When the ph probe hits 8.4, the inline ball valve going to the scrubber from the skimmer lid closes, shutting the scrubber loop off, the ball valve letting outside/ cabinet air opens and runs normally until the ph probe reads 8.2. Bang, the scrubber valve opens, fresh air closes, averages out at a pretty constant 8.3 ph.

So I see how to do it. My skimmer does tend to skim a lot, with bubbles up to the top of the skimmate container. Would this be a problem for running an air line?

 

[Sod Buster]

Yes, it will try to suck up some bubbles, it's not that big of a deal. Liquid will try to plug it. If you can run straight up with some 3/8's and knock it down to 1/4" after a foot of line is one method. Some run a baby spin on cartridge filter holder for a sediment bowl, or drill a hole in the skimmer cup bottom to go into a remote skimmate collection device.

 

[glb]

Yes, it will try to suck up some bubbles, it's not that big of a deal. Liquid will try to plug it. If you can run straight up with some 3/8's and knock it down to 1/4" after a foot of line is one method. Some run a baby spin on cartridge filter holder for a sediment bowl, or drill a hole in the skimmer cup bottom to go into a remote skimmate collection device.[/QUOTE

Good idea about the length of tubing. What’s a baby spin?

 

[Sod Buster]

You can see a really nice setup that got me researching the method. Type in Bubba's sps journey into the search bar. Then use the little page arrow to scroll to page 152. He explains it well and even has a video. I can't remember if he has the ball valves or solenoids to turn it on and off though. He does run dual cartridges so he never misses a day for spent media.

 

[glb]

You can see a really nice setup that got me researching the method. Type in Bubba's sps journey into the search bar. Then use the little page arrow to scroll to page 152. He explains it well and even has a video. I can't remember if he has the ball valves or solenoids to turn it on and off though. He does run dual cartridges so he never misses a day for spent media.

I checked it out. Thanks!

 

[Graffiti Spot]

To answer the ops question, yes it can cause problems. I saw burns on some acros when I tossed a rather large one on my tank, and I thought I remember others on here saying the same thing at times. I would take it slow and only run it half a day for a bit.