Buildup C02 levels in aquarium water

[WVReefJunkie]

I wanted to post my apex ph scale to show the ph drop last night compared to the nights prior. We were out of the house last night and you can see the dropin ph at night is about half of the nights prior when we were there. I have my skimmer line ran to the outside, but shows C02 present in the house's inside air. Thoghts

 

[Dkmoo]

This shows how much your ambient room co2 is still effecting the tanks co2 concentration since air exchange still occurs from your DT surface, overflow, and sump.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

This shows how much your ambient room co2 is still effecting the tanks co2 concentration since air exchange still occurs from your DT surface, overflow, and sump.

Correct, the system is about six months running, I dont have any macro algae currently. Live rock in fuge, with six sps acro frags and some large fish from my older system. What other ways you think I could make some adjustments to improve ph?

 

[Dkmoo]

What alk do you dose? If using sodium bicarbonate, consider changing to sodium carbonate (soda ash). This raises PH more than bicarbonate, and you can then set your doser to dose them in 1 or more doses only at night.

Fuge on opposite light cycle will help as you mentioned so if you plan to get one set up later that should be good

Finally. Don't breath at night =P

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I use ESV on a Neptune Dos, I am not much of a fan at lighting the sump. I told the family to sleep outside, but that didn't go over to well, Lol. Thanks

 

[Gtinnel]

If your pH is only dropping to 8.05 at night why try to do anything to keep it higher. That seems like a perfectly acceptable low point to me.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

If your pH is only dropping to 8.05 at night why try to do anything to keep it higher. That seems like a perfectly acceptable low point to me.

Just looking to better my aquarium.

 

[ZoWhat]

Are you curious or concerned?

Tooooooooo many factors to convict such a slight variation. Could be from the fact that your furnace cycled differently due to outside changing temperature ...to... your ph probe is getting older and not as accurate.

IMO ph monitoring is a RANGE. I dont look a patterns other than when my lights are on, my ph should be rising, lights off, falling.

I only get concerned if my ph drops below 7.8 out of the blue.... that tells me the #1 thing if that happened is my tank got flooded with top off water and my salinity dropped like rock


.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

Are you curious or concerned?

Tooooooooo many factors to convict such a slight variation. Could be from the fact that your furnace cycled differently due to outside changing temperature ...to... your ph probe is getting older and not as accurate.

IMO ph monitoring is a RANGE. I dint look a patterns other than when my lights are on, my ph should be rising, lights off, falling.

I only get concerned if my ph drops below 7.8 out if the blue.... that tells me the #1 thing if that happened is my tank got flooded with top off water and my salinity dropped like rock


.

Just curious, wanted your inputs.

 

[Gtinnel]

Just looking to better my aquarium.

Oh ok. Other than the things suggested already what about reducing your surface agitation at night by turning powerheads and pumps down.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

Oh ok. Other than the things suggested already what about reducing your surface agitation at night by turning powerheads and pumps down.

Never thought of that, would that not increase C02 levels in the aquarium water. Wouldnt be hard to do, because I have three mp60s and a mp40 running through the mobius app.

 

[Garf]

Correct, the system is about six months running, I dont have any macro algae currently. Live rock in fuge, with six sps acro frags and some large fish from my older system. What other ways you think I could make some adjustments to improve ph?

Jeez, I thought I had a lot of snails. No doubt they are givin off some CO2.

 

[Dkmoo]

I use ESV on a Neptune Dos, I am not much of a fan at lighting the sump. I told the family to sleep outside, but that didn't go over to well, Lol. Thanks

If you are either concerned about setting up new light for the fuge, or just don't want to light up your living room at night, you may want to consider either an algae scrubber or a chaeto reactor. Many of those are enclosed compartment where light is sealed inside so doesn't spill out.

Never thought of that, would that not increase C02 levels in the aquarium water. Wouldnt be hard to do, because I have three mp60s and a mp40 running through the mobius app.

It would decrease co2 bc the idea here is that you want to reduce the surface agitation to reduce air exchange with your living room, which contains more co2 than the outside air that the skimmer is pulling.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

If you are either concerned about setting up new light for the fuge, or just don't want to light up your living room at night, you may want to consider either an algae scrubber or a chaeto reactor. Many of those are enclosed compartment where light is sealed inside so doesn't spill out.



It would decrease co2 bc the idea here is that you want to reduce the surface agitation to reduce air exchange with your living room, which contains more co2 than the outside air that the skimmer is pulling.

Think reducing flow would effect my sps?

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I could plumb a algae scrubber no problem, I set my system up with a manifold. My older system I had alot of issues with imbalance nutrient levels, I had issues with bacteria growing in my fuge. This system is alot better, Iam using gfo for nutrient export and carbon dosing nopox for N03.

 

[X-37B]

Your ph is fine. My ph range is 7.9 at night to 8.2 lights on. The range has no effect on my system or corals.
Plus I run a carx. The ph range was the same before the carx was put online.

 

[Gtinnel]

Think reducing flow would effect my sps?

I'm fairly new to keeping SPS but I doubt reducing your flow at night would make any difference to them. I'm pretty sure some power heads come with a reduced night time mode to mimic the calmer currents at night. I assume it would help your nighttime pH but even if it doesn't its easy and free to try it.

Running an algea scrubber should help also, based on the algea consuming CO2 from the water, it's the same principal that causes reefers run their fuge lights at night. I've also heard that having plants in the room with the tank or sump can help reduce the CO2 in your house, although I'm skeptical of how much it'd reduce it by.

Also, I just wanted to mention that your setup looks incredible, it makes me ashamed of my diy, pieced together setup that I wouldn't be willing to show anybody. Lol

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I'm fairly new to keeping SPS but I doubt reducing your flow at night would make any difference to them. I'm pretty sure some power heads come with a reduced night time mode to mimic the calmer currents at night. I assume it would help your nighttime pH but even if it doesn't its easy and free to try it.

Running an algea scrubber should help also, based on the algea consuming CO2 from the water, it's the same principal that causes reefers run their fuge lights at night. I've also heard that having plants in the room with the tank or sump can help reduce the CO2 in your house, although I'm skeptical of how much it'd reduce it by.

Also, I just wanted to mention that your setup looks incredible, it makes me ashamed of my diy, pieced together setup that I wouldn't be willing to show anybody. Lol

Thanks for info, I think the plants to space ratio is alot, it would take alot of plants to be effective. I think I am going to eventually get a turf algae scrubber, but currently I am using Nopox for nitrate reduction.