CO2 issues so I'll try an air hose!

Bruce Burnett · Jun 12, 2017

Reefnjunkie said:
It's not that I run my tank at those levels (7.6-7.9) that's just where it ends up. I've not read all 7 of the pages but what I've skimmed is what a lot of us have either heard, read, or done. Years ago I've tried every suggestion posted and the CO2 scrubber was the most effective and the highest cost to maintain.

My tank is consistently in the 7.65 range at night (winter time) and as high as 7.95 in the day. The same is basically true for summer because I have the doors closed for the A/C. There are times when I open the doors and can hit 8.2 even 8.3 wooo hooo LOL

In my experience it's not worth the time or effort or money (unless your board, like to tinker with the tank (like we all do but...) or have copious amounts of money) trying to keep a tank in the 8.3 range. If you have to have that number, ditch the calcium reactor and switch to dosing - that's not a real suggestion, never change to dosing from a calcium reactor

I evolved into the "never" worry part about PH and quite chasing magical numbers years ago. Not sure about the extreme slow growth of lower PH or how low the low is but my acros grow fast, some faster than I wish.
I'll count my recent set back as a blessing since it allowed me to trim all but one of those large colonies in my display but that's a whole other thread hahaha.

Rev the link to my lower SPS dominant tank can be found...... well, you know where

Good luck OP with whichever direction you go or do

My ph swing is less than yours and does not go as low. If I turn my skimmer off my numbers would then be almost identical. I ran a line outside and my ph stays above 7.8 normally closer to 7.9-8.06. I have thought about using a refugium or an ATS for nutrient control and helping with pods, a reduction of co2 or an increase in ph is a side benefit. If you can get your ph above 7.8 without adding an ongoing expense or added maintenance that is the point I would stopped. Learning how to live on a tight budget made me realize I was a junkie to new items and fads, I would change things just because I could and was bored. Now I only make changes for a really good reason. I still get bored just watching everything grow and just the small amount of maintenance but I have had nothing go down hill since I took more of a stand-back approach. Like Paul B. says he may not have the best looking tank or the highest tech but few if any can say they have had stuff live as long as he has. He proves that old school can work so I feel a bit of old school and new school would make the best combination. Not everything works as advertised and not everyone will get the same results. Don't just add something because you can afford it and have the time. Be sure you really need the change why chase ph numbers if they are in a range that works. I am one that feels stability is what works in the long run and only make changes for things out of the norm.

nervousmonkey · Jun 12, 2017

Reef Remedies said:
I don't understand what you are trying to say here. Why add a scrubber to outside air? It's already much lower than the inside air. And secondly of course he is exchanging the air from the basement the tank is housed in if that is also where the skimmer is located.

Adding a scrubber to outside air helps a great deal, there is still a lot of CO2 in ambient air. True that there is much less in ambient air than that inside a home, but there is plenty of CO2 outside, and if the point is to grow corals at a maximum rate, with only CO2 as the variable, then the answer is to scrub all CO2 out of the incoming air.

Bruce Burnett · Jun 12, 2017

nervousmonkey said:
Adding a scrubber to outside air helps a great deal, there is still a lot of CO2 in ambient air. True that there is much less in ambient air than that inside a home, but there is plenty of CO2 outside, and if the point is to grow corals at a maximum rate, with only CO2 as the variable, then the answer is to scrub all CO2 out of the incoming air.

That was my thoughts, also it can help to overcome the co2 gas exchange in the room at the water surface.

bubbaque · Jun 12, 2017

@revhtree how is your scrubber comparing to outside air?

ncaldwell · Jun 12, 2017

I would assume if you were going to use a scrubber for co2 concerns inside your house then using the scrubber on outside air would probably increase the life of the media a good bit. Maybe only a couple days but over a year those days can add up pretty fast depending on consumption

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 12, 2017

ncaldwell said:
I would assume if you were going to use a scrubber for co2 concerns inside your house then using the scrubber on outside air would probably increase the life of the media a good bit. Maybe only a couple days but over a year those days can add up pretty fast depending on consumption

It could easily extend the life by a factor of 2 or more.

hart24601 · Jun 12, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It could easily extend the life by a factor of 2 or more.

It would be interesting to snag a CO2 meter and see what the level is in the sump or out of the skimmer cup. While my household CO2 is high I wonder if the scrubber is reducing the CO2 in the well sealed stand enough that running an outside line would be higher carbon dioxide and actually deplete the media faster.

Ty Hamatake · Jun 12, 2017

hart24601 said:
It would be interesting to snag a CO2 meter and see what the level is in the sump or out of the skimmer cup. While my household CO2 is high I wonder if the scrubber is reducing the CO2 in the well sealed stand enough that running an outside line would be higher carbon dioxide and actually deplete the media faster.

Funny that you mention this. I have actually debated running my open line (the one I use to control how much air is pulled through the scrubber) to the holes in the top of my skimmer lid. Reason being, if that air has already been scrubbed of a good amount of CO2, would it be beneficial to recycle it back through the intake... ???

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 12, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
Funny that you mention this. I have actually debated running my open line (the one I use to control how much air is pulled through the scrubber) to the holes in the top of my skimmer lid. Reason being, if that air has already been scrubbed of a good amount of CO2, would it be beneficial to recycle it back through the intake... ???

If the air bubbles come into equilibrium with the water, and the water has fairly low pH, the exiting air might have more CO2 than the ambient room air, especially as at night.

Ty Hamatake · Jun 12, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If the air bubbles come into equilibrium with the water, and the water has fairly low pH, the exiting air might have more CO2 than the ambient room air, especially as at night.

Does equilibrium happen normally before the bubbles leave the water? If the pH is say 7.9 would you see it being a problem?

hart24601 · Jun 12, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If the air bubbles come into equilibrium with the water, and the water has fairly low pH, the exiting air might have more CO2 than the ambient room air, especially as at night.

Might it also have less if the pH is quite high after adding a scrubber?

Fritzhamer · Jun 12, 2017

zsxking said:
What was your PH before went with cheato?

As low as 7.6 but usually it just hovered around 7.8. I tried kalk, adjusting two part but I just couldn't keep the ph up. Acoording to my reefkeeper my ph is lowest during the day now. It goes as low as 8.22 (end of daylight cycle for display) then up as high as 8.33 before the fuge lights shut down and the display lights come back on.

It's worth noting that these are the results after adding a second grow light. The Kessil h80 had little effect, one grow light was effective to get it over 8, to 8.1 even. Two has been the magic number for my tank.

Robink · Jun 12, 2017

I have the brs co2 scrubber. Upped my ph from 7.8 to 8.1 to 8.2+.

Ty Hamatake · Jun 15, 2017

Hey rev, just curious if you have any updates for us on how the scrubber is working out for you? I recently saw a pretty sweet scrubber set up from someone on here and if you're having problems I bet this guy could help!

Shaun Sweeney · Jun 15, 2017

bubbaque said:
I want to run a scrubber but it seems like the media would get costly pretty fast!

I got lucky. The owner of one of the local dive shops had most of a container that had expired - could no longer be used by divers. Of course, there was nothing wrong with it. Call your dive shop.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 16, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
Does equilibrium happen normally before the bubbles leave the water? If the pH is say 7.9 would you see it being a problem?

hHow well air bubbles reach equilibrium with the water depends on size, contact time, etc.

IMO, pH 7.9 and up is not a problem.

bubbaque · Jul 1, 2017

Hey @revhtree after watching a BRS video I figured I would ask you. Do you have a ton of surface agitation? If so, the co2 scrubbed air your skimmer is bringing might be wasted if the surface agitation is just mixing back in a bunch of co2. Try to reduce the surface agitation and see if it helps at all.

revhtree · Jul 15, 2017

Just an update!

Added a basketball sized ball of Chaeto to my refugium, that I wasn't using, and a Kessil grow light and things have been much better. I decided to leave it on 24/7 and my PH is sitting at 7.9 right now which is very good for my tank and something I haven't seen since I started it. After two weeks the Chaeto has almost doubled and in the process a nasty algae outbreak was thwarted!

Woot!