CO2 Scrubber having little to no effect on PH

[The Opinionated Reefer]

I recently bought a CO2 scrubber kit made out of an RO canister and it's having little to no effect on my PH. My PH swings from a high of around 8.2 when my lights have been on all day and dips as low as 7.76 just before the lights come back on for the day.

I was under the impression I would see an immediate boost of at least around 0.2 in PH.

I set it up last night in a recirculating manner, taking air from the skimmer cup back through the scrubber and into the skimmer again. All I saw was a tiny 0.02 change in PH, it got to 8.26 instead of 8.24. I was then advised that pulling from the skimmer cup probably isn't the best idea for keeping the skimmer running well so I just started pulling air straight in from the cabinet and its having zero effect on PH. My skimmer is only a Bubble Magnus curve 5 and the tank is a read sea reefer 350.

Something must be wrong here?

 

[Royal gramma]

I’ve found having wave makers 3” from the surface pointing up helps with my ph levels I have 3 sat in the top corners.but this is what works for me with my skimmer and 307.

 

[Garia666]

You should run it counter to you’re lighting schedule for a more stable ph. I do it with my algea reactor.

 

[SALTYMOPAR]

I recently bought a CO2 scrubber kit made out of an RO canister and it's having little to no effect on my PH. My PH swings from a high of around 8.2 when my lights have been on all day and dips as low as 7.76 just before the lights come back on for the day.

I was under the impression I would see an immediate boost of at least around 0.2 in PH.

I set it up last night in a recirculating manner, taking air from the skimmer cup back through the scrubber and into the skimmer again. All I saw was a tiny 0.02 change in PH, it got to 8.26 instead of 8.24. I was then advised that pulling from the skimmer cup probably isn't the best idea for keeping the skimmer running well so I just started pulling air straight in from the cabinet and its having zero effect on PH. My skimmer is only a Bubble Magnus curve 5 and the tank is a read sea reefer 350.

Something must be wrong here?

Number of the things will effect how effective the CO2 the biggest effect of PH with a scubber i see is the middle of winter with my gas furnace running house is sealed up and not much fresh air that when a scubber works well. if your opening your windows up or you have a hvac system with make up air dampener that pulls outside air in to the house your not going to see a huge gains.

 

[Uncle99]

You may have a leak in the canister.
Don’t expect much from the scrubber, I stopped using mine as it became quite expensive for the media.
For the last 5 years now I have let my PH run without my scrubber and it still runs 7.8-8.1
I have experienced zero effects on my coral growth running in this range.
I found no great value in this product at all.
I can get the same results from pulling air from the outside, which is too small to amount to anything.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

CO2 scrubbers are fighting against the tank top aeration. Too much aeration at the tank top will limit the CO2 removal from the skimmer with low CO2 air.

 

[SoAg Reefer]

It doesn't look like you have it set up properly. Not sure why you have tubing from the input side connected to your collection cup. The output hose connects to your skimmers air tubing which you have correct. The input pulls air from the outside and scrubs it. My input connecter is not connected to anything and my scrubber is outside the sump not sure if that matters. Did you put a teaspoon of RO water on the bottom of the reactor (outside the sleeve that holds the media if you have one, cant let the water touch the media)? Maybe your reactor is different but i'd disconnect the input hose from the collection cup and run it outside your sump or just remove it, give it a day or two and see if that impacts anything.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

It doesn't look like you have it set up properly. Not sure why you have tubing from the input side connected to your collection cup. The output hose connects to your skimmers air tubing which you have correct. The input pulls air from the outside and scrubs it. My input connecter is not connected to anything and my scrubber is outside the sump not sure if that matters. Did you put a teaspoon of RO water on the bottom of the reactor (outside the sleeve that holds the media if you have one, cant let the water touch the media)? Maybe your reactor is different but i'd disconnect the input hose from the collection cup and run it outside your sump or just remove it, give it a day or two and see if that impacts anything.

It was taking air from the skimmer collection cup because that is how a recirculating CO2 scrubber works. Its supposed to be far more efficient. There is BRS video on it. Anyway I have now removed the line from the collection cup and i am just trying to see if it makes a difference. I did add the RO water to the bottom of the housing.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

CO2 scrubbers are fighting against the tank top aeration. Too much aeration at the tank top will limit the CO2 removal from the skimmer with low CO2 air.

Its a reefer 350 so an open top tank but there isn't a great deal of surface addition.

 

[vanpire]

Mine didn't have much of an effect either. I have a rimless 300 gallon with with fan running so gas exchange is probably very good, and therefore, the scrubber has a smaller effect.

I also stopped using mine and still have half of the media left.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

Mine didn't have much of an effect either. I have a rimless 300 gallon with with fan running so gas exchange is probably very good, and therefore, the scrubber has a smaller effect.

I also stopped using mine and still have half of the media left.

boo looking like a waste of money

 

[Sdot]

They work..... however your skimmer must draw in lots of air to be effective. Below are the results of my own personal experiment: Note, for me it takes about 2 - 3 days to hit its stride

 

[ClearLife]

Having the intake connected to the cup is a valid method of improving the efficiency of the scrubber and it also automatically adds needed moisture to the intake air. That way you don't have to add RO water to the bottom of the scrubber canister. I have one and it works great.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

Does it look setup properly?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It was taking air from the skimmer collection cup because that is how a recirculating CO2 scrubber works. Its supposed to be far more efficient. There is BRS video on it. Anyway I have now removed the line from the collection cup and i am just trying to see if it makes a difference. I did add the RO water to the bottom of the housing.

Might be more efficient (or not, not clear to me, depends on many factors) , but it eliminates one of the most useful aspects of skimmers, IMO, which is oxygenation at night. For that reason, I would not do it.

 

[Sdot]

Does it look setup properly?

yup...the same setup as what i use.

 

[brianbigoats]

I always pack mine full so there is no head space in the container without my scrubber it is 7.9 to 8.0 with it is 8.3 - 8.4

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

I will, the kit didn't come with enough media to fill it full to the top. I have ordered more.

 

[SoAg Reefer]

I took mine offline a few days ago. Installed it today at 12pm. I am aware that ph rises during the day but the past few days I capped at 8 by 6pm then down to 7.8. Installed it again and instantly back up. Looks like you have it done right just see if running the input outside the sump helps.

 

[ca1ore]

Having the intake connected to the cup is a valid method of improving the efficiency of the scrubber and it also automatically adds needed moisture to the intake air. That way you don't have to add RO water to the bottom of the scrubber canister. I have one and it works great.

I would have thought pulling air through the collection cup would mostly negate the need of a CO2 scrubber since you are using 'recycled' air. I do it on my mega skimmer primarily to prevent the mazzei injectors from getting clogged with salt creep.