CO2 scrubber with outside airline

[Gtinnel]

I set one up three weeks ago using BRS media and saw no ph change, and media is not changing color.

Glad to hear it’s not just me. When I get a different brand media I will try to remember to let you know if it helped.

 

[TurboTang]

I run the brs reactor with line to outside. I change the brs media once a month (I never see a color change). Here you can see the immediate shift in ph when I replace the media

 

[Natural_Reefer]

Here is my Icecap Medium (2.2lbs capacity) after 4 week and still going strong.

 

[Gtinnel]

Here is my Icecap Medium (2.2lbs capacity) after 4 week and still going strong.

Pardon my ignorance but why is the color changing from the middle. I just assumed the color change would start at the end (I would’ve guessed bottom but it’s just a guess).

 

[Gatorpa]

In the attempt to get my pH a little higher about a month ago I added a BRS CO2 scrubber and the BRS media. My skimmers airline is already drawing in outside air so I wasn’t sure how much of a difference it would make. When I added the scrubber I saw no change to my pH at all. I know the CO2 level would be lower outside, but in that month I have not seen the media change color at all.
I have read several threads recently about the media from around that time from BRS not properly changing color. Now I’m starting to wonder if it’s possible that there may have been an issue with my media.
So for anyone who has added a CO2 scrubber to an outside airline did you see an increase in pH?

I’ve done it both ways. adding the outside air for sure gets more pH bump.

I had a bad batch of BRS soda lime.
pH dropped like a rock and never got a color change. Even tried to change it out same result.

ordered some from Amazon day two and the pH is already 0.2 up from lows and higher than recent highs

 

[Gatorpa]

Thanks. I had heard mention of Jorvet brand from another thread, but honestly I had forgotten about it. I’m not sure that I want to buy that quantity until I see if it will help but they have 4 three pounds bags for $40 that I think I’m going to order and see if it helps.

I got the same 3 bag off amazon think it was $18

 

[Gatorpa]

I ordered the Jarvet 5 gallon jug off eBay several months ago (about $105 shipped). It works great and changes color as expected. The media definitely makes a difference in my pH. However, the outside line did not make a difference. Currently, I have it configured for recirculation. I think the jug weighed about 38 pounds when full. pH without the scrubber is around 7.8 and with scrubber around 8.1-8.2. 100g tank, media lasts around 10 days.

about the same numbers here as well, similar water volume also

 

[Gtinnel]

I’ve done it both ways. adding the outside air for sure gets more pH bump.

I had a bad batch of BRS soda lime.
pH dropped like a rock and never got a color change. Even tried to change it out same result.

ordered some from Amazon day two and the pH is already 0.2 up from lows and higher than recent highs

Thanks for sharing. I am getting more confident that I never saw an increase because of bad BRS media. I found the same 3lb bag on amazon but it’s $25. It considerably cheaper just to get the 4 bags for $40 on eBay.

 

[Natural_Reefer]

Pardon my ignorance but why is the color changing from the middle. I just assumed the color change would start at the end (I would’ve guessed bottom but it’s just a guess).

I am not sure but it might have something to do with the design of Icecap Reactor. I don't have picture of the Medium but here is a Small (found online) and you can see the air is drawn in from the middle (slightly elevated with the sponge). Eventually the media will all change to purple as they get spent.

 

[Gtinnel]

I am not sure but it might have something to do with the design of Icecap Reactor. I don't have picture of the Medium but here is a Small (found online) and you can see the air is drawn in from the middle (slightly elevated with the sponge). Eventually the media will all change to purple as they get spent.

Ok that makes sense then.

 

[Gatorpa]

Thanks for sharing. I am getting more confident that I never saw an increase because of bad BRS media. I found the same 3lb bag on amazon but it’s $25. It considerably cheaper just to get the 4 bags for $40 on eBay.

My first bag that I bought from BRS was fine lasted about 3 months. Second bag did zip and never got a color change. posted the question here about a week ago and hand a few say they had an issue as well.

The jarvet has been on less than 48 hours. pH already moving as noted above.

Thought I was going batty

 

[Gatorpa]

Thanks for sharing. I am getting more confident that I never saw an increase because of bad BRS media. I found the same 3lb bag on amazon but it’s $25. It considerably cheaper just to get the 4 bags for $40 on eBay.

My first bag that I bought from BRS was fine lasted about 3 months. Second bag did zip and never got a color change. posted the question here about a week ago and hand a few say they had an issue as well.

The jarvet has been on less than 48 hours. pH already moving as noted above.

Thought I was going batty

 

[Gtinnel]

My first bag that I bought from BRS was fine lasted about 3 months. Second bag did zip and never got a color change. posted the question here about a week ago and hand a few say they had an issue as well.

The jarvet has been on less than 48 hours. pH already moving as noted above.

Thought I was going batty

I already have an outside air intake so I wasn’t sure how much of a help a scrubber would be. So when I got no increase at all I just assumed it was because of the outside air.
It wasn’t until I saw a few threads about people having issues with the BRS media from around the same time I got mine that I began questioning it.

 

[Gatorpa]

I already have an outside air intake so I wasn’t sure how much of a help a scrubber would be. So when I got no increase at all I just assumed it was because of the outside air.
It wasn’t until I saw a few threads about people having issues with the BRS media from around the same time I got mine that I began questioning it.

For me the extra pH bump is worth it, I don’t have a refugium and until the temps drop and windows get opened the house CO2 is likely dragging me down.

 

[Gtinnel]

For me the extra pH bump is worth it, I don’t have a refugium and until the temps drop and windows get opened the house CO2 is likely dragging me down.

I had been running a refugium and it helped with my night time pH drop but suddenly my chaeto started disintegrating and putting a lot of nitrate back into my tank so I quit using it.

 

[Gatorpa]

I had been running a refugium and it helped with my night time pH drop but suddenly my chaeto started disintegrating and putting a lot of nitrate back into my tank so I quit using it.

Here is my chart last few days you can guess when I added the new media.

 

[DanATL]

My BRS scrubber with media definitely raises my ph .1 to .2. Initially I was drawing air from the room and found that was causing the little bit of water in the bottom of the canister to dry out after about 24-36hours and then the effect of the scrubber would drop. Then I started recirculating from my skimmer. This increased the ph impact for the positive (.2-.3) but now I get too much humidity in the canister to the point of the media getting wet; not good. Recirculating helped the media last 2 weeks vs the 5-7 days with room air. I just ordered a 2nd BRS CO2 reactor which I'm going to rig up in series with the first. I'm going to try two configurations to solve my moisture problem. 1) Run airline from skimmer cup to empty canister to media filled canister to skimmer intake. This should keep the incoming air moist but collect excess water in the first canister. 2) Run airline from room air to canister half filled with water to media filled canister to skimmer intake. This should humidify incoming air without having to take apart the media canister every day to add a bit of water. Guess I have an option 3) which is to source the option 2) air from outside. That's a bit of a PIA so will see how the other options work out first.

 

[Gatorpa]

My BRS scrubber with media definitely raises my ph .1 to .2. Initially I was drawing air from the room and found that was causing the little bit of water in the bottom of the canister to dry out after about 24-36hours and then the effect of the scrubber would drop. Then I started recirculating from my skimmer. This increased the ph impact for the positive (.2-.3) but now I get too much humidity in the canister to the point of the media getting wet; not good. Recirculating helped the media last 2 weeks vs the 5-7 days with room air. I just ordered a 2nd BRS CO2 reactor which I'm going to rig up in series with the first. I'm going to try two configurations to solve my moisture problem. 1) Run airline from skimmer cup to empty canister to media filled canister to skimmer intake. This should keep the incoming air moist but collect excess water in the first canister. 2) Run airline from room air to canister half filled with water to media filled canister to skimmer intake. This should humidify incoming air without having to take apart the media canister every day to add a bit of water. Guess I have an option 3) which is to source the option 2) air from outside. That's a bit of a PIA so will see how the other options work out first.

Any update on how that has worked out?

 

[Gtinnel]

Any update on how that has worked out?

For me I still haven’t ordered any of the Jorvet soda lime. I procrastinated on purchasing it and now I can’t find it for as cheap as I did when I posted this thread. I did just find another bag of BRS media that I bought at the same time as the first bag, and I just put it in the scrubber about an hour ago. I’m trying to decide if I want to stick with BRS media and assume the first bag(s) were from a bad batch.

 

[GarrettT]

My BRS scrubber with media definitely raises my ph .1 to .2. Initially I was drawing air from the room and found that was causing the little bit of water in the bottom of the canister to dry out after about 24-36hours and then the effect of the scrubber would drop. Then I started recirculating from my skimmer. This increased the ph impact for the positive (.2-.3) but now I get too much humidity in the canister to the point of the media getting wet; not good. Recirculating helped the media last 2 weeks vs the 5-7 days with room air. I just ordered a 2nd BRS CO2 reactor which I'm going to rig up in series with the first. I'm going to try two configurations to solve my moisture problem. 1) Run airline from skimmer cup to empty canister to media filled canister to skimmer intake. This should keep the incoming air moist but collect excess water in the first canister. 2) Run airline from room air to canister half filled with water to media filled canister to skimmer intake. This should humidify incoming air without having to take apart the media canister every day to add a bit of water. Guess I have an option 3) which is to source the option 2) air from outside. That's a bit of a PIA so will see how the other options work out first.

How I do it