Fish room/Utility room with furnace, PH question

[atomic081]

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Im struggling to get my PH above 7.8 to 8 on a good day. Ive considered putting in a Air exchange unit for the furnace anyway because my house is newly built with foam insulation in the walls (not ceilings). My fish room does not have any cold air returns or any registers. I'm considering putting both in the room to see if it helps my PH.

Things to note:

I have my skimmer plumbed with outside air and this didnt help much.
my Fish room and my utility room are basically in the same room. I have a total of 1200 gallons. I have roughly 70sqft of surface water.
I have a exhaust fan running on a humidistat and a commercial dehumidifier to keep humidity around 40
I'm running a High efficiency Furnace and high efficiency tankless water heater in the utility room.
The Water heater is vented and supplied with outside air.
The Furnace is vented outside (PVC) and should not be allow much Co2 into the room, but I am sure it does let some in. I also have all the duct work sealed throughout the home.
My home is 4000 sqft. 2 adults and 2 children and a dog.



My thoughts are that since im having trouble with the PH. I put the register and cold air return in and cycle some of the air from my house. The house air should be better than the air that is in the fish room now.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

If you haven't already, I would suggest getting a CO2 monitors to see what your levels are. I would guess that your hot water heater and heater are gas??? If so they may be elevating CO as well.

If you have an added exhaust fan to the room without proper throughways, you can be creating a negative pressure in that room and when your hot water heater kicks on, instead of the exhaust going outside, it gets sucked into the room. Perhaps pressurizing that room with an intake from outside (Or from inside the living space) would be a better solution.

either way, I would first investigate CO and CO2 levels so you know how to address the problem. it could be as easy as making your gas exhaust more efficient.

 

[schuby]

What is the age and contents of your tank? PH is typically raised in a reef tank, during the lighted DT period, by photosynthesis of corals and coralline algae which consumes CO2. PH naturally falls when lights are off. If you run a lighted refugium with macro algae when the DT lights are off, you can slow the drop of pH during that time. What in your tank is contributing to raising pH?

 

[atomic081]

If you haven't already, I would suggest getting a CO2 monitors to see what your levels are. I would guess that your hot water heater and heater are gas??? If so they may be elevating CO as well.

If you have an added exhaust fan to the room without proper throughways, you can be creating a negative pressure in that room and when your hot water heater kicks on, instead of the exhaust going outside, it gets sucked into the room. Perhaps pressurizing that room with an intake from outside (Or from inside the living space) would be a better solution.

either way, I would first investigate CO and CO2 levels so you know how to address the problem. it could be as easy as making your gas exhaust more efficient.

Yes both are Gas....I should have said that. The testing c02 is a great idea! Ill see if I can find one. I dont know how I can vent them any better if its high though, PVC on a high efficiency system is pretty cut and dry.

What is the age and contents of your tank? PH is typically raised in a reef tank, during the lighted DT period, by photosynthesis of corals and coralline algae which consumes CO2. PH naturally falls when lights are off. If you run a lighted refugium with macro algae when the DT lights are off, you can slow the drop of pH during that time. What in your tank is contributing to raising pH?

The tank is almost 2 years old, I have a fuge (60g) light running at the opposite time of the lights in the display tank and frag tank.

 

[atomic081]

So I added a cold air return in my fish room/utility room and have my furnace set to have the fan run continuously on low throughout the day. I feel having air flow all the time cannot hurt and the fan kicks into high gear when needed.

My PH went up consistantly but not a ton.
Before was 7.75 to 7.95
Now its 7.9 to 8.15

Im making progress and since I have a Calcium reactor, I dont know If ill ever get up to that magical 8.2