Fluctuating pH

hermitmandy · Apr 27, 2017

Just an update- opened a different window last night and have kept it open for about 24hrs now.pH sitting around 8.1 right now, haven't seen it dip below 7.8 all day. Not sure why the window didn't help before, but it is now.
Can't wait until I can crank all the windows open when it gets warmer...

CurtnStac · May 6, 2017

I changed my fuge light last week from 2 cfl 5000k bulbs to 2 mars hydro grow lights. The difference was immediate! My ph was swinging from 8.1 during the day to 7.6 at night. Now it's only dipping down to 7.9 at night. Didn't really think a light would make a difference.

moiy24 · May 6, 2017

Scorpius said:
Drill a hole through a wall to the outside. lol That's what I did, but I have an understanding family.

Did this work for you? How big is the hole?

Val Shebeko · May 17, 2017

So what then is the exact mechinism of the air stones ?

Simply exposing more water to the air water interface ?

Does the water perfer oxygen to carbon dioxide?

What effect would injecting oxygen into the water through a airstone /diffuser from say bottled welding oxygen or a air concentrator have ?

Val Shebeko · May 17, 2017

I have a deep sandbed setup. Would lighting the sand from the bottom, from underneath have any effect?

Adam113 · May 17, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The pH is low because there is excessive CO2 in the water, which is probably from your home air.

Any way you can open windows near the tank or otherwise bring more fresh air to it?

I may have to see if this simple task may help my PH. Mine hovers around 7.8 all the time.

Waters · May 17, 2017

Mine is pretty stable until summer, when I turn the AC on. The tank sits in the basement, where there are never any windows open anyways. As soon as the AC kicks on, the PH drops to about 7.8 from 8.0. Any idea why?

Val Shebeko · May 17, 2017

Randy. I put in two diffusers. Those wooden ones. They tend to float at or near the surface. Will that tend to do the trick of helping clear the water of co2 or do they hsve to be weighted down ?

The air pump is pulling air from the house until I can get more tubing.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 18, 2017

Val Shebeko said:
Randy. I put in two diffusers. Those wooden ones. They tend to float at or near the surface. Will that tend to do the trick of helping clear the water of co2 or do they hsve to be weighted down ?

The air pump is pulling air from the house until I can get more tubing.

If the water is otherwise moving around well, the airstone can be anywhere, but lower down will give the air bubbles more time to equilibrate with the water and exchange CO2, which is an inherently slow process (slower than O2). I'd try to push them down if you can.

Ty Hamatake · May 18, 2017

moiy24 said:
Did this work for you? How big is the hole?

This technique is used to supply the skimmer with air from outside as opposed to using the air inside that usually has higher levels of CO2. The hole only needs to be big enough to fit your tubing through

Val Shebeko · May 18, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
This technique is used to supply the skimmer with air from outside as opposed to using the air inside that usually has higher levels of CO2. The hole only needs to be big enough to fit your tubing through

Soon as the tubing arrives from Amazonhoing to put the airpump outside. Power connection is going tp be a problem.

Val Shebeko · May 18, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If the water is otherwise moving around well, the airstone can be anywhere, but lower down will give the air bubbles more time to equilibrate with the water and exchange CO2, which is an inherently slow process (slower than O2). I'd try to push them down if you can.

Someone mentioned micro bubbles being a problem. Most of the discussion on r2r does not see itvas a problem. Any thoughts ?

Ty Hamatake · May 18, 2017

Val Shebeko said:
Soon as the tubing arrives from Amazonhoing to put the airpump outside. Power connection is going tp be a problem.

Does your pump have an intake line or is it just like a screen with a fan behind it?

Val Shebeko said:
Someone mentioned micro bubbles being a problem. Most of the discussion on r2r does not see itvas a problem. Any thoughts ?

I know this question wasn't directed at me, but the bubbles shouldn't be a problem if you have a bubble trap before your return chamber. My trap is a foam block wedged in between the baffles leading to the return, though a lot of people just use the baffles themselves.

Val Shebeko · May 18, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
Does your pump have an intake line or is it just like a screen with a fan behind it?

I know this question wasn't directed at me, but the bubbles shouldn't be a problem if you have a bubble trap before your return chamber. My trap is a foam block wedged in between the baffles leading to the return, though a lot of people just use the baffles themselves.

Just a fan and screen. Who makes a pump with an an intake line ?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 18, 2017

Val Shebeko said:
Someone mentioned micro bubbles being a problem. Most of the discussion on r2r does not see itvas a problem. Any thoughts ?

They may be visually unattractive, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about them.

Ty Hamatake · May 18, 2017

Val Shebeko said:
Just a fan and screen. Who makes a pump with an an intake line ?

I'm not sure to be honest. I was just curious. If you already have to hole drilled... have you considered hooking the line up to your skimmer instead and leaving the airstone pulling air from inside?

Val Shebeko · May 18, 2017

I kinda like them. Makes the take look reefy. . Some of the videos un You Tube make the tank look like boiling pasta water.

Val Shebeko · May 18, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
I'm not sure to be honest. I was just curious. If you already have to hole drilled... have you considered hooking the line up to your skimmer instead and leaving the airstone pulling air from inside?

The skimmer has been hooked up too the outside for two years now.