Generate Oxygen at home safely to raise ph?

[kdx7214]

I've got a ph problem in my tank. It tops out at 7.86, although that number is not 100% guaranteed (calibration solution is on order). I've looked at CO2 scrubbers and they're fairly costly, at least for me. I know I can use decomp of hydrogen peroxide with bakers yeast, but not sure that would be enough to affect ph, or even if O2 would affect ph by driving out some CO2.

Any ideas?

Edit: Could I maybe dose hydrogen peroxide to have the same effect? The organics in the water should act as a catalyst. I won't do anything until I get calibration solutions for the ph probe though .

 

[dvgyfresh]

Can you open a window , air line into skimmer , or run reverse cycle refugium ? I think these would all be pretty easy to accomplish. Although firstly you way want to see why yr PH is low, could be access CO2 , not enough surface agition ect..

 

[Wolfw28]

I've got a ph problem in my tank. It tops out at 7.86, although that number is not 100% guaranteed (calibration solution is on order). I've looked at CO2 scrubbers and they're fairly costly, at least for me. I know I can use decomp of hydrogen peroxide with bakers yeast, but not sure that would be enough to affect ph, or even if O2 would affect ph by driving out some CO2.

Any ideas?

Edit: Could I maybe dose hydrogen peroxide to have the same effect? The organics in the water should act as a catalyst. I won't do anything until I get calibration solutions for the ph probe though .

Have the same thought about adding oxygen to bring up Ph thought you would find this conversation interesting and in lighting.
Hey @Lasse how you doing go a water chemistry question for you. I Sean to be the popular thing to help bring up PH is to have your protein skimmer air come from out side your home were there is less co2 int the air or construct a co2 scrubber to remove the co2 form the air before it enters the protein skinner. My question is if you had let say one of the portable oxygen generator/concentrator that you see people with lung problems with a used one of those with a wood air stone would that have a better effect than a co2 scrubber. I work in the automotive field and have seen how people have built a hydrogen generator actually a hydrox generator or brown gas generator using the reverse design of a car battery where you induce an electrical charge into water cause a chemical reaction making hydrogen gas around 1 pole and oxygen around the other pole. I have seen where in 3rd world countries during Covid-19’s where people dr and hospital where using this process but takings item like 2liter bottles with the bottoms cut out and putting each electrode in the bottle so that they could trap the oxygen and distribute it to the patient and venting the hydrogen fare away from any heat or flames. It a very basic diy setup and relies on very small DC current so it would be efficient to run. Just curious if that would be better than a co2 scrubber and would it make a big enough difference to make the project worth wild. Thank you and have a great day.
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Lasse
Lasse
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Yesterday at 4:36 AM
It will for sure rise the oxygen concentrations if you add pure oxygen (whatever the source is) into the water. However the oxygen generators/concentrators build as a molecule sieve can be dangerous in other ways. It must be nearly 100 pure oxygen - and contain no nitrogen gas if the gas is pressure injected into the water. In fish farms pure oxygen is often injected into the pressured water inlet system. A speece cone is used. If you use a molecular sieve - its important that there only are trace amounts of nitrogen gas in the produced gas mix. If it is too much - the fish will get the bend - named bubble disease in fishes.

However - there is no relations whatever between oxygen concentrations and CO2 concentrations in water - they are total independent of each other. It is a very common misunderstanding that high O2 concentrations automatically means low CO2 concentrations. It is build on the knowledge that aeration often rise the O2 concentrations and decrease the CO2 concentrations. This is true but it is that way because the air content of O2 is often higher than the equilibrium point between air and water and for CO2 - it is normally the opposite. Normally but it is on the way to be changed - the acidification of the seas is because the air concentration of CO2 rise and hence the equilibrium point is raised. You can see this on a pH meter in your home aquarium. If you are away from home - you have on pH and if you are home - or have visitors - its normally lower. The CO2 concentrations in the room affect the CO2 concentrations in the water (and pH) In a system with a skimmer maybe 50 - 75 % of the gas exchange happens in the skimmer - the rest at the water surface or from an aeration stone. It means that if you take your air from the outside there the CO2 concentrations often are around 400 - 415 ppm it will aerate out some CO2 from the water, if you let this pass through a CO2 scrubber (that will decrease the CO2 in the skimmers incoming air to near 0) - you will get out more CO2 from the water, hence raise the pH. But in the process mentioned here - the concentration of oxygen has no importance at all.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[oreo54]

Cliff notes version...

there is no relations whatever between oxygen concentrations and CO2 concentrations in water - they are total independent of each other.

there are only 2 ways to raise pH in a reef tank. You can either increase alkalinity or you can reduce CO2 in the water. Buffers work by increasing alkalinity (although they do temporarily lower CO2) and using too much buffer will drive alkalinity to dangerous levels.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ph-wont-raise-for-anything.531226/page-2

Aquarium Chemistry: Solutions To pH Problems

This article provides a series of solutions to common pH problems in aquaria, and should permit most aquarists to diagnose and solve the pH problems that may arise in their own tanks.

reefs.com

 

[Malcontent]

Oxygen concentrators are perfectly safe to use. They replace nitrogen with oxygen and don't increase total gas pressure which is what really causes gas bubble trauma.

 

[firechild]

I've got a ph problem in my tank. It tops out at 7.86, although that number is not 100% guaranteed (calibration solution is on order). I've looked at CO2 scrubbers and they're fairly costly, at least for me. I know I can use decomp of hydrogen peroxide with bakers yeast, but not sure that would be enough to affect ph, or even if O2 would affect ph by driving out some CO2.

Any ideas?

Edit: Could I maybe dose hydrogen peroxide to have the same effect? The organics in the water should act as a catalyst. I won't do anything until I get calibration solutions for the ph probe though .

Increasing your oxygen levels will do absolutely nothing for your CO2 levels or your pH.

 

[Chrisv.]

Oxygen concentrators are perfectly safe to use. They replace nitrogen with oxygen and don't increase total gas pressure which is what really causes gas bubble trauma.

Enriching the O2 does nothing for the tank's CO2. We tend to think of these as opposites due to how respiration works, but that's not the case.

 

[Wolfw28]

But they don’t raise the PH

 

[Wolfw28]

Oxygen concentrators are perfectly safe to use. They replace nitrogen with oxygen and don't increase total gas pressure which is what really causes gas bubble trauma.

He was talking about injecting oxygen into a pressurized water line a the possibility of add nitrogen. 2nd the oxygen generator/concentrators don’t make pure oxygen 1 is basically a filter/scrubber which is why they are call oxygen concentrator 2 the hydrox method doesn’t deliver 100 oxygen either.

 

[Malcontent]

Enriching the O2 does nothing for the tank's CO2. We tend to think of these as opposites due to how respiration works, but that's not the case.

I never said it did.

He was talking about injecting oxygen into a pressurized water line a the possibility of add nitrogen. 2nd the oxygen generator/concentrators don’t make pure oxygen 1 is basically a filter/scrubber which is why they are call oxygen concentrator 2 the hydrox method doesn’t deliver 100 oxygen either.

I was replying to this:

However the oxygen generators/concentrators build as a molecule sieve can be dangerous in other ways. It must be nearly 100 pure oxygen - and contain no nitrogen gas if the gas is pressure injected into the water. In fish farms pure oxygen is often injected into the pressured water inlet system. A speece cone is used. If you use a molecular sieve - its important that there only are trace amounts of nitrogen gas in the produced gas mix. If it is too much - the fish will get the bend - named bubble disease in fishes.

 

[Wolfw28]

Yes and if you read (if the gas is pressure injected into the water) is were you may run into problems and be unsafe.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I broke down and bought an ERV and installed it near my tank. My pH value went from 7.69-7.8 to 7.9 - 8.16.

I would try to accept the advice to stop chasing pH but I clearly see a difference in tank health and growth once I raised it.

 

[Wolfw28]

I broke down and bought an ERV and installed it near my tank. My pH value went from 7.69-7.8 to 7.9 - 8.16.

I would try to accept the advice to stop chasing pH but I clearly see a difference in tank health and growth once I raised it.

I'm not filmier with ERV can you elaborate.

 

[Lasse]

Oxygen concentrators are perfectly safe to use. They replace nitrogen with oxygen and don't increase total gas pressure which is what really causes gas bubble trauma.

They could be - if the produced gas is more or less nitrogen free. There is always trace amount of nitrogen left after the air has passed a molecular sieve.

I´m sorry but in my opinion - you are wrong - its not the total gas pressure that normally cause the gas bubble disease. I have been working in the fish farm industry for many years and we use pure oxygen and injected it into the water with help of a speece cones. We often had an oxygen saturation of around 120 % - 130 % with no problems of gas bubble disease. I have also measured the oxygen saturation in mature reef tanks (during photosynthesis) to around 120 % with no problems. However - there is reports that very high oxygen saturations can cause the disease but the reported levels is well above 130%

Nitrogen - on the other hand can cause gas bubble disease in very, very low oversaturation. It could be enough that a there is coming in small amounts of air in the suction part of a dry installed return pump ( air 80 % N2 gas) in order to cause the disease

If you still not believe me - ask yourself the question why pure oxygen and not compressed air is used in the plastic bags when aquarium fishes is transported. Both methods increase the total gas pressure. Compressed air is cheaper than pure oxygen but its is not even used for transports 5 - 24 hours.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Wolfw28]

They could be - if the produced gas is more or less nitrogen free. There is always trace amount of nitrogen left after the air has passed a molecular sieve.

I´m sorry but in my opinion - you are wrong - its not the total gas pressure that normally cause the gas bubble disease. I have been working in the fish farm industry for many years and we use pure oxygen and injected it into the water with help of a speece cones. We often had an oxygen saturation of around 120 % - 130 % with no problems of gas bubble disease. I have also measured the oxygen saturation in mature reef tanks (during photosynthesis) to around 120 % with no problems. However - there is reports that very high oxygen saturations can cause the disease but the reported levels is well above 130%

Nitrogen - on the other hand can cause gas bubble disease in very, very low oversaturation. It could be enough that a there is coming in small amounts of air in the suction part of a dry installed return pump ( air 80 % N2 gas) in order to cause the disease

If you still not believe me - ask yourself the question why pure oxygen and not compressed air is used in the plastic bags when aquarium fishes is transported. Both methods increase the total gas pressure. Compressed air is cheaper than pure oxygen but its is not even used for transports 5 - 24 hours.

Sincerely Lasse

Thank you sir should have asked you before posting just trying to help another member with the same question I propose to you.

 

[Nanogeek815]

Opening windows, airline from outside to the skimmer, and the one that did the most for me was switching to dosing kalkwasser!

Adding O2 won't do anything to CO2 (Typically what brings down pH).

 

[jbholasingh]

Why not just add a refugium? Without my fuge my ph is 8. If i run it 24/7 its 8.6. I run it at 6 hours and i have a steady 8.3.

 

[FishPureLuck]

I have a CO2 detector/monitor next to my tank and my pH doesn't seem to be affected by CO2. CO2 is around 400 with the doors/windows open and 900 when there are a bunch of people in the room. I use

 

[Lasse]

@FishPureLuck Whats your pH and how do you measure it?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[FishPureLuck]

@FishPureLuck Whats your pH and how do you measure it?

Sincerely Lasse

It's 7.9 in the morning and ramps up to 8.1 in the evening according to my APEX.