HOME CO2 levels!

[rock_lobster]

Hello, my CO2 levels in home are high. Every summer they seem to go up to the point of where my tank pH starts dropping to around 7.6 and some of my corals start melting and dying. It is because I live in a tropical place where the temperature is over 100 degrees and the humidity is about 100% so no open windows. My tank is also unfortunately too far from a window to externally vent. Any ideas on how I can remedy this problem?

 

[rock_lobster]

Thought about trying either an algae scrubber or lime scrubber.

 

[rock_lobster]

Also forgot to mention that it is a 600SF apartment so I only need to scrub that area.

 

[Waboss]

I run my skimmer's air input through a CO2 scrubber to help with that issue. Without it, I ran about 7.9 at night and 8.2 during the day. With it, I run about 8.05 at night and 8.25-8.3 during the day

 

[jsker]

I was have this very conversation this morning with another member here, I drilled a hole in the wall and ran my skimmer air line to the outside. I live in central Florida, the house is closed up all the time and I was having the same issues. Once I did this my PH now runs between 8.1 to 8.26 .

 

[rock_lobster]

Thank you for the response! Hmm maybe I will have to get a skimmer for my tank. I currently do not use one its only a 20 gallon AIO It would be a pain to run a tube across the apartment because I have my tank actually set up in the kitchen. But this might be my only option..

I was have this very conversation this morning with another member here, I drilled a hole in the wall and ran my skimmer air line to the outside. I live in central Florida, the house is closed up all the time and I was having the same issues. Once I did this my PH now runs between 8.1 to 8.26 .

 

[cginter]

I was have this very conversation this morning with another member here, I drilled a hole in the wall and ran my skimmer air line to the outside. I live in central Florida, the house is closed up all the time and I was having the same issues. Once I did this my PH now runs between 8.1 to 8.26 .

With you running your skimmer intake outside, do you use a air filter to cover the inlet? And did you have any problems with higher temps being hat its sucking in hot air?

 

[jsker]

is you stove electric or gas? I would assume electric since it is an apartment. You could also get a small pump and put an try an air stone. I ran one of these on my 72 gal, they make smaller models for smaller tanks. Check out the video and this would be a long the

 

[jsker]

With you running your skimmer intake outside, do you use a air filter to cover the inlet? And did you have any problems with higher temps being hat its sucking in hot air?

No filter, for the reason the skimmer filters the air through the aeration process. Funny you should mention temperature, in May I checked the line. After a foot the temp was the same as the room, I thought it would take a longer distance to cool. We have be running in the high 90's for the past month with a real feel of 101 to 106 and again after a foot of tube inside the temp is room temperature.

 

[rock_lobster]

is you stove electric or gas? I would assume electric since it is an apartment. You could also get a small pump and put an try an air stone. I ran one of these on my 72 gal, they make smaller models for smaller tanks. Check out the video and this would be a long the

It is electric and rarely used. I think it is actually from me and my girlfriend being home and indoors way more during the summer time. I might try the airstone idea I still dont quite understand the aeration because it seems with high indoor CO2 that it would just diffuse right back into the tank.

 

[rock_lobster]

I could understand that working very well for a tank that has decreased flow but I have tons of flow in my tank like waves rolling across the top so it seems the CO2 would just equilibrate from the room pretty rapidly even with an external air pump.

 

[jsker]

Before I ran the line, I put in to Gyre 130"s to try to aerate the water without success. Just found this Co2 scrubber

 

[rock_lobster]

Yep that was something I was seriously considering though I havent had any responses on successful algae scrubbers for home CO2. I wouldnt know how much water is needed, the size of air pump.. many different factors. But since I do have a small area of 600SF this might be very practical. I also have a high flow on my tank with the return pumps and vortechs.


Man it must be pretty serious I opened the windows for 15 minutes and the pH shot up from 7.6 to 7.9.

Before I ran the line, I put in to Gyre 130"s to try to aerate the water without success. Just found this Co2 scrubber

 

[rock_lobster]

Okay I see that algae scrubber will scrub 25 pounds per year or .06 pounds per day!!!!! That is pathetic hahaa. The average person produces 2.3 pounds per day and there are 2 of us living here so thats 5 pounds per day! So assuming I am in doors about 1/2 of the time during the summer that means I will need about 40 of these algae scrubbers running full time in my condo to keep up with CO2 production.

 

[jsker]

Okay I see that algae scrubber will scrub 25 pounds per year or .06 pounds per day!!!!! That is pathetic hahaa. The average person produces 2.3 pounds per day and there are 2 of us living here so thats 5 pounds per day! So assuming I am in doors about 1/2 of the time during the summer that means I will need about 40 of these algae scrubbers running full time in my condo to keep up with CO2 production.

thought I would throw the scrubber out there

 

[orbitee2015]

I have been battling this too for a long time. I run a Co2 scrubber, fan, airstones, plants in room and Kalk. I'm still only getting 8.1 and the high time. I am averaging 8.0 with all that looking at my Seneye data. DKH high 10's to low 11's. Condo in FLA no windows to open.

 

[Diesel]

7.6 is not good long term.
Your Co2 level must be high in that apartment, I bet it's close to 1000 ppm or over.
What is your ALK reading on the rank?
Of course I advocate the use of somewhat of a airline from the outside to the tank but without a sump or skimmer this is hard to do.
What do you run your AC at?
My AC is set at 72 that is 24/7 during the summer months.
I do run for the last 2.5 years air from the outside through my skimmer and I do the Micronano bubbling on my tank during the night for 4 hours.
PH is nice at 8.o5 during night and 8.25 during the day, avg is around the 8.12 through my apex reading.

 

[jsker]

Sorry for the re-post

 

[cryotek74]

How are you measuring CO2 in air(what analyzer)? Higher CO2 in air is that the environment is actually higher in CO2. The "normal" concentration of CO2 in air was around 390 back in 2007(aprox.) For the last couple years I sampled various locations throughout the US and some places are as high as 510ppm while the average is around 420ppm. The highest places were OKC and Baton Rouge areas. Time of year also has an effect on CO2 readings in air. Also if your house or apt is newer and has tight construction(specifically a vapor wrap around the structure when they build it before sheeting) also holds in the air. I would be interested in seeing what a house or apt does with CO2 readings throughout a week to see the cooralation of CO2 to a tanks Ph.

 

[jsker]

Look at post 136 at the bottom and 137. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lasses-dream-build.246188/page-7 this member build a co2 scrubber the working in the tank to raise ph