Ph at 7.6...how to raise is

[Bperau]

I believe the co2 absorbant either is limewater or is something like it because when I search limewater on BRS that's what comes up is the media

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I believe the co2 absorbant either is limewater or is something like it because when I search limewater on BRS that's what comes up is the media

No, its not exactly the same and shouldn't be used interchangeably.

Limewater is calcium hydroxide dissolved in water. It is used for dosing calcium and alkalinity to reef tanks and also raising the pH.

The media in a scrubber is called soda lime. It is a solid mix of calcium hydroxide, water, sodium hydroxide, and sometimes potassium hydroxide. It may also have indicating dyes in it.

 

[Bperau]

I'll post my update when I get it next week

 

[Mindi]

I have the same problem ...opening windows before and after the tank raises the pH from 7.9 to 8.0 in a few hours... ouside air piped to the skimmer had no effect over a week. As I have been bringing my Alk down to 3.2meq/l, pH is now 7.8 at midday and I am not allowed to freeze everyone's butts on an ongoing basis. This is not even open for discussion it appears. I think I will bring my Alk back up to around 3.7-3.8 to bring it back to 8.0. I have crushed coral substrate and I dont really expect it to start dissolving at 7.8 but would be quite happy to see it come back a bit.

 

[Mindi]

I keep thinking about the rubbish air we are breathing in these new hermetically sealed houses ..? Domestic Aircon units here in Aust dont have any fresh makeup air requirement..we just keep heating and cooling the same old CO2....LOL

 

[estcecca]

If dKh is 8 or more, you can raise pH if you connect the air intake of the skimmer to the outside of your home. So, you are using fresh air in the skimmer, so you saturate with clean O2. And you dont need to worry about close windows or too much people inside

 

[Bperau]

I put a air pump outside and ran it to a cup of water for 30 min and my ph shot up to 8.2. I'll give the co2 absorbant a shot but if that doesn't work my corals can adjust lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If dKh is 8 or more, you can raise pH if you connect the air intake of the skimmer to the outside of your home. So, you are using fresh air in the skimmer, so you saturate with clean O2. And you dont need to worry about close windows or too much people inside

FWIW, the alkalinity need not be any particular value for outside air to raise pH if it is low due to high indoor air CO2 levels.

 

[Fitzreefer]

It may take some time to take effect based on my experience. Not sure what rating skimmer you are using and more specifically what CFM it is rated to draw. I upgraded for a skimmer with higher CFM rating before I implemented the outside air supply. It got me pretty quickly into the 7.9-8.0 range, then it started to creep up to 8.0-8.1 for quite a while, and now I have been pretty solid in the 8.2-8.3 range (measured w/ probe). I am not specifically sure of the timeline, but it transitioned over time. Also, distance to outside and air feed line inside diameter had a big impact on how well it operated. My ID is 1/2" coupled down to the stock line a few inches from the skimmer.

 

[DMan]

I'd personally try bringing in fresher air first, and possibly limewater.

I think Randy's advice is bang on. It's not the CO2 in your tank, it's the CO2 in your house. You will be throwing good money after bad with scrubbers and media and blah blah. Find a way to get some fresh air into the house and or tank. You will save a bundle.

 

[Jiriley2005]

I think Randy's advice is bang on. It's not the CO2 in your tank, it's the CO2 in your house. You will be throwing good money after bad with scrubbers and media and blah blah. Find a way to get some fresh air into the house and or tank. You will save a bundle.

I had issues that I thought when I hooked up my apex controller with the ph probe. I manually tested and had my LFS test and come to find out that I needed to recalibrate my ph probe and since then spot on. I also pulled the air damper on my skimmer and that helped A lot to get more air and raise the ph.

 

[Bperau]

Well ph went down to 7.49 today so I added some soda ash and brought it up to 7.57. The co2 absorbant came in the mail right after so I hooked it up to my skimmer and it's been 6 hours and my ph is at 7.82. I'll put an update up tomorrow if it drops really low again

 

[Bperau]

Wanted to give a little update. My ph has not dropped below 7.78 since hooking it up. Has been sitting around 7.82-7.85. Will see how long the stuff lasts

 

[Fitzreefer]

I would suggest you open some windows when you can temporarily to help it move up. I don't know the exact science here but I think logically you are trying to purge the CO2 from your tank water by input of scrubbed air. Opening the windows and ventilating the air in the room might give you an assist in the beginning. I mentioned before in this that it didn't happen overnight for me.

 

[luke33]

All this work to raise your PH a tiny bit, why? If you can't raise your PH without using some co2 absorber then just live with your PH reading, I would be pretty confident to tell you that your corals don't really care. The co2 scrubbing media that people drop hundreds on constantly is one of the biggest wastes of money I have seen in the last 10+ yrs. I'm appalled by what some manufacturers come out with....well not really as this is retail as people will buy a turd in a box if its hyped up enough : )

I've been running sps tanks for 10+yrs without any co2 scrubber media and my ph has been anywhere from 7.5-8.1 and honestly I don't even worry about testing in the last few yrs because I think so little of it affecting my coral.

 

[Bperau]

I did it because when my ph went down to 7.4 for a couple days my corals weren't opening up but 50%. So for $12 I didn't really care. When the media is used up and my ph drops again I'll watch my corals. If they are fine then I'll leave it, if they shrivel up again I'll buy more

 

[luke33]

But you said you did a water change with different salt correct? That 12 dollars will last about two days.

 

[Bperau]

Yeah so when it runs out and my ph drops again I'll see if it was the salt or the ph. Iv had the stuff in a reactor for almost a week now

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, if the pH is really hitting 7.4, coral skeletons (and live rock and sand) can slowly dissolve since it is undersaturated with respect to aragonite.

 

[kevin_e]

My new double junction pH meter was reading 7.3-7.6. I calibrated and it started reading 7.6-7.8. That's with the skimmer line running outside and through a CO2 scrubber. I cracked the window by the tank and within 24 hours I started bottoming out at 8.15 and going up to 8.3+. I am going to add a refugium and see what happens when I close the window, as I don't want to keep it cracked unless I need to. I was having issues with coral STN and I am wondering pH as playing a factor. 3 dogs and 2 ppl can create quite a pit of CO@ in a 1200 SF apt.