PH CONTROLLER And the use of micro bubbles

[REEF911]

Quick question do adding micro bubbles help raise ph? And if so can I use a MILWAUKEE PH CONTROLLER MC122 and attach a air pump with airstone near the return pump to greater balance my ph? I know you can set the ph controller to come on when ph drops to a certain range so if at night when ph is low the controller could kick on the air pump thus giving me a more stable ph???? Any help is appreciated.

 

[jason2459]

As long as the air being pulled in is lower in CO2. Why many find it benificial to pull air in from the outside into their skimmer.

I live in an area of higher pesticide use and don't want to risk it even with GAC in place so use a CO2 scrubber for the skimmer to pull air through.

You may find you need a fairly powerful pump like a luft pump and large or many airstones. And they will clog. One of many reasons why people moved away from using airstones in large skimmers. I still see a few smaller skimmers use airstones. I had one and it worked well.

The rise wouldn't be high enough to require a pH monitor and not as risky as other methods lime limewater dosing which is very effective but also raises alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Aeration can raise or lower pH, depending on the relative amount of CO2 in the air and water. It may actually have different directional effects on pH at different times of the day. Most often, more aeration with indoor air does not raise pH much.

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Like many have mentioned before, aeration is no new concept... but utilizing smaller and smaller bubbles are for specific applications, such as detritus removal and maintenance assist in clearing up particulate matter in the water column.

The very nature of aeration just compounds the benefits of increasing oxygenation and degassing more efficiently than with the use of bigger bubbles. But once again not a new concept, just a new application of smaller and smaller bubbles.

I personally have been in the hobby since '95 and have utilized lots of "surge devices", aeration methods, etc. degassing and oxygenation assist in the chemical stability of the water chemistry in the aquarium be it saltwater or fresh.

The "claims" are not my own... they are OBSERVATIONS by many people employing the method from better growth (Possibly due to higher clarity and polishing of water utilizing floatation separation methodology for better light penetration) to pH stability (Possibly driving off excess metabolic gases such as CO2 when using fresh air)

The main ingredients to success of the micro-nanobubbling are these two characteristics:

***FRESH AIR*** and ***VERY VERY FINE BUBBLES***

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Also... pH is relative to level of Alkalinity in the system. If Alk is low, pH correspondingly will also reflect lower.

 

[jason2459]

Also... pH is relative to level of Alkalinity in the system. If Alk is low, pH correspondingly will also reflect lower.

Not necessarily. Alk can help but my tank shows alk can be high >12 and pH low <7.9

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Not necessarily. Alk can help but my tank shows alk can be high >12 and pH low <7.9

We're talking in conjunction to fresh air microbubbling, so in this scenario, yes.

If you're dkh is high and you're seeing DEPRESSED pH, you're retaining excess CO2.

The OP title is "pH controller and the use of microbubbles"

 

[jason2459]

We're talking in conjunction to fresh air microbubbling, so in this scenario, yes.

If you're dkh is high and you're seeing DEPRESSED pH, you're retaining excess CO2.

The OP title is "pH controller and the use of microbubbles"

How do you define freshair.

I've already stated CO2's involvement above and replied to the OP.

I was commenting on your statement which needed clarification.

 

[Cruz_Arias]

How do you define freshair.

I've already stated CO2's involvement above and replied to the OP.

I was commenting on your statement which needed clarification.

I'm not disagreeing with you. LOL
I'm assuming that this is a conversation with continuation. Instead of reiterating EVERYTHING, like this is a legal document, I'm trying to explain that using a pH controller, to micro/nano bubble, isn't going to raise his pH if his Alkalinity is low.
Hopefully I clarified my previous statement

Fresh Air meaning less "waste gas" burdened air. And to clarify that, Less CO2 and OTHER metabolic waste gases found inside a home.

 

[jason2459]

Lots of people do not read through threads. Clarification is always good. This is why questions are asked repeatedly and why misinformation gets posted from thread to thread and site to site.

That stand alone statement has been made many times before by other people as fact with out regard to other factors. Same as people that state never worry about pH just keep alkalinity up.

While I agree with trying not to worry about controlling or monitoring pH, not to chase numbers, pH is usually not an issue, and alkalinity can help "buffer" pH there are times where pH is an issue and should be controlled to be in a target range. A range, not a specific number.

So, if I am ever ambiguous about something or there's more to add I hope people ask questions or make corrections and additions to my posts. Its not a bad thing or meant to be mean.

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Hahaha you're right... lol

 

[Cruz_Arias]

We do find in sps the ideal control range is a pH between 8.0 to 8.4, bell curve... the sweet spot. And the majority of successful fast growing sps dominant tanks typically are between 7.9dkh and 10dkh, like a bell curve...

Yes, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions.