Ph Issues... Performed Randy's Aeration Test....

DarthSimon · Aug 27, 2017

8.11 3:30am..... My gosh.....

DarthSimon · Aug 27, 2017

nbagnardi said:
Keep an eye on your key 3, ALK, CAL, MAG... a higher ph will definitely increase the tanks usage of each.

Yep... DOS gets adjusted if that happens... At 25 ml per day right now.
Calcium 450
Alk 11
Mag 1350

DarthSimon · Aug 27, 2017

8.14 now..... Can't wait to see at full light intensity this afternoon.

Skimmer is kicking butt. Actually skimming gunk less than day. Must be pulling much more air, as well as scrubber pulling Co2 out.

Very rewarding feeling getting down to bottom of this. You guys are super helpful. Randy's aeration test nailed it...

ericegg01 · Aug 28, 2017

I know the feeling all too well...

DarthSimon · Aug 28, 2017

Numbers are 8.14 to 8.20 range.... Alk has swung down 1 point and calcium is down to 430... Will adjust dosing in DOS accordingly...

DarthSimon · Sep 2, 2017

Hey guys,
Wouldn't removing carbon out of tank lower ph? I noticed my ph went low this morning around 5-6am. 8.04. The lowest it's been since skimmer and scrubber addition? Lowest it's been for 7 days is 8.011. Media still looks white.
Like I said only thing I changed was I took carbon out of system...

DarthSimon · Sep 3, 2017

Down further today to 7.99 when woke up this am at 6:30. The Co2 media still looks white to me. Maybe a tinge purple.
If I take the airline off the scrubber chamber, the ph goes down instantly. Within 2 minutes 7.92.... Time to change media?
It's been 8 full days on this batch?

jason2459 · Sep 3, 2017

7.99 is fine.

Is any part of the Soda Lime purple?

DarthSimon · Sep 3, 2017

Ok,
So here is full story..... I noticed ph change yesterday. Was about.07 lower than usual. I decided to dose nopox unrelated to ph issues to reduce nitrates and phosphates last night 4ml. I then changed out filter socks last night with new ones and my skimmer went nuts...... Yikes.... Calmed down after couple hours...

This moring I notice 7.98 lowest it's been since scrubber installed.
An hour ago I changed out the co2 absorbant media. There's no change. FYI last time it shot up within minutes... So the media must have been ok. What the heck is going on???

1: There was a drop before I made any changes.
.07

2: Does No3Po4 lower oxygen and pH?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 3, 2017

Yes, all organic carbon dosing lowers O2 and most methods, including NOPOX, also lower pH.

DarthSimon · Sep 3, 2017

Thnaks you Randy, side topic. Is better to dos the nopox dos all day or in one shot?

jason2459 · Sep 3, 2017

Lowering the oxygen because of increased bacteria would not have caused any direct pH change. However, the CO2 they may have release would have and you may simply have more CO2 in the air right now. Stop breathing.

pH will not stay the same and trying to do so is a losing battle unless you really really want to and I don't think it's necessary.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 3, 2017

I like to spread out organic carbon dosing during the peak daylight hours to minimize issues with low O2.

Keiffer the reefer · Sep 3, 2017

It may not be possible, but more light might produce more photosynthesis and increase CO2 usage in the tank. A refugium run during lights out would also help. I use my skimmer chamber for a refugium and don't have any nutrient issues in my reefer 250.

DarthSimon · Sep 3, 2017

Kieffer,
Can you post a photo of your skimmer chamber? Would love to build a refugium in, but I'm super tight on space...

bcarl77 · Sep 4, 2017

Been fitting the same issue in my tank. Unfortunately I don't have a neptune so all I have is my pH pen. I can vouch and say that when using a small skimmer, HOB, and powerhead that once I reduced water agitation the scrubber was able to be effective. I turned my HOB filter into a small refugium and should have some data points on that by tonight. Before the scrubber my min was 7.65 and max was about 7.85. Yesterday, I was at 8.05 when I added chaeto to the HOB. Hopefully the combo of the two should get me there.