pH poll. What does yours top out at?

[srad750c]

So I plumbed my skimmer outside for fresh O2. I added Kalk to my ATO. Surface agitation is great. Problem is that Co2 builds up in my airtight home. I could never get it above 7.8 at the peak of the day. It would dip to 7.65 at night. I’ve finally got it to 8.05 with the window open next to the tank. I know, I know, most people don’t chase pH, but now it’s personal out of spite!

Out of curiosity, I’d like to know how many of you get 8.1 or above without Kalk, skimmer plumbing, etc. Poll is open!

Show me your sump, what type of overflow do you have? I very seldom check pH, never been a problem for me, has always been 8.2+ for me. I check my H2O at different times of the day, usually around 1:00 AM and 11:00 AM typically. I add additives then I wait 12 hrs before I check parameters.

 

[needbiggertanks]

What are the distances for running that airline to your skimmers from outside before it becomes too restrictive due to length?

 

[srad750c]

What are the distances for running that airline to your skimmers from outside before it becomes too restrictive due to length?

Not sure, shouldn’t matter due to atmospheric pressure exerting force in all directions and pump pulling a vacuum. Sounds good anyway

 

[cardiffgiant]

Did you bore out your skimmer lid with a regular drill or did you use a dremel? I want to try this, but don't want to crack the lid when I attempt.

Here how I rigged my co2 scrubber to make the media last up to 3 weeks or more:

I drilled a larger hole in my skimmer lids vent holes (I just bored out a vent hole to a larger diameter) to accomodate a nylon elbow fitting. Silcone tubing routs air drawn from the top of skimmer collection cup, which is moist air, into the reactor. The other side of the reactor is routed to the air intake of the skimmer. This insures that moist air is always drawn into the co2 scrubbing media. I last anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks before the media is completely exhausted and purple.

 

[bubbaque]

Did you bore out your skimmer lid with a regular drill or did you use a dremel? I want to try this, but don't want to crack the lid when I attempt.

I had my scrubber hose hooked to a bucket of water to try and get some humidity to the media and I got 4 days before my scrubber needed to be refilled. After seeing his mod I used a drill bit to drill the lid and put the hose into my skimmer cup and it doubled the length of time needing to be replaced.

One giant negative happened to me after I did it. About two days in I turned off my return pump, so the water level in my sump started to raise, which overflowed my skimmer, then the skimmer sucked all the water into the co2 scrubber. Luckily I caught it or the white milky water would of went into my tank. If the power goes out when your not home and your skimmer overflows you're going to have an issue.

 

[jimmyzhou]

8-8.28 with kalkwasser

 

[cardiffgiant]

I had my scrubber hose hooked to a bucket of water to try and get some humidity to the media and I got 4 days before my scrubber needed to be refilled. After seeing his mod I used a drill bit to drill the lid and put the hose into my skimmer cup and it doubled the length of time needing to be replaced.

One giant negative happened to me after I did it. About two days in I turned off my return pump, so the water level in my sump started to raise, which overflowed my skimmer, then the skimmer sucked all the water into the co2 scrubber. Luckily I caught it or the white milky water would of went into my tank. If the power goes out when your not home and your skimmer overflows you're going to have an issue.

Mine rarely overflows, but that sounds like one heck of a mess.

This is making me retink it. I wonder about putting the barb onto an upside down cup that I could simply place over a portion of the holes on the top of the collection cup. It would still draw humid air from the skimmer, but wouldn't be submerged into the skimmer cup with the ability to pull the waste through it if the skimmer overflowed.

I'm exhausting media within 6-7 days currently.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Mine rarely overflows, but that sounds like one heck of a mess.

This is making me retink it. I wonder about putting the barb onto an upside down cup that I could simply place over a portion of the holes on the top of the collection cup. It would still draw humid air from the skimmer, but wouldn't be submerged into the skimmer cup with the ability to pull the waste through it if the skimmer overflowed.

I'm exhausting media within 6-7 days currently.

so far my tank has been sitting around 8-8.1 at night and 8.2-8.3 during the day. My alkalinity and Calcium consumption in the last week has skyrocketed. I'm now adjusting my dosing to account for the increased consumption. All of my corals have either shown growth or started splitting in the last week and the affect of the pH on the tank is incredible.

If I have to change the CO2 scrubber media every 4 days i'd continue to do it. Call me crazy

 

[bubbaque]

Mine rarely overflows, but that sounds like one heck of a mess.

This is making me retink it. I wonder about putting the barb onto an upside down cup that I could simply place over a portion of the holes on the top of the collection cup. It would still draw humid air from the skimmer, but wouldn't be submerged into the skimmer cup with the ability to pull the waste through it if the skimmer overflowed.

I'm exhausting media within 6-7 days currently.

Mine never overflows unless I turn off the return pump and forget to turn off the skimmer. I love your idea! I think I'm about to go try it out.

 

[UCF Alum]

So I’m thinking of going with Red Sea 650 Peninsula. Right now I have a Nuvo 40, obviously no sump. I’d like to start running chaeto once I pull the trigger on this tank. My question for you chaeto users running reverse light cycle, do you notice a significant rise in pH when using it compared to other tanks in the house that don’t have it? Been trying to open up my windows at night, but it’s still pretty hot here in Florida. I’ve gotten my pH up to 8.2 since the window is right next to the tank and the coral is absolutely loving it. I need to find a permanent solution to this 7.8 (at its peak) problem I’m having. pH drops right back down within 24 hours after the window was closed up. Dang kids, wife and animals taking up all the O2.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

So I’m thinking of going with Red Sea 650 Peninsula. Right now I have a Nuvo 40, obviously no sump. I’d like to start running chaeto once I pull the trigger on this tank. My question for you chaeto users running reverse light cycle, do you notice a significant rise in pH when using it compared to other tanks in the house that don’t have it? Been trying to open up my windows at night, but it’s still pretty hot here in Florida. I’ve gotten my pH up to 8.2 since the window is right next to the tank and the coral is absolutely loving it. I need to find a permanent solution to this 7.8 (at its peak) problem I’m having. pH drops right back down within 24 hours after the window was closed up. Dang kids, wife and animals taking up all the O2.

A CO2 scrubber has completely eliminated my pH problems [same as you, highs of 7.8, lows near 7.6] my reverse lit refugium with chaeto did help with the nightly swing, but did not bump up my pH at all.

Many people are tapping in to their skimmer cup as mentioned earlier in this thread to extend their scrubber media replacement time. I'll be doing the same soon. It's a very cost effective way to increase your pH, and i've had a substantially observable difference in my tank over just the last week of having a CO2 scrubber on it.

I used the BRS dual reactor [gfo/carbon] for my scrubber since I had it lying around.

You can see some of my results here

 

[UCF Alum]

A CO2 scrubber has completely eliminated my pH problems [same as you, highs of 7.8, lows near 7.6] my reverse lit refugium with chaeto did help with the nightly swing, but did not bump up my pH at all.

Many people are tapping in to their skimmer cup as mentioned earlier in this thread to extend their scrubber media replacement time. I'll be doing the same soon. It's a very cost effective way to increase your pH, and i've had a substantially observable difference in my tank over just the last week of having a CO2 scrubber on it.

I used the BRS dual reactor [gfo/carbon] for my scrubber since I had it lying around.

You can see some of my results here

Nice. I plan on doing the same once I get the bigger tank and a sump to work with. I have the scrubber up and running, but I think my Tunze 9004 isn’t turning the tank over fast enough compared to the amount of Co2 that is being emitted to make a significant dent in my pH.

 

[cardiffgiant]

I put a plastic cat food dish upside down with a tube running through it. It’s large enough to pull air from three skimmer holes.

(I should have cleaned my skimmer before the picture).


I’ll report back how long my media lasts with this simple setup.

 

[mitch91175]

Know this is a little older thread but I just hooked up my scrubber and liking my results. Hooked it up yesterday.

Here is how I have it hooked up at the moment. Notice I have the air intake in an extra drain hole in the drain section. That should definitely be humid enough I would imagine. It is deep enough to pull in water whan the power is off.

Running over night and not a lot of media usage yet.

 

[mitch91175]

Also this morning I ran into an issue where my skimmer was overflowing. It is a Vertex Alpha 250. Had to raise the skimmer to stop it from overflowing, and adjust the volute to compensate.

 

[SteadyC]

Know this is a little older thread but I just hooked up my scrubber and liking my results. Hooked it up yesterday.

Here is how I have it hooked up at the moment. Notice I have the air intake in an extra drain hole in the drain section. That should definitely be humid enough I would imagine. It is deep enough to pull in water whan the power is off.

Running over night and not a lot of media usage yet.

Looks wrong to me, the left side should be the in, the right side the out. The out would be connected to your skimmers air input line. Where right now, looks like your out is going into the drain line, and can’t see where your in is coming from, off the top of the pic. On the BRS units, they are labeled In and Out on the nozzles there.

 

[ca1ore]

My tank pH remains pretty stable, though on the low side. 7.8 first thing in the morning; 8.0 right before the big lights go down. As long as alk is good I don't 'chase' pH.

 

[SteadyC]

My tank pH remains pretty stable, though on the low side. 7.8 first thing in the morning; 8.0 right before the big lights go down. As long as alk is good I don't 'chase' pH.

Have corals? Especially SPS? If you do, might want to look into safe ways to raise PH. It has been shown to be one very important component to calcification, I.e. coral growth.

 

[tgionet]

 

[mitch91175]

He doesn't need to chase pH because he already had good pH. I have a house w 5 people and a dog and a newer build so not much outside air coming in (unless I open windows and doors). I am going to try so natural approaches like adding plants in the house, but I have noticed an increase and will see what happens as I go through my 5 gallon bucket of Sodasorb. I reversed the tubes as well.