Skimmer air line run outside equals higher PH

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Homer Allman

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The proof is in the pudding. I recently run the air line to my skimmer outside to get fresher air. This raised my PH a lot compared to the air line being inside. Yesterday my skimmer was full so I turned it off for the day. The PH went back down. Here is the Apex graph for a few days. It's easy to see when the skimmer was off. So if you are having PH problems you may want to try this simple fix.
Capture.JPG
 
Deltec
As crazy as it sounds it worked for me too, it's amazing what fresh air can do versus the stagnant air in the sump and house in general.

Do you use any sort of filtration between the air intake outside and the skimmer? I just have mine pass through some carbon as a precautionary measure.
 
Homer Allman said:
The proof is in the pudding. I recently run the air line to my skimmer outside to get fresher air. This raised my PH a lot compared to the air line being inside. Yesterday my skimmer was full so I turned it off for the day. The PH went back down. Here is the Apex graph for a few days. It's easy to see when the skimmer was off. So if you are having PH problems you may want to try this simple fix.
Capture.JPG
Click to expand...

It really works, even if you just use a makeshift co2 scrubber leading to the intake for the skimmer. Good stuff guy! [emoji122][emoji122][emoji106]
 
Tidal Gardens
Va_Reef said:
As crazy as it sounds it worked for me too, it's amazing what fresh air can do versus the stagnant air in the sump and house in general.

Do you use any sort of filtration between the air intake outside and the skimmer? I just have mine pass through some carbon as a precautionary measure.
Click to expand...
I have not as of yet but probably need to. I live in the country off the beaten path so dust isn't a big problem in the winter.
 
Homer Allman said:
I have not as of yet but probably need to. I live in the country off the beaten path so dust isn't a big problem in the winter.
Click to expand...

We live in the sticks too. It's nice and quiet, but the dirt is still here. [emoji13][emoji12][emoji1611]
 
Yeah we have the occasional mosquito spraying, and I figured it's better to be safe than sorry.
 
Orphek OR3 reef aquarium LED bar
I just did this about an hour ago while the weather was still okay for me to use cold weather caulk outside around the hole I drilled. pH went up .03 in the last hour. Be interesting to see how it is for the next few weeks. Waiting on my soda lime for my CO2 scrubber that medvet called and told me is on backorder. I borrowed @120reefkeeper idea and used a 3/8" barbed x 1/2" mip fitting at the outside. Then added a 90 degree elbow and a down pipe, used a little bit of loosely stuffed filter floss to keep bugs out. Although bugs aren't much of a concern this time of year. I might change that a bit later when weather is warmer.
 
Didn't really help me at all. I believe the excess CO2 in my system is due to carbon dosing, not high ambient levels in my house. I ran a line to the outside, but I didn't see much of a change.
 
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Top Shelf Aquatics
I run an air line outside into a gatorade bottle with holes in the bottom filled with the soda lime, into a BRS reactor inside the house filled with soda lime into my skimmer. PH is steady from 8.17 night to 8.35 day. I run the refugium with cheato and mangroves opposite the DT lights. I also have a outside window next to the sump that I open during the daytime hours. Much over kill but I like the results.
 
Homer Allman said:
I have a clay RC track in my backyard. Once race season starts I will have to have something for filtration. My other hobby
Click to expand...


"If you build it, they will come!"

You sir, have an amazing yard!!!
 
Orphek OR3 reef aquarium LED bar
Has anyone just put regular air line tubing onto the skimmer's silencer input port and have it connected to an air pump sitting in an open window sill?

I have an air pump rated for a 100 gallon tank, took the dual outputs and combined them with a "T" into one output, and use it to aerate my sump. Was wondering if I connected it to the skimmer silencer if it would work.
 
Alright, here's an update, just for grins. I've had two windows open for the last 24 hours since Florida weather has finally allowed that. Also, no one was in the house from 7:30AM-4PM today. My skimmer has two air inlet ports, one of which was capped and the other had a line to outside air. When I got home today, I ran another line from the outside air to the other inlet port on my skimmer. Here are the results....drum roll, please...
Second Skimmer Line.PNG


That's right...a whopping 0.03 pH units difference. Maybe it's time to calibrate my pH probe!

Second Skimmer Line.PNG
 
Last edited:
Last night my pH dropped from 8.15 to 8.11, usually it would drop a lot more. Today it went up to 8.23 before I did my weekly water change. I checked my Apex and since the tank was started in mid-August it has never gone above 8.18. Got the tracking for my soda lime and it will be here tomorrow. I'll hook up the CO2 scrubber this weekend and see what happens. I want a few more days of just the air line to get a better idea of how that alone is affecting my pH.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
I know it is an old thread, but how long does it typically take to notice a difference? I just connected my skimmer to outside air today.
Thanks
 
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