I am presently running a 64g reef with a 45g sump. I have had issues maintaining reasonable pH for past 6 months or so; I was running a Reef Octopus classic 150INT, also dosing kalk by ATO and a recirculating CO2 scrubber. My pH struggles to stay around 7.6-7.9 with this setup; occasionally it drifts to low 8's.
While my skimmer is productive, I thought having DC control may be helpful and I felt 150INT was possibly undersized. I switched over to a Simplicity 240 3 days ago; it seems to run a Jebao2000 pump, but had great reviews. I had my Reef Octopus on a pvc stand to allow more sump volume; I removed 5g or so to get an ideal water height on the new Simplicity pump without a stand. Since starting the DC pump, I have the power maxed, and I have the wedge input maxed- it is still breaking in, and has minimal skimmate. So the two changed variables are basically new skimmer (Reef Octopus 150INT AC unit to Simplicity 240 DC unit), and lower water volume / removal of skimmer stand (total actual water volume 77g to now 72.5g).
My temperature is going nuts. I was running 79-80F (higher to promote some coraline growth); today I had to crank my house AC because the reef hit 83F. It really seems to go high at night for whatever reason. Is it possible the skimmer/pump is to blame? Possibly skimmer stand allowed pump to cool more? Or possibly change in water volume changed thermal conduction to water from fuge light and led to excess heat? Where should I start - increase water volume and return skimmer stand, vs switch back to 150INT?
Any other input on correcting pH?
Other hardware running: Neptune Sky and Gro, Syncra 9.0 SDC, Tunze ATO, carbon dosing by a mini BRS reactor, Pentair 40w uv sterilizer, Apex. Apex set to turn thermometers off at 79.5, fuge off at 80.5
While my skimmer is productive, I thought having DC control may be helpful and I felt 150INT was possibly undersized. I switched over to a Simplicity 240 3 days ago; it seems to run a Jebao2000 pump, but had great reviews. I had my Reef Octopus on a pvc stand to allow more sump volume; I removed 5g or so to get an ideal water height on the new Simplicity pump without a stand. Since starting the DC pump, I have the power maxed, and I have the wedge input maxed- it is still breaking in, and has minimal skimmate. So the two changed variables are basically new skimmer (Reef Octopus 150INT AC unit to Simplicity 240 DC unit), and lower water volume / removal of skimmer stand (total actual water volume 77g to now 72.5g).
My temperature is going nuts. I was running 79-80F (higher to promote some coraline growth); today I had to crank my house AC because the reef hit 83F. It really seems to go high at night for whatever reason. Is it possible the skimmer/pump is to blame? Possibly skimmer stand allowed pump to cool more? Or possibly change in water volume changed thermal conduction to water from fuge light and led to excess heat? Where should I start - increase water volume and return skimmer stand, vs switch back to 150INT?
Any other input on correcting pH?
Other hardware running: Neptune Sky and Gro, Syncra 9.0 SDC, Tunze ATO, carbon dosing by a mini BRS reactor, Pentair 40w uv sterilizer, Apex. Apex set to turn thermometers off at 79.5, fuge off at 80.5
