What else? To increase ph

[moz71]

So curious, I switched to dosing saturated Kalk and dosing all I can to match evaporation. I have had my windows open last couple days and my ph only goes up to 8.15. Yes new probe is good. Is there anything else I can do to increase or is this just my tank will get to. With completely fresh air in house believing running a air line outside will do nothing and really don’t think a CO 2 scrubber will add much or will it? But is there something else. If it is what it is I am not going to chase.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

So curious, I switched to dosing saturated Kalk and dosing all I can to match evaporation. I have had my windows open last couple days and my ph only goes up to 8.15. Yes new probe is good. Is there anything else I can do to increase or is this just my tank will get to. With completely fresh air in house believing running a air line outside will do nothing and really don’t think a CO 2 scrubber will add much or will it? But is there something else. If it is what it is I am not going to chase.

To answer your questions.

a CO2 scrubber could well put you over the top

A fresh air line on your skimmer is going to do pretty decent gas exchange

I have trouble getting over 8.2 because I have a small office..and even with the window open, I am exhaling enough to create carbonic Acid.

To the bigger issue, 8.15 is fantastic. Chasing higher for the sake of higher is probably just a fools errand and you would be fine at 8.15

 

[moz71]

To answer your questions.

a CO2 scrubber could well put you over the top

A fresh air line on your skimmer is going to do pretty decent gas exchange

I have trouble getting over 8.2 because I have a small office..and even with the window open, I am exhaling enough to create carbonic Acid.

To the bigger issue, 8.15 is fantastic. Chasing higher for the sake of higher is probably just a fools errand and you would be fine at 8.15

Yea I hear ya! About going chasing! just tired of reading about higher ph makes acros grow faster. Mine grow slow. But at least alive, right!

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Get a co2 scrubber. I went from 7.8-8.0 to 8.2-8.4 ph swing

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Yea I hear ya! About going chasing! just tired of reading about higher ph makes acros grow faster. Mine grow slow. But at least alive, right!

Yeah. I haven’t been so lucky.

 

[Semisonyx]

Use Randy’s recipe using Sodium Hydroxide for your alk supplement. Shut your skimmer off except for a couple of hours a day in the afternoon when photosynthesis is at its peak and the pH won’t take as much of a hit. My pH has gone from 7.8-8.1 to 8.3-8.5 using this method.

 

[moz71]

Use Randy’s recipe using Sodium Hydroxide for your alk supplement. Shut your skimmer off except for a couple of hours a day in the afternoon when photosynthesis is at its peak and the pH won’t take as much of a hit. My pH has gone from 7.8-8.1 to 8.3-8.5 using this method.

Thank you What is the significance of shutting skimmer off or why does the help? I thought helps gas exchange which I thought would help

 

[Semisonyx]

Thank you What is the significance of shutting skimmer off or why does the help? I thought helps gas exchange which I thought would help

The skimmer is sucking in CO2 which lowers pH more than the kalk can raise it. Some people who have seen no pH change with an outside airline to their skimmer have seen helpful results by also drawing outside air to an airpump/airstone in their overflow box.

 

[Rigoberto]

Get a co2 scrubber. I went from 7.8-8.0 to 8.2-8.4 ph swing

Second the CO2 scrubber suggestion- consider adding re-circulation to extend the media life.

 

[homer1475]

How much surface agitation do you have? Sometimes it's just that simple really.

 

[moz71]

How much surface agitation do you have? Sometimes it's just that simple really.

I have tons. And I think that is the problem. Tank is heavily lived in room. Living room / kitchen open area. I even just put in outside line to skimmer and did little. I think I have more air exchange from surface

 

[Gatorpa]

I have tons. And I think that is the problem. Tank is heavily lived in room. Living room / kitchen open area. I even just put in outside line to skimmer and did little. I think I have more air exchange from surface

I’ve played it both ways.
More surface flow when CO2 is high limits pH.

Never tried shutting off skimmer at peak as typically that’s when my CO2 levels are lowest.

use a scrubber with outside air feed into scrubber then to the Skimmer. Gives a 0.2 bump.

Biggest impact is when I can open the windows and get the Co2 down to 400

 

[Scorpius]

Anything that requires maintenance, like changing co2 scrubber media, merely adds another failure point in the stability of your parameters because you will forget to change the media at some point. Find a solution that requires no intervention on your part.

 

[Gatorpa]

Anything that requires maintenance, like changing co2 scrubber media, merely adds another failure point in the stability of your parameters because you will forget to change the media at some point. Find a solution that requires no intervention on your part.

It’s easy to see when the media starts to get used up. It’s a slow downward trend. The pH doesn’t suddenly plummet.

 

[Scorpius]

It’s easy to see when the media starts to get used up. It’s a slow downward trend. The pH doesn’t suddenly plummet.

Live happens. 12 hr shifts at work happen. You'll miss a media change here and there. It's inevitable.

 

[Gatorpa]

Live happens. 12 hr shifts at work happen. You'll miss a media change here and there. It's inevitable.

Takes me 5 minutes and I know 1-2 days before it’s time to change. It varies a bit but not nearly as complex or problematic as a Ca reactor or auto water changing system.