pH ssues all day long. 7.8.

[tat2z_21]

So my tank has been up and running for a little over 6 months. All parameters except pH are good. So here is my question. Can my sump located in a closet be the cause. I have no vent in there bringing in new air, could there be a build up of Co2. With this build up during the gas exchange would it naturally cause the decline in pH?

Temp - 77
SG - 1.026
pH - 7.6
Dkh - 11
Ammonia - presumed 0
Nitrite - zero
Nitrate - zero
Calcium 440

 

[trido]

I think your guess is right on the money. Can you pull air from the crawl space with a floor vent or add an oversized air line from outside to the skimmer intake? Either of those options should help with lack of O2.

 

[tat2z_21]

Trido, thanks for the feedback. So feeding the skimmer with outside air could change this a bit. I was trying to come up with a way to pull the air out of the closet , ultimately bringing fresh air in. But a line to the skimmer seems a little easier.

 

[tat2z_21]

And to think I was going to take a drastic measure and limit the breaths that the children are allowed to take in the house. I guess I will go the other route.

 

[TJL]

Floyd...... your such a good DAD...... always thinking of the children

Good suggestion by Duane above in pulling fresh air in for skimmer

​Cheers Brother, Todd

 

[NanaReefer]

And to think I was going to take a drastic measure and limit the breaths that the children are allowed to take in the house. I guess I will go the other route.

Much needed humor! Thanks

 

[tat2z_21]

So, just a question, will adding 6 ft of tubing to the intake create a drop in incoming air? I would much rather find a way to just bring in fresh air, but fear that my AC during those nice summer months, might have to work over time. Any suggestions?

 

[kpiotrowski]

my ph was 8.3 to 8.4 all last summer...in the fall when we kept windows closed it went down to 8.0 to 8.1. I ran a wisper 100 air pump in the gararge and pumped air into the skimmer intake and now its 8.2 to 8.3.

 

[tat2z_21]

I once tried adding air to a cheap skimmer pump and it would not pump water with it, once the air was added. Did you introduce it into the skimmer body

 

[kpiotrowski]

into the air intake hose.

 

[tat2z_21]

Without a diffuser or something like it, wouldn't the bubbles be pushed through, without being chopped by the impeller, causing big bubbles in the chamber. Which for gassing purpose would be fine, but I feel that the skimmer would lose its efficiency. I could be wrong though.

 

[kpiotrowski]

Without a diffuser or something like it, wouldn't the bubbles be pushed through, without being chopped by the impeller, causing big bubbles in the chamber. Which for gassing purpose would be fine, but I feel that the skimmer would lose its efficiency. I could be wrong though.

no, its just a way to bring outside air to the skimmer intake. whereever your skimmer sucks air from the room, put the outside air line there.

 

[tat2z_21]

So today I did a little experiment, I took two samples of water, one I aerated in my house with fork (like whipping eggs), and tested, got a solid 7.8, the other I aerated outside, same way, and got a .3 rise, it went to 8.1. Not sure of the scientific value of this test but I feel with all of my scientifically smarties it proved my point. Or I could be really wrong. As far as running the line to the intake of the skimmer, what can I use to test the pull of air once I have ran the line. Just want to make sure that it stays optimal.

 

[kpiotrowski]

thats why I used an actuall air pump and it only loosely fits inside the skimmer air intake tubes. if you are close to an outside wall you can always drill a hole. on my new 300g build I will be drawing all air from outside for the 2 larger skimmers I will use. The considertion of what happens when the nieghbor sprays pesticide comes to mind though and so I plan to use a massive overkill carbon air filter type thingy I have yet to concieve.

 

[senji]

you can also make a co2 scrubber verry easy just a small reactor full of soda lime hooked up to the airline to the skimmer. eric at oceans by design showed me this trick. it super stabilizes the ph in the tank. here are pics of the 2 i made.

you can buy soda lime at airgas and turns purple when used up takes awhile.

 

[trido]

So today I did a little experiment, I took two samples of water, one I aerated in my house with fork (like whipping eggs), and tested, got a solid 7.8, the other I aerated outside, same way, and got a .3 rise, it went to 8.1. Not sure of the scientific value of this test but I feel with all of my scientifically smarties it proved my point. Or I could be really wrong. As far as running the line to the intake of the skimmer, what can I use to test the pull of air once I have ran the line. Just want to make sure that it stays optimal.

Believe it or not this is the way to test for low O2 in your house. When I added an air line to my skimmer I used a 3/4" line to the outside air. I figured it wouldnt restrict the air flow as long as a spider didn't make a web in the intake.

 

[tat2z_21]

That is what I was thinking as well, I was going to use a piece of 3/4" line and feed it to outside somewhere. Just thinking that there are to many variables, so I need to get it figured out.

 

[kpiotrowski]

you would think that the more distance the air has to travel the less air your skimmer is getting. on my new 300g system with 2 skimmers I was going to run like 2 inch pipe through the wall just so there was no problem with them getting enough air. there is alot of air draw on some of those larger pumps and I would hate to impeed it.

 

[garydan]

My skimmer uses a 1/4" ID tube to feed it, i ran a 3/4" ID tube 5' outside, i didn't use an air pump, there has been no visible affect to skimmate production or any signs i'm starving it of air, but my PH jumped by .2. The line is hidden in an old dryer vent output, and i put a filter sock around it to keep large stuff and insects out. It's been running like this for over a year with no problems so far. I hadn't thought about neighbors spraying insecticides though....

 

[Spinner]

you would think that the more distance the air has to travel the less air your skimmer is getting. on my new 300g system with 2 skimmers I was going to run like 2 inch pipe through the wall just so there was no problem with them getting enough air. there is alot of air draw on some of those larger pumps and I would hate to impeed it.

How will you use the 2" pipe to make sure skimmers are recieving enough air? Run your air lines thru to outside?