drawing fresh air from outside question....

SPotter

SPotter

Active member
I am thinking about drawing fresh air from outside my house into the skimmer to help fight some low ph issues. I am concerned about pulling pollutants in and was thinking about filling an extra media reactor I have with carbon and connect it to the intake lines.

Will this work and what has everyone else done?
 
Just make sure no "fines" are sucked into your skimmer. I use a soda bottle with filter material to filter my air intake to my skimmer, you would be supprised to see how much dust etc gets caught in the homemade filter.
 
I am thinking about packing both filter floss and carbon in the same reactor to help filter out particles and pollutants.
 
Have you looked at setting up a CO2 scrubber instead? I think that it would be a much better solution for you.

CJ
 
those work great and I am running one but my basement is so tight its really keeping my ph down. Its holding in the 7.8 range but my acans arent enjoying it.
 
Are you running a calcium reactor? If so, you might want to turn down the CO2 rate. Have you tried dripping Kalk?

CJ
 
no Calcium reactor and I was dripping kalk but no impact on ph. probes have been calibrated and re calibrated.
 
Do you have a refugium with macro algae?

Something seems weird, it doesn't seem like your pH should be so low.

CJ
 
My tank is in a tight basement as well, and my pH when we are closed in (it's hot here in Wisconsin right now) runs from 7.8 to 7.9. Six month old probe, freshly calibrated.

No Ca reactor, I am dosing kalk, and have a lit fuge with a big pile of chaeto.

It's very easy for me to see how the OP could have pH in that range. I've been trying to figure out a fresh air intake myself, but I don't want the plumbing to look like hell. The cost of a scrubber I just don't want right now.
 
Thanks for the input. FYI, the cost of a scrubber is not too much. The largest cost, by far, is the media. I got a 5 gallon bucket for around $100 and, at the rate I'm going through it, it should last me several years.

CJ
 
CJ- where do you get your media from? I just bought some from an online vet supply store and while it was very cheap....I dont think the quality of it is as good as what was buying from filterguyz.

Yogre-its very cheap to build if you have an old media reactor laying around you can convert that into one. If not, I think mine cost me about $50 to buy.

I know my level is acceptable but I want to get it over 8 at a min to help with calcification.
 
SPotter said:
CJ- where do you get your media from? I just bought some from an online vet supply store and while it was very cheap....I dont think the quality of it is as good as what was buying from filterguyz.

Yogre-its very cheap to build if you have an old media reactor laying around you can convert that into one. If not, I think mine cost me about $50 to buy.

I know my level is acceptable but I want to get it over 8 at a min to help with calcification.
Click to expand...

How long does the media last before it's exhausted? I do have a reactor, but I'm afraid I wouldn't get but a couple of weeks out of a fill.
 
On my system during the winter months I could get 4 weeks out of it. I disconnected it during the spring because my ph was ranging too high. During the winter mo.ths i was ranging 8.15 to 8.30 and now i barely reach 8 even with the scrubber hooked up.

Steve
 
Mine lasts about the same. I purchased mine from National Air Gas, a welding supply store. You also don't need a reactor to house the media. I made a simple one by drilling some holes in the bottom of an empty Gatorade bottle, filling it with the media and then attaching a hose between the bottle cap and the air intake for my skimmer. I probably spent less than $5 in materials.

CJ
 
CJO said:
Thanks for the input. FYI, the cost of a scrubber is not too much. The largest cost, by far, is the media. I got a 5 gallon bucket for around $100 and, at the rate I'm going through it, it should last me several years.

CJ
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about this, but the media seems like a PITA. I was thinking though, really I only need it if the pH is less than about 7.9ish. So, I was looking into having a solenoid, on a pH controller. This way, it could bypass the media when not needed. I haven't been able to find a suitable solenoid though.... Could probably make something though I guess.
 
m2434 said:
I've been thinking about this, but the media seems like a PITA. I was thinking though, really I only need it if the pH is less than about 7.9ish. So, I was looking into having a solenoid, on a pH controller. This way, it could bypass the media when not needed. I haven't been able to find a suitable solenoid though.... Could probably make something though I guess.
Click to expand...

Its really not that big of a PITA. Its a lot easier and quicker to change than changing gfo or gac...imo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
DRILL aquarium only 1 DownPipe?
Replies
1
Views
320
Timfish
Timfish
A
DRILL aquarium only 1 DownPipe?
Replies
0
Views
275
Andrés Garza
A
A
Aquarium Temperature Control: How I Hacked My Air Conditioner to control my tanks temperatures
Replies
6
Views
2K
Naso180
N
T
Trying to identify what ate my Torch Coral
Replies
12
Views
217
Uncle99
Uncle99
R
some random questions
Replies
1
Views
219
SantaMonica
S
Back
Top