Low PH Solved

[Slats]

Last night, after reading various information on forums, I ran a hose from the air intake on my skimmer to the outside of my house. You can see the lowest point on my Apex Fusion graph occurred around 11 o'clock last night after my lights were off for a little bit. My PH immediately started to rise after I ran the hose:


I am assuming I was a victim of the "basement effect" due to it being in the winter months here in North America and we keep our house pretty airtight. In keeping the house airtight, the carbon dioxide levels rose enough to affect the level of PH in my saltwater. "A simple way to think of this relationship is as follows. Carbon dioxide in the air is present as CO2. When it dissolves into water, it becomes carbonic acid, H2CO3" says Randy Holmes-Farley. The presence of carbonic acid in ones saltwater tank can be a major factor in a low PH problem. When thinking of this process in a natural habitat, this is the same thing that is occurring today and is called Ocean Acificiation or "OA" for short.

 

[JohnnyK731]

Interesting I wonder if the my issue as well


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[ca1ore]

There are situations where this works, and situations where it does not. If your skimmer is in a higher CO2 basement environment but the tank is in a lower CO2 upstairs environment it absolutely works. If you tank is in a high CO2 environment along with the skimmer, it makes very little to no difference.

 

[Mark9]

If you tank is in a high CO2 environment along with the skimmer, it makes very little to no difference.

Trying to figure this statement out, but can't.

Anyways, I too had low ph, tank is in the basement.
The skimmer is in the tank, in the basement, high CO2 environment.
Ran an airline from outside to the skimmer.
In less than a week, my ph rose to 8.3, been there aver since.
Totally contradicts what I think you are trying to say.

 

[ca1ore]

Because the tank is going to soak up all that CO2, that's why. Also depends on whether the tank top is open to the room (i.e. no canopy). I've run skimmer line to the outside many times and it never makes almost no difference.

 

[Slats]

Still climbing through out the day with the lights on, this is the highest its ever been!

There are situations where this works, and situations where it does not. If your skimmer is in a higher CO2 basement environment but the tank is in a lower CO2 upstairs environment it absolutely works. If you tank is in a high CO2 environment along with the skimmer, it makes very little to no difference.

I am not sure if this is entirely true. If I am reading what you've wrote correctly, I too have my skimmer in the same room as my tank which would cause my findings to contradict your statement.

 

[Mark9]

Because the tank is going to soak up all that CO2, that's why. Also depends on whether the tank top is open to the room (i.e. no canopy). I've run skimmer line to the outside many times and it never makes almost no difference.

Nope you are totally wrong, my tank has been at 8.3 1.5 years after the outside airline added to the skimmer.
So yes, it makes a difference.
It's been proven many times.

 

[ca1ore]

Nope you are totally wrong, my tank has been at 8.3 1.5 years after the outside airline added to the skimmer.
So yes, it makes a difference.
It's been proven many times.

I'm thrilled that it works for you; never did for me when I had low pH problems. I wouldn't throw the word 'proven' around too glibly .... there's more at play here than just a fresh air line me thinks. Maybe under-circulated tanks benefit; over-circulated tanks do not.