My PH Has my attention...
- Thread starter RussC
- Start date
I would tend to agree with everyone on here that it may have something with CO2 levels in the house. However as other on here have said don't chase pH. Your main values (alk, mag, an cal) look good and things in the tank are happy right?. My tank currently sits between 7.5 and 8.0 on the api test, and just below 8 on a pinpoint marine when I was using it. So overall I only get concerned when things go well beyond that.
It is definitely the CO2 in the house. I mentioned the CO2 scrubber in my earlier post, I didn't mention the "fresh air" line to run to the skimmer from outside. I was the same as you, overly concerned and cautious considering I have an SPS reef. However, from my research majority shows minimal changes with fresh air as well (similar results with the CO2 scrubber).
I then (after recalibrating my probe a few times) got another probe, hoping mine was faulty, same results.
I'm done chasing it, I increased my surface agitation as much as I can, and now live with what my tank runs at. I know it's not the answer you're looking for, however I'm in your same boat!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I then (after recalibrating my probe a few times) got another probe, hoping mine was faulty, same results.
I'm done chasing it, I increased my surface agitation as much as I can, and now live with what my tank runs at. I know it's not the answer you're looking for, however I'm in your same boat!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
RussC
Active member
I've enjoyed the conversation on this because it was more me chasing curiosity than trouble shooting. I found it very interesting how something external such as a crowded room played an obvious role in reducing the PH.
Long story short, I started at 7.5 at 12:15 pm when I opened the window and ended with a 7.85 when I closed the window at 7:30. That was the sharpest increase in PH in the last 12 months. And 7.85 is the highest my PH has ever been. There is no doubt a correlation between my interior home being sealed so tight.
I'm going to try a couple more very simple ideas to see if I may notice any increase in PH. Not thinking there will be much. Besides, if I don't have something every now and again to get McG rowled up enough to tell me I need to be slapped back into order, then I''m really hot doing enough.
Long story short, I started at 7.5 at 12:15 pm when I opened the window and ended with a 7.85 when I closed the window at 7:30. That was the sharpest increase in PH in the last 12 months. And 7.85 is the highest my PH has ever been. There is no doubt a correlation between my interior home being sealed so tight.
I'm going to try a couple more very simple ideas to see if I may notice any increase in PH. Not thinking there will be much. Besides, if I don't have something every now and again to get McG rowled up enough to tell me I need to be slapped back into order, then I''m really hot doing enough.
crawlerman
Member
You could add a fresh air makeup system to increase the quality of your air for your family and fish.
RobSpeed13
New member
I've even thought of PH for a while but i learned long ago to just stop chasing it if everything seems happy. I just worry about alk, ca, mag now of days lol.
hkgar
Active member
hkgar
Active member
They can breathe in, just not out, unless they go outside.
RussC
Active member
Curiosity has been driving this indulgence. Its been fun.
So I left my window cracked all day yesterday (7am - 7 pm) and my PH rose to its highest point ever at 7.9. I closed my window about 7 ish. This morning it was at 7.6. Back to normal, really. Very interesting. So now I did something else to try and see how things react today. I'm not opening my window and I extended the air intake of my skimmer with a hose so that its pulling air from outside of the sump area. I'll be interested to see if this makes any difference at all.
I did notice on my air intake with my skimmer it offers two intake sources of air. One of the intakes is capped off. I've not opened that, but figured it might be there as an option for this very reason. Its a reef octopus 150 Regal skimmer. Ill see how the PH reacts with this tube I've extended. Then I think I'll uncap the second air tube on the skimmer intake and see what happens.
So I left my window cracked all day yesterday (7am - 7 pm) and my PH rose to its highest point ever at 7.9. I closed my window about 7 ish. This morning it was at 7.6. Back to normal, really. Very interesting. So now I did something else to try and see how things react today. I'm not opening my window and I extended the air intake of my skimmer with a hose so that its pulling air from outside of the sump area. I'll be interested to see if this makes any difference at all.
I did notice on my air intake with my skimmer it offers two intake sources of air. One of the intakes is capped off. I've not opened that, but figured it might be there as an option for this very reason. Its a reef octopus 150 Regal skimmer. Ill see how the PH reacts with this tube I've extended. Then I think I'll uncap the second air tube on the skimmer intake and see what happens.
RussC
Active member
Update: The hose extension I ran from the air intake on my skimmer to the outside of my tank did increase the PH. It was slight, not near as much as having a window open, but the increase was noticeable and has remained consistent. I'll take it. I'm going to let things run like this for a couple weeks. Then I will try and open the second, capped off intake on the skimmer just to see what happens.
crawlerman
Member
Just be careful if you spray anything outside or have a lawn treatment service. You could poison your tank
