reefinmike
New member
I apologize for the long thread. I greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read and understand the problem I am dealing with. I feel my solution to introducing fresh air to the tank is as good as it will get so if you have a short attention span, skip down to "Dosing Kalk" in bold. I have been battling low ph due to excess CO2 in my home. I have already ran a 1" pvc pipe from the skimmers air intake to outside. this raised the ph about .10 so now the average low is 7.95 and average high 8.05. The Ph didn't even get above 8 today. The rare occasion that I can open my windows the ph will rise .1 on both ends. The excess co2 must be getting in via the surface of the water which has a 1950gph koralia running across and covered about 80% by the glass tops. 50cfm of air flows through the canopy to keep it cool. I am confident in my ph measurements using two apex's with two different probes and a salifert test kit. I keep my alk between 8.5-9.5 dkh verified with a hanna checker, red sea and api test kit.
The tank is a 90 gallon with about 500gph flowing through a herbie style overflow into my 55g sump. The actual system water volume is 110g. currently the tank will use approx .8DKH worth of alk each week when the PH swings from 8.05-8.15 but only .4dkh when the PH is at its usual 7.95-8.05. I have conflicting calcium levels with the second kit I bought so a different brand is on the way to verify that API tests 130ppm low. The low PH has been a very frustrating issue so I have decided to do whatever possible to keep the PH as high as possible without having to rely exclusively on kalk. I see it as a viable cal/alk solution for some time however it has it's limitations as my current cal/alk usage is likely too low to fix the PH by itself and I may very well grow out of it due to limited evaporation and/or excessively high PH. Currently these steps are the best I've come up with to combat the problem. I'm looking for additional solutions/critiquing the long term sustainability of this idea.
A- Completely seal off the display tank from the air inside my house.
B-Seal off 75% of the top of the sump(very calm surface water), leaving room for the skimmer and drains/return
C-Expose the turbulent display surface to outside air
D-Draw outside air to the skimmer
E- Dose kalkwasser as much as cal, alk and PH allow
To do A-D, I will get some glass custom cut for the top, two pieces for each side. One piece will be ~1/3 the width(front to back) and the other one 2/3. The left rear will be the 1/3 piece with a bulkhead running through it for the return line. This piece will be more or less permanent once I glue the return PVC. The left front pane will be 2/3 the width and only opened once a month for water changes. The right rear side will have the 2/3 width pane with a bulkhead connected to the 1" outside air intake. the front 1/3 pane will be used for every day feeding/tinkering. I would have both the larger panes in the rear but having the larger left pane up front will give room for larger things going in or out of the display.I don't plan on a plastic hinge like store bought tops as they block too much light. I am looking for ideas on thin gasket like material to put between the panes to create a seal. I feel water from the humidity will form the outer seal. In the sump near the skimmer, I will put a "T" with an elbow going up to the skimmers air intake. The emergency drain rarely sees a trickle and goes an inch under the sump's water surface. Assuming the top of the display is sealed well, the skimmer will be pulling air from outside, through the surface water of the display and down the emergency drain. I plan to have a float switch in the skimmer cup to cut it off in case it goes haywire or draws water from the emergency overflow. The skimmer's air intake should pull approx 25x the volume of air between the glass tops and water each hour. I feel this method is the best way of exposing the surface and skimmer to fresh air, minimizing condensation on the glass tops, plumbing and holes drilled in the tops. I am looking for suggestions to improve upon this before I make it final. another idea is to create positive air pressure in the top of the display via an air pump or exhaust fan blowing outside air in while keeping the skimmer's air intake tied in with the emergency overflow.
Dosing kalk:
This is the subject that I need the most advice on. I am looking for a cheap, flexible, reliable, low maintenance way to boost my PH & Cal/Alk via kalkwasser dosing using my apex with several fail safes. I have the newest apex with a salinity probe and 6 float switches in areas I feel vital.
sw1- 2" above the return pump's intake. This will alert me of a dangerously low sump level indicating an empty ATO reservoir, clogged display drains or major aquarium leak. This will send me an alert as well as cut off ATO/kalk and likely the return pump based on salinity and sw6's level
sw2&3- Desired sump level. switch two is a fraction of an inch below switch #3. Two switches for redundancy. 4 ounces of water is the difference between tripping #2 and #3.
sw4- High sump level. I plan to put this one approximately 4" above the sump level switches. this will send me an alert as well as cut off ATO/kalk
sw5- Full skimmer cup. This switch should only be tripped if the skimmer goes haywire due to high sump level, something in the water or the emergency drain pulls in a full siphon. This switch will send me an alert and cut off the skimmer.
sw6- High overflow. This switch will be in the overflow area of the display and set to trigger if the water level rises 1/2" above the usual operating height indicating a clogged emergency drain. I'm not yet sure if I would have this just send an alert or have it cut off the return pump.
I intend to top off with RO/DI when the lights are on. I'm thinking I will do a gravity feed with a float valve and solenoid programmed based on switch positions and salinity. Dosing kalk is where I'm hung up. Here are the options I'm considering.
1-Apex dos- saves an eb832 outlet, completely programmable, Can dose kalk and ATO. If I eventually outgrow kalkwasser and/or my fresh air intake and photosynthesis from coral/fuge correct the PH I can switch to two part dosing
2-Simple kalkwasser drip at night controlled via two solenoids for redundancy. maximum on time, PH cut off, salinity cut off, float switch cut off
3-Kalk reactor- 1 solenoid on a line drawing fresh water from the ATO, one opening up a kalk drip and another solenoid on the ATO line with a float valve
4-Single BRS dosing pump scheduled to dose several times at night using switches, PH and salinity probes as fail safes. ATO during the day with a gravity fed system using a solenoid and float valve as fail safes.
I really appreciate any and all input. I realize I am probably overthinking it but I'd like to start right with redundancy and room to grow. I'm thinking a single dosing pump for kalk and a gravity fed ATO with a float valve and solenoid would be the best option for now. however an apex dos is tempting with room for evolving my PH, cal and alk control.
The tank is a 90 gallon with about 500gph flowing through a herbie style overflow into my 55g sump. The actual system water volume is 110g. currently the tank will use approx .8DKH worth of alk each week when the PH swings from 8.05-8.15 but only .4dkh when the PH is at its usual 7.95-8.05. I have conflicting calcium levels with the second kit I bought so a different brand is on the way to verify that API tests 130ppm low. The low PH has been a very frustrating issue so I have decided to do whatever possible to keep the PH as high as possible without having to rely exclusively on kalk. I see it as a viable cal/alk solution for some time however it has it's limitations as my current cal/alk usage is likely too low to fix the PH by itself and I may very well grow out of it due to limited evaporation and/or excessively high PH. Currently these steps are the best I've come up with to combat the problem. I'm looking for additional solutions/critiquing the long term sustainability of this idea.
A- Completely seal off the display tank from the air inside my house.
B-Seal off 75% of the top of the sump(very calm surface water), leaving room for the skimmer and drains/return
C-Expose the turbulent display surface to outside air
D-Draw outside air to the skimmer
E- Dose kalkwasser as much as cal, alk and PH allow
To do A-D, I will get some glass custom cut for the top, two pieces for each side. One piece will be ~1/3 the width(front to back) and the other one 2/3. The left rear will be the 1/3 piece with a bulkhead running through it for the return line. This piece will be more or less permanent once I glue the return PVC. The left front pane will be 2/3 the width and only opened once a month for water changes. The right rear side will have the 2/3 width pane with a bulkhead connected to the 1" outside air intake. the front 1/3 pane will be used for every day feeding/tinkering. I would have both the larger panes in the rear but having the larger left pane up front will give room for larger things going in or out of the display.I don't plan on a plastic hinge like store bought tops as they block too much light. I am looking for ideas on thin gasket like material to put between the panes to create a seal. I feel water from the humidity will form the outer seal. In the sump near the skimmer, I will put a "T" with an elbow going up to the skimmers air intake. The emergency drain rarely sees a trickle and goes an inch under the sump's water surface. Assuming the top of the display is sealed well, the skimmer will be pulling air from outside, through the surface water of the display and down the emergency drain. I plan to have a float switch in the skimmer cup to cut it off in case it goes haywire or draws water from the emergency overflow. The skimmer's air intake should pull approx 25x the volume of air between the glass tops and water each hour. I feel this method is the best way of exposing the surface and skimmer to fresh air, minimizing condensation on the glass tops, plumbing and holes drilled in the tops. I am looking for suggestions to improve upon this before I make it final. another idea is to create positive air pressure in the top of the display via an air pump or exhaust fan blowing outside air in while keeping the skimmer's air intake tied in with the emergency overflow.
Dosing kalk:
This is the subject that I need the most advice on. I am looking for a cheap, flexible, reliable, low maintenance way to boost my PH & Cal/Alk via kalkwasser dosing using my apex with several fail safes. I have the newest apex with a salinity probe and 6 float switches in areas I feel vital.
sw1- 2" above the return pump's intake. This will alert me of a dangerously low sump level indicating an empty ATO reservoir, clogged display drains or major aquarium leak. This will send me an alert as well as cut off ATO/kalk and likely the return pump based on salinity and sw6's level
sw2&3- Desired sump level. switch two is a fraction of an inch below switch #3. Two switches for redundancy. 4 ounces of water is the difference between tripping #2 and #3.
sw4- High sump level. I plan to put this one approximately 4" above the sump level switches. this will send me an alert as well as cut off ATO/kalk
sw5- Full skimmer cup. This switch should only be tripped if the skimmer goes haywire due to high sump level, something in the water or the emergency drain pulls in a full siphon. This switch will send me an alert and cut off the skimmer.
sw6- High overflow. This switch will be in the overflow area of the display and set to trigger if the water level rises 1/2" above the usual operating height indicating a clogged emergency drain. I'm not yet sure if I would have this just send an alert or have it cut off the return pump.
I intend to top off with RO/DI when the lights are on. I'm thinking I will do a gravity feed with a float valve and solenoid programmed based on switch positions and salinity. Dosing kalk is where I'm hung up. Here are the options I'm considering.
1-Apex dos- saves an eb832 outlet, completely programmable, Can dose kalk and ATO. If I eventually outgrow kalkwasser and/or my fresh air intake and photosynthesis from coral/fuge correct the PH I can switch to two part dosing
2-Simple kalkwasser drip at night controlled via two solenoids for redundancy. maximum on time, PH cut off, salinity cut off, float switch cut off
3-Kalk reactor- 1 solenoid on a line drawing fresh water from the ATO, one opening up a kalk drip and another solenoid on the ATO line with a float valve
4-Single BRS dosing pump scheduled to dose several times at night using switches, PH and salinity probes as fail safes. ATO during the day with a gravity fed system using a solenoid and float valve as fail safes.
I really appreciate any and all input. I realize I am probably overthinking it but I'd like to start right with redundancy and room to grow. I'm thinking a single dosing pump for kalk and a gravity fed ATO with a float valve and solenoid would be the best option for now. however an apex dos is tempting with room for evolving my PH, cal and alk control.
