Update on My Tank

W

Weetabix

New member
I have been unable to solve the problems I was having with my tank, so I decided to start over.
As some of you know, I sold a bunch of stuff.
The remaining corals are residing in 2 temporary 10g tanks.
Some of my LR I have in the temp tanks and the remainder got stuck out on my back porch to die/dry out.
I have some dead/dry rock that I got from BRS that I will use to get everything restarted.
I wanted to see if I could get just a few of you to volunteer to house one rock in your tanks for a month so I can get some of it seeded with bacteria.
Randy, I was also hoping that mebbe I could get some old tankwater from you when you do a WC, again just to get the new setup seeded with bacteria and stuff.
Not quite ready for it yet, it'll probably take another month or so, but thought I'd ask now.
I discovered that I was having a problem with low Ph due to low O2 levels/high CO2 in the house, so when I get restarted I plan on having a heavily stocked Display Refugium hooked up to the main display to help counterract and balance out the Ph issue.
I'll have the 2 tanks on Reverse Light Cycles, of course.
I'm getting in a good sized bunch of mixed Graciliara tomorrow for a headstart on the Refugium plants.
That's it for me, just thought I'd let guys know what's been going on with me.
 
Hi Weetie; Sorry to hear that you have to start over, but just wondering if adding the refugium now to the exsisting tank would acheive the same results.? Have you done anything to aleviate the elevated CO2 in the house?
I'd be glad to house a rock for you, nothing too big though, as space is limited. LMK if there's anything else I can do to help.
 
Well, the existing tank is already taken down and rehoused in the 2 small temporary 10g tanks, so it's a moot point.
I was just waaaaay over it, y'know?
Only other thing I can do to alleviate the elevated CO2 is to open windows, and that's just not practical during the day when it's hot.
I have smallish rocks, don't think it would take up too much space in your tank.
Thanks! :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15650474#post15650474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
I had never heard of the problems of CO2 in the house having an influence over a tank's parameters until a few weeks ago... I am considering one of these CO2 scrubbers if I can't stabalize my pH before this winter...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1691810
Click to expand...

$10-30 monthly in co2 media? Wow. I'd try lots of things before I went that route.

IMHO, houseplants are a much better alternative for lowering indoor co2, since the cost is much lower and they improve the air for you too (and not just co2). Read pgs 5-ff here: http://www.inive.org/members_area/medias/pdf/Inive\IAQVEC2007\Tarran.pdf
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15650809#post15650809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macclellan
$10-30 monthly in co2 media? Wow. I'd try lots of things before I went that route.

IMHO, houseplants are a much better alternative for lowering indoor co2, since the cost is much lower and they improve the air for you too (and not just co2). Read pgs 5-ff here: http://www.inive.org/members_area/medias/pdf/Inive\IAQVEC2007\Tarran.pdf
Click to expand...

Plants go outside in the summer... Hmmm, I'll have Ashley leave some in... :) I'll read over that this weekend though...

THe $10-$30 per month is what has kept me from immediately jumping on it... lol
 
Yeah, I thought of the plant thing too.
There's only one problem.
Plants will only improve atmospheric oxygen levels when they are photosynthesizing, during the day.
At night when they are respiring, the CO2 level will get even worse in the house than it was before.
It's the same scenario as in your aquarium, except it's happening in your house's atmosphere.
 
Plants are always respiring (consuming O2). It is just that at night they aren't also photosynthesizing, so they are net contributors of co2. Respiration by plants is negligible though, especially compared to humans; I doubt they raise levels in a room by more than a few ppm at night. Recall that co2 levels indoors are typically 500-1000ppm anyways (just shy of 400ppm outdoors), and much, much less in water (around 5ppm). The real question is the total effect of the plants on co2 levels indoors (before-after comparison), and the article linked above suggests it is positive. Also, if one is running a refugium on a reverse photoperiod, I just can't see how house plants could raise the co2 levels in an aquarium in a way that matters since the refugium is consuming co2.

Does anyone have a link discussing the effects on reef organisms of pH swings caused by daily fluctuating co2 levels (NOT by other effects like changes in kH)? In co2-injected planted tanks, daily pH swings of a full point or more are common and do not adversely affect aquatic life. I've long wondered what all the fuss is about. I don't test or worry about it... Reef-keepers often seem like hypochondriacs to me. :) I did just get a controller, so maybe I'll start worrying about it too. ;)
 
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Recall that co2 levels indoors are typically 500-1000ppm anyways (just shy of 400ppm outdoors), and much, much less in water (around 5ppm).

How is 500 - 1,000 ppm just shy of outdoor CO2. :rolleyes: That is 125 % - 200 % outdoor CO2 levels. What do you mean 5 ppm in water. In water pH is a pure function of the pH and Alk tied to the partial pressure of atm CO2. If you know your Alk and pH for FW you can calculate the CO2 and the same for seawater but which is more tricky.

Where did you come up with this 5 ppm in water. You are not even close. There are CO2 calculators for both FW and seawater. First you will get nowhere near 5 ppm in seawater, more like 0.50 ppm for the avg reef tank and maybe 1-2 ppm for FOT or a reef tank with low pH and high Alk. And most FW is much higher than that. FW planted tanks look for 10 -25 ppm depending on pH and Alk

Measuring CO2 levels in a Planted Tank
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

Freshwater CO2 Calculator
http://www.fishfriend.com/aquarium_co2_calculator.html

Seawater Calculator
http://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/CO2Level.htm

In co2-injected planted tanks, daily pH swings of a full point or more are common and do not adversely affect aquatic life

I dare you to try that full pH swing with your reef tank and watch happens :)

There is no such thing as coral in fresh water. Their growth and well being is controlled by the relationship of Ca++, CO2, pH and Alk. Fresh water is not seawater an is a different beast.


Also, if one is running a refugium on a reverse photoperiod, I just can't see how house plants could raise the co2 levels in an aquarium in a way that matters since the refugium is consuming co2.

They will not rise it any more than that gibberish article you posted will lower indoor CO2. This is also gibberish nonsense.

IMHO, houseplants are a much better alternative for lowering indoor co2

Go look at the CO2 plotted diagram. You would need a jungle of plants to get a CO2 level form 450 down to 400ppm let along from 1000 to 400. The higher the indoor CO2 is the more there is driven into the water by diffusion. It is like a pressure thing. 500 ppm air has more pressure than 5 ppm in water, so the CO2 in the air is driven into the water, equals low pH. Have a party at your house with a bunch of people and watch the pH crash.

Does anyone have a link discussing the effects on reef organisms of pH swings caused by daily fluctuating co2 levels (NOT by other effects like changes in kH)?

All tanks have some kind of pH swing from CO2, even coral reefs do, it is the amount of pH swing and what those pH levels are for that swing.

This thread is not about pH swings, it is about low pH from CO2. If the issue was a pH swing of 8.1-8.3, it is not an issue at all but a pH swing for 7.6 - 8.0 is an issues, as it retards biotic precip of Aragonite in corals.

Reef-keepers often seem like hypochondriacs to me

Well I can see why with all the bad info you have posted here :)

You also have not heard of Google it appears.

Effects of pH on marine life. :)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...d=1&q=effect+of+low+ph+on+marine+life&spell=1

I did just get a controller, so maybe I'll start worrying about it too.

Why, you just said pH swing are all gibberish nonsense :)
 
"Oh my" is right, Weetz! Yippee, I got an out-of-stater in our club forum, line itemizing me in responses, and even flaming me a bit! Jeez, I'm feeling important!

Just curious - why is the .4pH drop being blamed on high co2 at your place? Does the drop reflect when everybody is home, outgassing co2? :) Seems more like the typical in-tank day-night dynamics without hearing more of your story. Did you post more of the story at N-R? Link?

Anyways, I know how to bold text too, and I'm not afraid to do it!:
How is 500 - 1,000 ppm just shy of outdoor CO2. :rolleyes: That is 125 % - 200 % outdoor CO2 levels.
I said outdoor co2 levels are just shy of 400, i.e. slightly less than 400, as in the current global mean of 387ppm co2 (not that indoor levels are just shy of outdoor). That was obviously what I meant unless you were intentionally trying to misinterpret me.

What do you mean 5 ppm in water. In water pH is a pure function of the pH and Alk tied to the partial pressure of atm CO2. If you know your Alk and pH for FW you can calculate the CO2 and the same for seawater but which is more tricky.
Yeah, co2 is calculated from alk and ph just as you described (Co2 meters are more accurate, but hella bank). What else could I have meant? Are you trying to misread what I write?

Where did you come up with this 5 ppm in water. You are not even close. There are CO2 calculators for both FW and seawater. First you will get nowhere near 5 ppm in seawater, more like 0.50 ppm for the avg reef tank and maybe 1-2 ppm for FOT or a reef tank with low pH and high Alk. And most FW is much higher than that. FW planted tanks look for 10 -25 ppm depending on pH and Alk
In FW planted tanks, which is what I know best, it is typically around 5 without co2 injection (rreshwater is at equilibrium with air at 4ppm if I'm not mistaken, but fish bump that a bit especially without good surface agitation or photosynthesis). co2 injected tanks are quite a bit higher than the 10-25 you suggest, more like 25-45ppm (and much, much higher if measured at your co2 input points). Actually, 10-25ppm is a recipe for disaster in a well lit planted aquarium. A google search might have helped you see that though. ;)

If co2 is 0.50 ppm in the average reef tank, as you say, then it is hard to see how that is something worth fussing over assuming normal temps, salinity, and alkalinity because it doesn't result in "low pH." Besides, we're talking about co2 levels in tanks in "high co2 air environments," hence my questions of why that matters if it is within the acceptable range, which you didn't answer. Still, this was as close as you got to being helpful in your labored response, so thank you.

I dare you to try that full pH swing with your reef tank and watch happens :)
I never suggested doing so and wouldn't like to try. We're talking about much lower swings in reef tanks. I was, and am still asking for data on the effects on inhabitants from typical night to day pH swings in reef aquaria from co2 changes (e.g. 0.2 to 0.4 or so).

They will not rise it any more than that gibberish article you posted will lower indoor CO2. This is also gibberish nonsense.
Can you back that up with anything other than claims that the linked published empirical data is "gibberish"? I've seen some good data from Reefkeeping magazine and elsewhere that reverse photocycle refugiums do a great job of eliminating hypoxia and mitigating ph swings at night. They can only do this by using up co2 in photosynthesis... This isn't personal; just back up your claim in a way other than attacking someone else's published data on a separate issue.

Go look at the CO2 plotted diagram. You would need a jungle of plants to get a CO2 level form 450 down to 400ppm let along from 1000 to 400. The higher the indoor CO2 is the more there is driven into the water by diffusion. It is like a pressure thing. 500 ppm air has more pressure than 5 ppm in water, so the CO2 in the air is driven into the water, equals low pH. Have a party at your house with a bunch of people and watch the pH crash.
I didn't claim that plants would take co2 from 1000 to 400 or anything remotely resembling that claim. I said at worst they wouldn't hurt your aquarium and would likely take it down somewhat, which the "gibberish" article I linked substantiates to a certain extent. Ventilation would also help, in addition to or in place of plants (but not too practicable in East TN where everyone runs AC), as would running an air line from outside to a skimmer, etc. There are many ways to skin a cat, many of which seem preferable to co2 scrubbers for cost reasons, as I said.

You also have not heard of Google it appears.
Thanks. You've at least got condescension down. :rolleyes: Ad hominem aside, can you post a relevant link, not a mere google search on "low pH in reefs", which isn't specific enough to address the issue at hand? We're not talking about "acid rain" and the other posts that come up there, we're talking about mild pH differences, like 0.2-0.4, usually still within the generally accepted "safe range" for reefs due to the influence of changing co2 levels.

As for the controller, I am interested in controlling temperature, power outlets, and monitoring pH. Thanks for missing the sarcasm though, true class act. :D
 
I was shocked at a beginning Ph of 7.6, just before lights on, so I did the layman's test for high CO2.
Took a bit of tankwater and aerated it on my front porch for 1 hr. with an air pump and airstone. Ph rose dramatically, to something like 8.1 I believe.
Then did the same test indoors, Ph actually went down .1 I believe.
This proves low Ph due to high indoor CO2.
Was using a Salifert test kit and checked test results against a Seachem test kit, got same results.
 
Anyways, I know how to bold text too, and I'm not afraid to do it!:

You know how to bold text too :eek2: It is called quoting one. So one knows exactly what is said.

I got an out-of-stater in our club forum, line itemizing me in responses

That it correct I was invited here. Apparently an out of stater needed to come here and correct some of your comments. I guess you think you are so big an cool that an out of stater should dare to question you.

That was obviously what I meant unless you were intentionally trying to misinterpret me.

Ah, how could that be you said exactly......

Recall that co2 levels indoors are typically 500-1000ppm anyways (just shy of 400ppm outdoors)

So, again how is, 500, 600, 1,000 ppm just shy of doors which is 400.

Yeah, co2 is calculated from alk and ph just as you described (Co2 meters are more accurate, but hella bank). What else could I have meant? Are you trying to misread what I write?

How am I doing that, it is an exact quote. What do you mean what else could you have meant.

and much, much less in water (around 5ppm)

You said CO2 is around 5 ppm in water.

(Co2 meters are more accurate, but hella bank).

We are not dealing with FW planted tanks but seawater reef tanks.

Really find me a CO2 meter for seawater :) Matter of fact find me one for freshwater. "more accurate". CO2 calculation are very accurate and often used by chemical oceanographers and limnologists.

See Millero, Chemical Oceaography, Wetzel, Limnoilogy

In FW planted tanks, which is what I know best, it is typically around 5 without co2 injection

Than say that and not a blank statement. And STOP the FW comparison stuff, as it has no merit. A common mistake by many FW people. And you can raise it higher than that without any CO2 injection.

co2 injected tanks are quite a bit higher than the 10-25 you suggest, more like 25-45ppm (and much, much higher if measured at your co2 input points).

CO2 input source is not the tank CO2;) And does not count. I do not believe you said that.

Actually, 10-25ppm is a recipe for disaster in a well lit planted aquarium.

Really show me a link


A google search might have helped you see that though.

I don't need to Google that ;) Many seek around 30 ppm others may be lower or high. Above 30 ppm can be harmful to fish due to blood acidosis.

Can you back that up with anything other than claims that the linked published empirical data is "gibberish"?

Look at the graphs, as I already stated the plants in the house will remove little CO2, unless you have a jungle in the house.

I've seen some good data from Reefkeeping magazine and elsewhere that reverse photocycle refugiums do a great job of eliminating hypoxia and mitigating ph swings at night.

Where did I say they would not ?

They can only do this by using up co2 in photosynthesis... This isn't personal; just back up your claim in a way other than attacking someone else's published data on a separate issue.

Read the article it only removes a small amount of CO2 from in door air. I'm not attacking the article it is you saying house Plants will fix your CO2 indoor issue. I did not say this you did and you are trying to use this article to back you up.

Here
]IMHO, houseplants are a much better alternative for lowering indoor co2


I didn't claim that plants would take co2 from 1000 to 400 or anything remotely resembling that claim.

No, but you are implying that with that IMHO, houseplants are a much better alternative for lowering indoor co2

I said at worst they wouldn't hurt your aquarium and would likely take it down

And I agreed with you on that. "They will not rise it any more than that gibberish article you posted will lower indoor CO2"


There are many ways to control high room air CO2 or " skin a cat". One can DIY a CO2 scrubber very cheap. Running room air through FW ammonia remover before it goes to the tank or skimmer will remove CO2 from that air. Did you read the link the guy posted that dealt with this ?

we're talking about mild pH differences, like 0.2-0.4, usually still within the generally accepted "safe range" for reefs due to the influence of changing co2 levels.

A pH swing of 0.4 pH is not mild in a reef tank and is not accepted by most and especially with a pH of 7.6 - 8.0.

I did just get a controller, so maybe I'll start worrying about it too





we're talking about mild pH differences, like 0.2-0.4, usually still within the generally accepted "safe range" for reefs due to the influence of changingco2 levels.

No, we are not. This thread is about low pH 7.6-8.0, with a swing of 0.4 pH. That is NOT good or accepted. You need to quite to trying to twist things around to suit you, as it does not work with me.

Thanks for missing the sarcasm though, true class act.

Well, then you are pretty much in the same class then :)
 
Whoa indeed... :D I invited Boomer to contribute to the discussion as I know he is very knowledgable about chemistry and I am not... lol The goal here is to inform with facts as well as opinions and hopefully we will all be better educated by this thread... :) I know that Joel and Boomer are both good at holding up their ends of the discussion... :p

So....... I know that high CO2 levels have a lowering affect on a tanks pH... Would flora within the aquaria as well as outside help remove excess CO2 and help raise pH??? I know that this may not be helpfull for ULNS, but I'm trying to find different ways of combatting CO2... I know it will help raise the pH if I go back to a sandbed, which I am considering doing, but I also know that a lot of people have BB tanks and no problems maintaining their pH... I would like to do so without the addition of chemicals or buffers... Any input???

Lisa~ Is your tank BB or do you have a sandbed???
 
Lisa, it seems hard to me to extrapolate straight away from the pH in the morning to "high indoor co2" as being the cause, or at least the sole cause. The .1 difference you mentioned does seem plausible due to the indoor-vs outdoor difference. The rest of the pH difference seems like the typical in-tank swing (no zooxanthellae photosynthesizing at night) and the fact that you aerated a small volume of water. Without a skimmer or refugium, you only had surface agitation to remove co2, right? Daily swings in the tank and high indoor co2 are different albeit interconnected issues, right? To see the effects of indoor co2 on pH, wouldn't a better test be to simply leave some tap water sit for 24hrs indoors, test the pH and kH, then take it outside, wait 24hrs, and test again for the difference? That would remove the co2 contributions inside your tank.

In-home CO2 meters aren't too spendy (about $100). I wouldn't mind club money going for one; at least three of us are curious already. :)

Anyways, I don't have the patience to go through Boomerman's comments again individually. I don't see why he needed to start or continue with a tone like that. Being a chemistry expert doesn't entitle anyone to be a dickhead. I didn't know you were invited; it seemed like some Curmudgeony oracle coming in for no reason. Anyways, welcome!

Here are a few comments though:

387 is just shy of 400. 400 is a number. 387 is a number. "Just shy of" means slightly less than. 387 is just shy of 400, 13 less to be exact. I don't know how to say it simpler than that or why you are referring back to indoor co2 levels with that statement, especially after I've clarified it once already. Are we speaking the same language?

The article I linked shows that three houseplants in a typical office space reduced co2 by 8-14% (and more dramatically improved other aspects of air quality, which doesn't seem bad for an aquarium). Three plants does not a "jungle" make, and 8-14% is a significant reduction for basically no cost or effort (Randy said he already has house plants...). Yes, I read the original thread Randy linked. DIYing a scrubber, ammonia remover etc. are definitely ways to skin that cat and bring the costs down somewhat. But also more crap to maintain, and still some costs involved. Having a baseline measurement of co2 in the air would be nice, to see how big the problem is to be corrected. More drastic problems call for more drastic solutions.

As far as freshwater goes (since you keep responding to it while at the same time saying it's not relevant): By measuring co2 in freshwater at the source, I mean measuring tank water where your co2 input is, which can be very high, even 100-150ppm. I don't how you could have read that as measuring out of the aquarium, but I bet if I measured the CO2 at the cylinder, it would be just shy of a million ppm (by that, I mean a bit less than one million ppm). ;) Anyways, CO2 levels are NOT the same everywhere in a planted tank; they vary widely. Tom Barr has posted a bunch about this and it's implications (barrreport.com). If you want links about 10-25ppm being a problem in planted tanks, just visit the "algae" subforum of any planted aquarium board like plantedtank.net or aquaticplantcentral.com and see the countless posts of algae problems with the response: "raise your co2." My tanks are at about 40ppm.

I just tested my reef tanks' pH - first time in ages. :) My 14g AIO (1/2 sand 'bed') brimming with corals, 5 fish, and a chaeto refugium on reverse photocycle is at 8. My fishless 20L growout tank (barebottom) with Tunze 9002 skimmer is at 8.2. It's about 10 hours after lights out on both tanks. Refugium and skimmer are doing something. Or maybe it's the house plants? :rollface:
 
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Oh, Lisa, I can take a rock or two and put it in my sump when you are ready next month - meant to say that above, but it got lost in the nonsense. Just so you know, I've got bristleworms, micro-brittles, stomatellas, and collinistas, which I think are all good, but some disagree. I'll give you a handful of sand too if you want. I wouldn't bother with the tank water; not much bacteria in tank water.
 
Here are a few comments though:

387 is just shy of 400. 400 is a number. 387 is a number. "Just shy of" means slightly less than. 387 is just shy of 400,



You just seem to have issue with our own statements

Recall that co2 levels indoors are typically 500-1000ppm anyways (just shy of 400ppm outdoors)

That is not what that says. So, why can't you just admit it. You are saying a outdoor CO2 of 400 is close to outdoor CO2 which is 500 -1000 ppm. How is 500 ppm close to 400 ppm or 1,000 ppm? That is a very misleading statement, is it not ? Yes, now you say you did mean it that way, fine.

The article I linked shows that three houseplants in a typical office space reduced co2 by 8-14%

A typical office space is not a house. And 8-14 % is not much of anything when dealing with high indoor CO2. That study was also on an air-conditioned and a naturally ventilated building, which says nothing about issue with houses that have poor ventilation and how that may effect a reef tank. The are many people with reef tanks that have indoor plants and never make that claim that, just add some plants it helps the issue of indoor CO2. Using indoor plants has been brought on our chem forum before. Find it as a means anywhere here;


Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

INDOOR AIR QUALITY
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/short.htm

I mean measuring tank water where your co2 input is, which can be very high, even 100-150ppm.

I'm not saying it is not but it has no bearing on how much CO2 is in the tank, as some of that will degass off. So, why even say it? That is like measuring the pH of where you drip kalk and it is pH 10 or measuring the output pH of a reactor and it is 6.5 . None of those tell you what the tank pH is. Your remark has no bearing on the issue at hand and is misleading to a reader.


countless posts of algae problems with the response: "raise your co2."

That is another issue. Not EVERYBODY that runs a PFW have algae issues at 10-25. There are also quite a few PFW tank websties and forums that suggest 10-25. So, we can always pick and choose what website or forum to go to :)




wouldn't a better test be to simply leave some tap water sit for 24hrs indoors, test the pH and kH, then take it outside, wait 24hrs, and test again for the difference? That would remove the co2 contributions inside your tank.

Not really that water outside needs to be heavily aerated over night to actually drive off that CO2. It is easier to drive in CO2 than drive it off. The Alk will not change has it has no effect on CO2. CO2 input will drop the pH no matter what that Alk is. However, measuring the Alk does prove the point that it has no bearing on pH when dealing with CO2. The only thing a high Alk will do in regards to CO2 is slow down a tad the rate of pH drop. Lastly, the test needs to be done both outdoors and indoors. Some tanks do suffer from high tank CO2 from poor " reefer' habits. One must first find the cause of the low pH, address that and then the pH swing.

You have a pH range or swing of 8.0- 8.2 ? Well that is what many seek :) Refugium and skimmer do work well for many but it depends on how the individual wants to address the issue, how low that pH is and what its swing is.

In-home CO2 meters aren't too spendy (about $100)

Yes, IMHO all reef clubs should have one. However, your original statement on metes implies that there is one for measuring CO2 in water and the is not. So, Now I know what you mean by CO2 meter.

By the way sorry for coming across as a dickhead, it is just the way I post at times. And try not to use that term, as being a RC staff member I could boot you off of RC but I'm not that kind of guy but many MODs are. Some MOD see that and you will be gone using that word.
 
ct

So....... I know that high CO2 levels have a lowering affect on a tanks pH... Would flora within the aquaria as well as outside help remove excess CO2 and help raise pH???

You are much better off with a refugium on reverse lighting if you have the space and can do that.

I know it will help raise the pH if I go back to a sandbed, which I am considering doing,

That is pretty much a myth. Sandbeds do about nil for pH. Matter of fact you will not even be able to measure a difference. New carbonate SB actually lower the pH at first.

Any input???

First you/we need to address your CO2 issue and where it comes from, see post and links above.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15657904#post15657904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boomer
That is pretty much a myth. Sandbeds do about nil for pH. Matter of fact you will not even be able to measure a difference. New carbonate SB actually lower the pH at first.



First you/we need to address your CO2 issue and where it comes from, see post and links above.
Click to expand...


That RK mag link is exactly what I was lookign for, thanks!!! I'm going to try the Aeration test and see what kind of results I get...


I have a larger system now since going BB, so I have a larger skimmer and larger Calcium Reactor... I was thinking that perhaps those might be the reasons for my lowering pH versus not having a sand bed...

I am curious as to why a sandbed would not help stabalize pH though... Only cause I figured that if the pH were low, it would break down the aragonite sand and then raise the pH of the system... Is that not how it works, or is there not enough surface area exposed in order for it work that way???
 
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