Low pH Answer

[coralcruze]

I bought my Co2 Scrubber from Bulk Reef Supply. It's nice but I took the inlet elbow, off completely, and the elbow going to the skimmer I changed. Not sure of the exact size but went to Lows and got the largest one that fit the threads on the scrubber and tubbing. I think it was 3/8" inside diameter. Worked much better than what came stock and my skimmer is now almost silent. Not knocking the DIY scrubbers I think it would be easy to make and get the same results.
I will be ordering the soda lime, 5 gal bucket, soon although I don't mind the BRS media. Not really sure there is any difference. Or the shelf life of a 5 gallon bucket. Might be better to continually refill the one gallon from the larger container so as not to expose the 5 gallon bucket to air, just a thought.
Very happy with the Scrubber. Ph is 8.3 and about 8.28 at night.

This is why I stopped buying anything from BRS. They have had issues with many of thier reactors and water filters. not cool when you buy something new and you have to modify to get working properly. as for soda ash... that works but Randy had better and less expensive alternatives that work just as well, perhaps better.

 

[coralcruze]

I run a calcium reactor pretty hard, and my sump is in a basement, sealed up with no windows. This set up has always suffered from chronically low Ph. typical swing is from 7.7-8.0. I ran a C02 scrubber for about 6 months, and it worked. My ph stayed above 8.0, even at night (with an algae scrubber). This tank has been up for about 3 yrs, I have ran it with low ph, with co2 scrubbers and high ph, and now back to low ph. To be honest, I saw absolutely NO difference in the health of the tank with or without low ph. I stopped running the co2 media to save money.

I can agree with this, but to a point... My tank recently was hanging around 7.8 and I saw no ill effects. However, i didn't allow it to stay at that point for long. First I think (Randy can correct) 7.8 is not necessarily a problem if you have other perams in check. I just think that keeping 7.8 is on the low side pf ph scale and could cause issues if it starts dipping even lower. so can it stay there? probably... but you have to watch it like a hawk to be sure it never dips below that.

For me the fix was purchasing a kalk stirer NOT C02 levels.

 

[Alabamareef]

Personally I think a good pH says a lot about the health of the tank. Usually if all my parameters are in check my pH is 8 or above. When the pH is low I usually have an Alk issue. In short if my pH is good 99% of the time everything follows suit.

 

[Alabamareef]

Just used the last of the 1 gallon color changing media from BRS, cost $49. Still have a little in the container but this last batch should be used up around the last part of the month. I would change when my pH would get to 8.1/8.2. Before the scrubber my pH was hanging around 7.8. With the scrubber my pH is 8.3. I've noticed some over all better health of my corals, ie. PE, color and growth. Some of my corals have grown a lot. Other than having to change out the tubbing and elbow on the reactor I'd reccomended this to anyone that fights a Co2 lowering the pH problem......
One small note. If you do get this unit make sure it's in a place thats easy to get to and higher than your skimmer. Mine is mouonted on the back of the canopy and makes changing the media very easy.

 

[UK_Pete]

If you combine outside air with the scrubber you might extend the life of the soda lime, because the outside air might have lower CO2 than your indoor air. Working backwards from my tank CO2 I must have around 1000 ppm in the house in winter (the room is full of toddlers running around for quite a few hours a day and its very cold outside so well sealed up), maybe even more than 1000 ppm. Outside air to the skimmer raised this at least 0.4, maybe 0.5 pH units. So if your scrubber input air has 400 ppm CO2 with outside air vs 1000 ppm CO2 with inside air, it will last 2.5 times as long with the outside air.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just used the last of the 1 gallon color changing media from BRS, cost $49. Still have a little in the container but this last batch should be used up around the last part of the month. I would change when my pH would get to 8.1/8.2. Before the scrubber my pH was hanging around 7.8. With the scrubber my pH is 8.3. I've noticed some over all better health of my corals, ie. PE, color and growth. Some of my corals have grown a lot. Other than having to change out the tubbing and elbow on the reactor I'd reccomended this to anyone that fights a Co2 lowering the pH problem......
One small note. If you do get this unit make sure it's in a place thats easy to get to and higher than your skimmer. Mine is mouonted on the back of the canopy and makes changing the media very easy.

Thanks for the update!