CO2 scrubber to increase pH

[Reef of Fillory]

Day 2 media

 

[snakejacques]

Day 2 media

Wen I hooked mine to my skimmer my media went back to white and lasted 3 weeks longer

 

[SB Reef Lights]

Easy way to see if aCO2 scrubber will help you.
1. Take 2 samples of tank water.
2. Test pH on 1 sample immediately.
3. Leave the other sample outside for 15 minutes, then test.
4. If pH is higher on the second sample a CO2 scrubber will help.

I posted a DIY scrubber walkthrough a couple years back here on R2R. Using aGatorade bottle and soda lime. I think Revtree pinned it somewhere.

 

[Centerline]

Do you guys all still [continously] run a CO2 scrubber on your tanks?

Yup, if I don't I'm right back down to 7.5. I also dose kalk with me topoff. Helps a LOT!

 

[Reef of Fillory]

 

[Velcro]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-best-way-to-implement-a-co2-scrubber.330806/

 

[Reef of Fillory]

This is what I had when just getting back from thanksgiving [best pH i've ever had before the scrubber]

Swings down into the 7.6, and before I was out of the house for Thanksgiving I was getting rare highs of 7.8, mostly sitting from 7.6-7.75

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I Re-calibrated my pH probe and cut a hole in the top of my skimmer cup to feed the scrubber, and my pH has fallen =(

The sharp ups and downs are the calibration. Even with highs in the 8.1 and lows at 7.8 it's an improvement from lows at 7.6 and highs at 7.8, so i'm still overall happy with the scrubber.

I have noticed some condensation in the intake line of my scrubber. Has anyone had issues with condensation making its way to the media? If the media gets waterlogged/wet what are the consequences?

 

[snakejacques]

I Re-calibrated my pH probe and cut a hole in the top of my skimmer cup to feed the scrubber, and my pH has fallen =(

The sharp ups and downs are the calibration. Even with highs in the 8.1 and lows at 7.8 it's an improvement from lows at 7.6 and highs at 7.8, so i'm still overall happy with the scrubber.

I have noticed some condensation in the intake line of my scrubber. Has anyone had issues with condensation making its way to the media? If the media gets waterlogged/wet what are the consequences?

I actually had water in my hose. I'll take a picture of how i solved it i hope it's only been running a few weeks.

 

[XNavyDiver]

I Re-calibrated my pH probe and cut a hole in the top of my skimmer cup to feed the scrubber, and my pH has fallen =(

The sharp ups and downs are the calibration. Even with highs in the 8.1 and lows at 7.8 it's an improvement from lows at 7.6 and highs at 7.8, so i'm still overall happy with the scrubber.

I have noticed some condensation in the intake line of my scrubber. Has anyone had issues with condensation making its way to the media? If the media gets waterlogged/wet what are the consequences?

Is your intake like hooked to your skimmer collection cup? If so, it may help to have a "drip line", just like a power cord. Just make sure the tubing is long enough. In other words, you don't want a straight shot from skimmer cup to reactor. I've never had the reactor fill with condensation this way.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Is your intake like hooked to your skimmer collection cup? If so, it may help to have a "drip line", just like a power cord. Just make sure the tubing is long enough. In other words, you don't want a straight shot from skimmer cup to reactor. I've never had the reactor fill with condensation this way.

I thought for sure that I had posted the pictures here, I must have only posted them in my Biocube thread in the member tank section!

 

[snakejacques]

I made this

It's working prity good

 

[1stNoel]

I

High CO2 is always the cause of low pH as long as alkalinity is in a normal range.

A few weeks ago my wife and I went out of town. We told our 17 year old son he could have 2 friends over. One look at my Apex pH told me he had more over than 2. Turns out he had 5 friends over. I love chemistry!

My experience with adding a CO2 scrubber was that the first time I ran it the media burned through quickly but it goes much slower later. Its almost like the first one lowers the CO2 in the entire house and then just works to keep it low. It could be something else, but that was what I observed.

It could've been just people...with a lot of hot and heavy action going on. :)