CO2 scrubber

[HuduVudu]

I will defer to the calrx experts out there, but I do know they depress ph.

Just a note, I have decently low ambient CO2 and a CaRx. I don't measure pH regularly but I can say that I run about 8.2 on the peak. IME the ambient plays a much more important role than practically anything else.

I have moved from my house that I installed an ERV and I am now in an apartment. Fortunately the air handler in the apartment has a fresh air pull. I can still get the occasional 1000ppm period but it doesn't happen often and I often correct it by running the AC more (ouch) or opening the windows a bit to get in air. My normal CO2 is usually 450 - 600ppm.

I just can't see how fighting the ambient with either a scrubber or an outside airline makes sense. This is an expensive and often useless way to deal with an issue that not only effects our tanks but also our health. IMO better to deal with the root of the problem than to continue to band aid the symptom.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Just a note, I have decently low ambient CO2 and a CaRx. I don't measure pH regularly but I can say that I run about 8.2 on the peak. IME the ambient plays a much more important role than practically anything else.

I have moved from my house that I installed an ERV and I am now in an apartment. Fortunately the air handler in the apartment has a fresh air pull. I can still get the occasional 1000ppm period but it doesn't happen often and I often correct it by running the AC more (ouch) or opening the windows a bit to get in air. My normal CO2 is usually 450 - 600ppm.

I just can't see how fighting the ambient with either a scrubber or an outside airline makes sense. This is an expensive and often useless way to deal with an issue that not only effects our tanks but also our health. IMO better to deal with the root of the problem than to continue to band aid the symptom.

I asked previously and he had the windows open with zero effect on ph prior to installing the scrubber. I’m not sure it’s ambient, although he has not monitored for co2. So who knows.

edit. Agreed, expensive and in consistent. Ph swings as the media depletes and is replaced with fresh, this affects alk consumption, and can lead to less than ideal stability.

 

[HuduVudu]

I asked previously and he had the windows open with zero effect on ph prior to installing the scrubber. I’m not sure it’s ambient, although he has not monitored for co2. So who knows.

When you have a monitor running you find that you either have to force air through to get a "fast" drop or you have to leave the windows open quite a while.

When I was in my old house before I had my ERV I had to run a big fan in the front window pushing into the house and open all of the other windows in the house. It took a half an hour doing this to get to outside ambient. I had to do this twice a day because then the house CO2 would rise back up to 1500 pretty quickly (2 people 1500sqft). I also tested to see what would happen if I opened the window and cleared the house down to outside ambient (450) and then let it ride to see how high the CO2 would go. After 24 hours the house had risen to 2800. I stopped there and opened the windows. The part to ponder is how high would it have gone and more importantly for me how many years had I kept the windows closed for extended periods of time in the summer and winter. I shudder to think about it. I guess ignorance is bliss. I kinda wish I was measuring pH at this time, but I was more concerned about my health than the pH of the fish tank. This is the biggest reason that I have a CO2 monitor on my desk and watch it constantly.

As to CO2 affecting pH you have to think about how the tank will sink and then disperse the CO2. Salt water sinks CO2 relatively quickly and disperses relatively slowly. This means that you have to keep you peaks way down to see any affect. This is why ERVs are soooooo good. The keep the CO2 at a constant level. If you size them right you can even keep your CO2 near outside levels constantly and then you will see the effects on your tank.

My 2 cents.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

When you have a monitor running you find that you either have to force air through to get a "fast" drop or you have to leave the windows open quite a while.

When I was in my old house before I had my ERV I had to run a big fan in the front window pushing into the house and open all of the other windows in the house. It took a half an hour doing this to get to outside ambient. I had to do this twice a day because then the house CO2 would rise back up to 1500 pretty quickly (2 people 1500sqft). I also tested to see what would happen if I opened the window and cleared the house down to outside ambient (450) and then let it ride to see how high the CO2 would go. After 24 hours the house had risen to 2800. I stopped there and opened the windows. The part to ponder is how high would it have gone and more importantly for me how many years had I kept the windows closed for extended periods of time in the summer and winter. I shudder to think about it. I guess ignorance is bliss. I kinda wish I was measuring pH at this time, but I was more concerned about my health than the pH of the fish tank. This is the biggest reason that I have a CO2 monitor on my desk and watch it constantly.

As to CO2 affecting pH you have to think about how the tank will sink and then disperse the CO2. Salt water sinks CO2 relatively quickly and disperses relatively slowly. This means that you have to keep you peaks way down to see any affect. This is why ERVs are soooooo good. The keep the CO2 at a constant level. If you size them right you can even keep your CO2 near outside levels constantly and then you will see the effects on your tank.

My 2 cents.

Im with you on that. I tried a few windows at first, nothing. I had to open windows at either end to get some cross ventilation to get a decent drop in co2. A couple windows with a couple bathroom fans exhausting for about two hours works amazingly well, weather permitting. In dry, hot…really hot areas the Erv/hrv units I’ve been researching are just not efficient as far as keeping the heat out. I did find one that precools incoming air with a mini ac unit basically. It’s claimed to be more efficient on those super hot days but costs a lot more. I’m going to ride out the summer on co2 media and hopefully things improve tech wise a little. They just aren’t popular around here at all.

 

[HuduVudu]

In dry, hot…really hot areas the Erv/hrv units I’ve been researching are just not efficient as far as keeping the heat out.

In southern Texas they worked amazing but we are wet in the summer not dry.

Not sure what the efficiency is but whatever it is it has to be better than a straight air pull that most air handlers use. Also ERVs use essentially silicone dioxide to balance the humidity.

This video really explains it and @7:55 you can see a heater used to simulate outside hot air. I can't imagine this is wet air being produced. Note: this is an HRV setup not and ERV.


One other thing to consider that isn't stated directly is that the ERV puts the inside air in stasis with the outside air. This is huge because it stops pressure/diffusion related air leaks. I really saw this kick in when I had to deal with a winter with only 2 mini-splits. Even down to temps in the Texas great freeze my mini-splits could keep up easily keep up where in previous years they could not, even though they were rated much lower than the freeze got to. This was directly related to the pressure differential that was eleminated by the ERV.

I guess I will go buy some more stocks now and apply for my new sales job.

 

[Dlealrious]

Maybe the long airline is reducing ammount of air that can drawn. Like ur skimmer has to pull air under presssure further. Try put scrubber in cabinet to see if it makes a difference

 

[amazongb]

Ok another stupid question

do I need to keep the water at the bottom of canister? I added the tbsp like directions said but if had evaporated already on day 3. I did add more but wondering if I need to keep adding as needed.

I don't mess with the adding water stuff, and my ph from the C02 reactor is a .20 bump. I do not use a calcium reactor though... The media last me 3 to 4 weeks.