Were you sending only room/outside air through it or were you recirculating air through the skimmer?I’ve added a CO2 scrubber. I do not think it’s enough air draw to effectively scrub the air.
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Were you sending only room/outside air through it or were you recirculating air through the skimmer?I’ve added a CO2 scrubber. I do not think it’s enough air draw to effectively scrub the air.
Were you sending only room/outside air through it or were you recirculating air through the skimmer?
Interesting setup. I wonder what would happen if you closed in the top of the tank from the room? Not sure if that would cause an issue with O2 levels, but might not with gas exchange from the skimmer. Would stop the tank from taking in room CO2!Fortunately the skimmer is smaller and uses 1/4 inch line so RO line works perfectly. I can have it recirculate or pull air from outside and then recirculate.
One thing that I find when pure recirculating mode, is that when it’s only recirculating the air in the system when the outside air shuts off, there is a vacuum in the system and the water gradually rises and makes the skimmer skim wet.
I’ve seen more positive affects on pH recirculate air being pulled from outside, than exclusively recirculating scrubbed air.
I can turn valves to change how the system pulls air.
Interesting setup. I wonder what would happen if you closed in the top of the tank from the room? Not sure if that would cause an issue with O2 levels, but might not with gas exchange from the skimmer. Would stop the tank from taking in room CO2!
I have been tinkering with my tank to bump pH to stay within a certain range. Refugium counter cycle to the tank and lately dosing Kalk based on tank pH.
Seeing as how the outdoor air test worked.. if you don't wanna get a new skimmer maybe reduce the surface agitation caused by your wave maker pumps. This way most agitation will be from the skimmer with the outdoor airline and not be canceled out from the indoor air agitation.
Also the 1/4 RO line seems pretty small mine is quite a bit larger then that for the outdoor air. You didn't mention (or I missed it) how long the line is to outside from the skimmer?
Be aware of the fact that if you use a recirkulation method with a CO2 scrubber - you will not get any oxygen into the system either. It is the same air all the time but rinsed of CO2
Sincerely Lasse
Interesting setup. I wonder what would happen if you closed in the top of the tank from the room? Not sure if that would cause an issue with O2 levels, but might not with gas exchange from the skimmer. Would stop the tank from taking in room CO2!
I have been tinkering with my tank to bump pH to stay within a certain range. Refugium counter cycle to the tank and lately dosing Kalk based on tank pH.
I am going to see if I can avoid agitation but keep my sine wave working from my wave pumps.
the line is about 10 feet.
kalkwasser is infinitely better and can be controlled.
I am doing all this to prove that CO2 is my problem. But I am still not 100% convinced. Winter without Kalkwasser had similar numbers though. I need to get my indoor/outdoor CO2 meter to see what’s going on.
I have the same experiencesI have never had a problem in winter with the outdoor skimmer line and seen it get down to -5F. Believe I even have a photo in my build thread of it being that cold, I saw no change in tank tempature that the heater was not able to handle, and nothing odd with the skimmer during that cold a period.
I am doing all this to prove that CO2 is my problem. But I am still not 100% convinced. Winter without Kalkwasser had similar numbers though. I need to get my indoor/outdoor CO2 meter to see what’s going on.
CO2 is always the problem, if pH is really low and alkalinity is normal or high. There's no other possibility. Knowing any two of pH, alkalinity, and CO2 allows the third one to be calculated mathematically.
The only issue is whether the excess CO2 is coming from elevated CO2 in the room air, or not enough tank aeration to equilibrate the tank water with the room air. In a reef tank low pH is usually caused by the former.
The CO2 that is your problem can be produced of a biological process in your aquarium or could be of external origin (your family breathing in your house and an unicifient ventilation). I think there was some tips how to investigate which source dominate in each aquarium earlier in this thread. CO2 is one of the major waste compounds from bacterial decay and will not affect the alkalinity of your water regardless source.CO2 is always the problem, if pH is really low and alkalinity is normal or high
I do not think that anyone here has stated that it can´t be a biological process of decay that it is - at least in part - responsible for the low pH. The only for sure here is that this statement is true. (my bold)
The CO2 that is your problem can be produced of a biological process in your aquarium or could be of external origin (your family breathing in your house and an unicifient ventilation). I think there was some tips how to investigate which source dominate in each aquarium earlier in this thread. CO2 is one of the major waste compounds from bacterial decay and will not affect the alkalinity of your water regardless source.
Do you add organic carbon (vodka or similar Dissolved Organic Carbon)?
Sincerely Lasse
It’s just shocking to think that even a small skimmer, with a recirculating CO2 scrubber, with air pulled from outside, doesn’t have the ability to overcome the surface area of a 396 square inches, and at most makes minimum impact.
It’s just shocking to think that even a small skimmer, with a recirculating CO2 scrubber, with air pulled from outside, doesn’t have the ability to overcome the surface area of a 396 square inches, and at most makes minimum impact.
That’s why I was baffled and thought this is occurring from a biological process of decay. Not dead animals, but bacteria and alike.
Makes me wonder the air volume required to be injected from a skimmer VS the surface area of the tank to make a meaningful impact. I saw an positive impact from the aeration of water test, but I wonder if one could make a formula to guide a sizing recommendation to picking a proper size skimmer.
Ok so I'd like to take my foot out of my mouth on this one. Seeing another question on diy all for reef made me wonder. So turns out their k+ does not stand for potassium stands for cation...weirdo's. A for anion. When you said diy I thought you actually reacted your own chemicals. Its their kit am I right? I can still say it is possible to be out of balance with their part A companies make mistakes sometimes. Its possible that when it is mixed it could be acidic making your tank want to go towards neutral. At the same time the boron in it could be contributing to alkalinity. There is more things than carbonate that can make alkalinity. Borate, hydrogen sulfide via anaerobic decomp, phosphorus...many things can. Can't be certain though they don't list exact ingredient amounts. Check ph of mix with your rinsed in di water probe.