If you use a CO2 Scrubber, what is your dosing method?

[Trenton Henderson]

Just out of curiosity for a personal study I’m doing, if you use a CO2 Scrubber to boost pH, what method(s) do you use to maintain Alk, Ca, and Mg?

 

[shakacuz]

BRS pharma sodium carbonate, and bicarbonate. my co2 scrubber will be recirculating.

 

[Trenton Henderson]

BRS pharma sodium carbonate, and bicarbonate. my co2 scrubber will be recirculating.

I run BRS bicarbonate and calcium chloride. The reason I’m asking is that I always have bad precipitation whenever I use the CO2 scrubber, and I wanted to see if it had anything to do with what I dose….

 

[shakacuz]

I run BRS bicarbonate and calcium chloride. The reason I’m asking is that I always have bad precipitation whenever I use the CO2 scrubber, and I wanted to see if it had anything to do with what I dose….

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Trenton Henderson]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

He’s heard my story plenty of time lol. My tank is a bit of a mystery…

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I run BRS bicarbonate and calcium chloride. The reason I’m asking is that I always have bad precipitation whenever I use the CO2 scrubber, and I wanted to see if it had anything to do with what I dose….

The lower the pH, the lower the chances of preciptiation.

pH is impacted by many things, but IMO it would be counter productive to use a CO2 scrubber and then elect a pH lowering method of alkalinity addition just to keep pH lower.

As to the methods, a CaCO3/CO2 reactor lowers it the most, followed by sodium acetate (might actually be worse than a reactor in some cases), then bicarbonate and formate, which are just a tad below neutral to pH.