SecondCityCorals
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- Joined
- Aug 23, 2018
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I have a Waterbox 100.3 full of SPS frags/mini colonies. I live in a condo so there is no access to outside air. As you can see from my username I live in Chicago which has an ambient co2 level of approximately 420-450ppm. Spiking to maybe 650 on a bad day, but is a rare occasion and only does so for 1-2 hours. I utilize a Geo 612 dual chamber calcium reactor to maintain alk/calc/mag attached to a 5lbs co2 tank. In my sump is a LifeReef skimmer. I use approximately 1.25lbs of soda lime in a gatorade bottle with two hoses going into the bottle. One hose goes down to the bottom and one just to the very top. The hose going down to the bottom of the gatorade bottle is hooked into the venturi inlet of the skimmer. And the other hose is hooked into the hole in the top of the skimmate collector lid.
My DC pump is connected to my Apex, anytime my PH hits 8.4 my skimmer shuts off, and thus the recirculating air traveling over the soda lime that is piped into the venturi nozzle inlet on the skimmer. This effectively stops the co2 scrubbing. The media lasts 5-6 months this way. And the only maintenance I have to do of the _entire_ group of this equipment is as follows:
co2 media: 5-6 months
clean skimmer cup: 5-6 months
replenish CaRx media: 1 year
refill co2 tank: 2 years
What is my point? Well, I've been in the hobby since 2004ish? And I have always heard from everyone to "not chase PH". Maybe back in the day this was correct. Back before we had automation and cheap electronics that gave us dozens of sensors and capabilities. But today? This idea needs to die. Its not expensive. Its not risky. And its only mildly complex. We know that keeping corals as close to ideal ocean parameters consistently is the key to speeding up SPS growth, coloration, and overall happiness.
For 5 cents per day in variable costs you can solve your PH problems. Soda lime is $6.05 pounds all inclusive of shipping/taxes/sacrifices to the gods. Obviously if you have a bigger tank, or different ambient levels of co2, this may change a little. But overall it is still very cheap and very easy to permanently keep your PH above 8.2
Please, PLEASE, do chase the PH.
My DC pump is connected to my Apex, anytime my PH hits 8.4 my skimmer shuts off, and thus the recirculating air traveling over the soda lime that is piped into the venturi nozzle inlet on the skimmer. This effectively stops the co2 scrubbing. The media lasts 5-6 months this way. And the only maintenance I have to do of the _entire_ group of this equipment is as follows:
co2 media: 5-6 months
clean skimmer cup: 5-6 months
replenish CaRx media: 1 year
refill co2 tank: 2 years
What is my point? Well, I've been in the hobby since 2004ish? And I have always heard from everyone to "not chase PH". Maybe back in the day this was correct. Back before we had automation and cheap electronics that gave us dozens of sensors and capabilities. But today? This idea needs to die. Its not expensive. Its not risky. And its only mildly complex. We know that keeping corals as close to ideal ocean parameters consistently is the key to speeding up SPS growth, coloration, and overall happiness.
For 5 cents per day in variable costs you can solve your PH problems. Soda lime is $6.05 pounds all inclusive of shipping/taxes/sacrifices to the gods. Obviously if you have a bigger tank, or different ambient levels of co2, this may change a little. But overall it is still very cheap and very easy to permanently keep your PH above 8.2
Please, PLEASE, do chase the PH.
