Open windows and affect on PH

[BAMatter]

I’m currently dosing kalk and seeing good PH results, and also using a CO2 scrubber. We caught some nice weather the other day, and my wife had the windows open, for about 2-3 hours. I experience a nice bump in PH, but I’m wondering if this short period of time with open windows can give a rise in PH for 3 days following? Before the bump, PH was holding around 8.20-8.24, and it has now dropped back to a little below that level. I’m guessing my CO2 scrubber media is exhausted at this point, but wondering if I should look into PH probe drift, any other equipment issues, or if the fresh air really causes the bump…

(red arrow is where the windows were open)

 

[Timfish]

Fresh air certainly can cause a bump in pH. How much and how long will vary greatly depending on biology in the system, venitlation, how tightly a house is built, frequency doors and windows are opned and closed among others. An experiment you might try is place a cheap air pump outside with an airline running to your sump bubbling. Monitor your pH and see how much it changes and how long it takes to change after the air pump is turned off.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Why go through any trouble when your pH is already 8.2? Stop over analyzing and grow some corals!

 

[BAMatter]

Why go through any trouble when your pH is already 8.2? Stop over analyzing and grow some corals!

I feel this, trust me. However, my tank runs fairly low PH (7.8ish), and I wanted to monitor PH and observe results. I’m dosing kalk from 6:30pm-6:30am, about 1500ml, as well as running a CO2 scrubber 24/7, in order to get in the 8.1-8.3 range. It’s not really that I’m over analyzing, I’m getting very good results with color, growth, and polyp extension (tank is primarily euphyllia with a couple sticks scattered here and there). So to your point, I’m trying my best to grow coral, and since the tank seemingly enjoys the higher PH, I’d like to just know the cause/effect of open windows so I don’t make any adjustments unnecessarily to the system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you are concerned about pH calibration drift, the only solution is to recalibrate (or measure with a different, calibrated, pH meter.

 

[BAMatter]

If you are concerned about pH calibration drift, the only solution is to recalibrate (or measure with a different, calibrated, pH meter.

I calibrate every couple months, couple weeks ago most recently. I just didn’t know if I was experiencing a probe drift, or if windows open for that short period had that great of an affect.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I calibrate every couple months, couple weeks ago most recently. I just didn’t know if I was experiencing a probe drift, or if windows open for that short period had that great of an affect.

Could be either one.

 

[MiamiAG]

I was like you. The best solution I’ve found is buying a pH pen to confirm results and see if my main probe is drifting.

 

[BAMatter]

I was like you. The best solution I’ve found is buying a pH pen to confirm results and see if my main probe is drifting.

There a pen that is recommended, or are they all pretty much the same?

 

[doubleshot00]

I feel this, trust me. However, my tank runs fairly low PH (7.8ish), and I wanted to monitor PH and observe results. I’m dosing kalk from 6:30pm-6:30am, about 1500ml, as well as running a CO2 scrubber 24/7, in order to get in the 8.1-8.3 range. It’s not really that I’m over analyzing, I’m getting very good results with color, growth, and polyp extension (tank is primarily euphyllia with a couple sticks scattered here and there). So to your point, I’m trying my best to grow coral, and since the tank seemingly enjoys the higher PH, I’d like to just know the cause/effect of open windows so I don’t make any adjustments unnecessarily to the system.

I tried everything to get ph above 8 and with a recirculating (key word) co2 scrubber it stays between 8.1-8.4 all the time now. Non recirculating the media depletes after week. I get 2-3 weeks for the media now.

 

[BAMatter]

I tried everything to get ph above 8 and with a recirculating (key word) co2 scrubber it stays between 8.1-8.4 all the time now. Non recirculating the media depletes after week. I get 2-3 weeks for the media now.

Have been considering a recirculating scrubber lately. Reef Octo is releasing one soon I like the design of. What scrubber do you use?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I know people may be tired of hearing it, but I'm not a fan of a pure recycling skimmer due to the lack of oxygenation capability.

 

[Jonify]

I’m currently dosing kalk and seeing good PH results, and also using a CO2 scrubber. We caught some nice weather the other day, and my wife had the windows open, for about 2-3 hours. I experience a nice bump in PH, but I’m wondering if this short period of time with open windows can give a rise in PH for 3 days following? Before the bump, PH was holding around 8.20-8.24, and it has now dropped back to a little below that level. I’m guessing my CO2 scrubber media is exhausted at this point, but wondering if I should look into PH probe drift, any other equipment issues, or if the fresh air really causes the bump…

IME yes, when you change the media in your scrubber, or if you have windows open for a few hours or longer, that pH effect increases over a few days and then decreases over a few days when the media runs out or after the windows have been closed. The reason is that when you remove a lot of CO2 from the air, the pH goes to new highs during the day, which results in a higher baseline that night; so the following day, the pH goes to even new highs, resulting in an even higher baseline that night; this evens out at some point, usually after a couple of days, and then does this reverse when media becomes exhausted or the windows are closed.

 

[BAMatter]

IME yes, when you change the media in your scrubber, or if you have windows open for a few hours or longer, that pH effect increases over a few days and then decreases over a few days when the media runs out or after the windows have been closed. The reason is that when you remove a lot of CO2 from the air, the pH goes to new highs during the day, which results in a higher baseline that night; so the following day, the pH goes to even new highs, resulting in an even higher baseline that night; this evens out at some point, usually after a couple of days, and then does this reverse when media becomes exhausted or the windows are closed.

Crazy what a couple hours of fresh air can do…

 

[MiamiAG]

There a pen that is recommended, or are they all pretty much the same?

This is the one I use and recommend.

 

[doubleshot00]

Have been considering a recirculating scrubber lately. Reef Octo is releasing one soon I like the design of. What scrubber do you use?

I use the BRS one. Be careful as your nitrate and phos can tank with elevated ph. I assume its the corals absorbing them. But i have no proof. Just from my experience as soon as i added it everything crashed.

 

[doubleshot00]

I know people may be tired of hearing it, but I'm not a fan of a pure recycling skimmer due to the lack of oxygenation capability.

I would love to know what you mean by “lack of oxygenation capability”. I really don’t know.

 

[BAMatter]

I use the BRS one. Be careful as your nitrate and phos can tank with elevated ph. I assume its the corals absorbing them. But i have no proof. Just from my experience as soon as i added it everything crashed.

The standard BRS CO2 scrubber isn’t recirculating unless it’s modified, under the impression anyways since that’s the same one I have. How do you have it set up?

 

[Acros]

I have not noticed an appreciable effect on ph by opening windows for a few hours. However, there is a significant effect if you can leave windows open fully or only a couple inches for about 12hours a day. Better if you can keep it open late into the night. The high peak is always affected by how low your ph gets at night.

The lowest peaks are 2 days it was raining and I didnot open the window at all.

 

[doubleshot00]

The standard BRS CO2 scrubber isn’t recirculating unless it’s modified, under the impression anyways since that’s the same one I have. How do you have it set up?

Co2 scrubber is attached to skimmer. Loops back to a 3d printed cover on too of my red sea skimmer. Then pipe comes out into a cup to catch any moister then back to the scrubber.
See pictures.