pH low due to excess C02, ideas?

[maevepotter]

Hello,

I have been struggling with ph in my aquarium, and I've pinpointed it down to the air quality in my house due to having gas stove that is in use many times a day. I try to open the windows when I can, but it gets harder with winter. Has anyone else dealt with this successfully? Ph has been as low as 7.4. Sometimes 7.6 or 7.8 but it really struggles. I've tried adding buffer in the past but all that does is raise the alkalinity through the roof. My corals are mostly happy, minus the SPS. I've been having trouble with cyano/phosphates which i think may have been inhibiting calcium uptake. The flow in the tank also needs improvement.

Thanks for your ideas

Best,
Meghan

 

[Crabs McJones]

Do you have a skimmer? If so run an airline to the outside and connect that to the air intake on your skimmer. This will help boost ph levels

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Hello,

I have been struggling with ph in my aquarium, and I've pinpointed it down to the air quality in my house due to having gas stove that is in use many times a day. I try to open the windows when I can, but it gets harder with winter. Has anyone else dealt with this successfully? Ph has been as low as 7.4. Sometimes 7.6 or 7.8 but it really struggles. I've tried adding buffer in the past but all that does is raise the alkalinity through the roof. My corals are mostly happy, minus the SPS. I've been having trouble with cyano/phosphates which i think may have been inhibiting calcium uptake. The flow in the tank also needs improvement.

Thanks for your ideas

Best,
Meghan

If it's possible moved tank closer to a window and add an air pump just outside the window. And of course use a skimmer just for gas exchange.

 

[Starblenny]

You can also buy a co2 reactor (or make one if you have one lying around) and attach it to your skimmer, though it can get costly.

Soda Lime is a DIY version you can buy to make yourself a co2 scrubber.

 

[cpschult]

Have you tried kalkwasser?

 

[theMeat]

More surface water movement
Kalkwasser
Air line from outside feeding skimmer
C02 scrubber
Range hood that vents to outside

 

[maevepotter]

Have you tried kalkwasser?

I haven't tried kalkwasser. How does that work precisely?

 

[Coralsea_co]

Do you have a skimmer? If so run an airline to the outside and connect that to the air intake on your skimmer. This will help boost ph levels

This is the best solution.

 

[maevepotter]

Do you have a skimmer? If so run an airline to the outside and connect that to the air intake on your skimmer. This will help boost ph levels

I just have a basic coralife skimmer. I will try this... I don't have a sump. I do hob filtration.

Can anyone recommend a good inexpensive powerhead?

 

[Scorpius]

I would recalibrate or buy a new ph meter before making any drastic changes. That's some seriously low ph and I'm sure Randy will chime in here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Using a very high pH two part (using sodium hydroxide as the alk additive) will boost pH similarly to limewater/kalkwasser, and help offset the CO2.

BUT, if you are aerating with the high CO2 home air, the more aeration you have, the harder it is for any other effect to raise pH.

This article has more details:

pH And The Reef Aquarium
http://www.reefedition.com/ph-and-the-reef-aquarium/

 

[cpschult]

I haven't tried kalkwasser. How does that work precisely?

Randy is going to be the expert on this. The article he linked is great.

Basically co2 gets into your water and turns into an acid lowering the pH. Kalkwasser takes co2 and makes bicarbonate which corals can use to grow.

You take kalkwasser and rodi, when mixed makes a solution with a pH around 12-13. Slow addition to tank will help with low pH, especially at night.

Honestly if your corals are doing fine I wouldn’t chase pH though. Keeping alkalinity and salinity stable have worked best for me. Hope this helps!

 

[Scrubber_steve]

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Bringing in outside air for aeration seems to be good idea but air exchange takes place at the water surface with inside air.
As the aquarium has been a long time at very low pH there are more things to think about, not only driving out CO2, buffering the water at low pH, waterchanges.
First boost pH then buffer the water!? But do it slowly ! Maybe a constantly illuminated refugium may help on the long term.
Increasing the pH from 7.4 to 8.2 may have a lot of side effects.
Many processes taking place in an aquarium are linked to pH. Starting with the ammonia balance.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Cover the aquarium and blow good outside air between the cover and the water surface may help driving out CO2 by surface exchange.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Hello,

I have been struggling with ph in my aquarium, and I've pinpointed it down to the air quality in my house due to having gas stove that is in use many times a day. I try to open the windows when I can, but it gets harder with winter. Has anyone else dealt with this successfully? Ph has been as low as 7.4. Sometimes 7.6 or 7.8 but it really struggles. I've tried adding buffer in the past but all that does is raise the alkalinity through the roof. My corals are mostly happy, minus the SPS. I've been having trouble with cyano/phosphates which i think may have been inhibiting calcium uptake. The flow in the tank also needs improvement.

Thanks for your ideas

Best,
Meghan

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@Meghan , it sounds like you have a lot of CO2 built up in your house! Yes, opening a window will help a tiny bit! I was going through the same issues until I bought a Kalk stirrer to solve my PH swings throughout the night... Do you have any animals as well?
I would recommend a Kalk stirrer! I bought a @AVAST Marine #Kalk # Strierr to keep my PH nice & stable and it's all hooked up to my PorfiLux4 controller that runs off a Float switch. Here is a picture of a @AVAST Marine #Kalk # Strierr! Hope you fix your problem!!

Happy Holidays,
FLSHARKVICTIM

 

[HOOPDEEZ]

Range hood and an airline pulling outside air are gonna be your best solutions

 

[just4plaay]

If it's possible moved tank closer to a window and add an air pump just outside the window. And of course use a skimmer just for gas exchange.

If you live in Minnesota do not do this. I tried it and it took no time flat to freeze up the air pump.

 

[salty joe]

I had the same pH range as you, maevepotter and the same culprit-a gas stove and lots of cooking. Venting the stove was far too big a job, just not a good option for me. A CO2 scrubber would help but I don't to want buy more stuff and I don't want to maintain another thing, so I drilled a hole in my foundation and brought the air upstairs to my tank. Very straightforward. I also use kalk. I'd get more help from kalk if my system wasn't set up for low evaporation.

Now, my pH is the 7.92-7.98 range. That's with a calcium reactor too. BTW, when we do a big cook, I crack a couple windows in the kitchen.

Cover the aquarium and blow good outside air between the cover and the water surface may help driving out CO2 by surface exchange.

That's what I thought too... I had excellent turbulence at the surface and brought in outside air to my covered tank. It didn't do a thing. Doesn't make a bit of sense to me. I took that same outside air and created a countercurrent skimmer and that did bump up the pH.

 

[maevepotter]

Well people, I've found the same solution worked as last time. Low budget, and makes us a bit chilly, but incredibly effective (see picture). I'm at 8.2. Note that just leaving the windows open did not do anything. The fan on for an hour or two in the morning with a few other windows open works like a charm. I will look into some of your suggestions though because obviously this won't work if we're on vacation. Ultimately we just need to improve air exchange in the house since it's not good for us either. I've also been using an electric kettle for tea which has reduced the use of the stove.

I do have animals as someone asked, a cat and two rabbits. I'm also home much of the day with my children. The main floor of the house is only about 650 sq ft and we have a gas stove with no vent top to the outside. We just bought the house a year ago.

Thanks to Randy for your input and very helpful article. That's how I knew about the co2 possibly in the first place. I did your aeration test and it was spot on. I ended up stunning the lfs which had just suggested I buffer, resulting in 18dkh alkalinity [emoji50]. Luckily I realized something was up... :/ so thanks to you, I ended up knowing better than people with 10+ years in the hobby, having only started this July, myself. #research So thanks again for your wonderful resources and to all of you being so willing to share your time and advice. I love this forum.