Ph. Surface agitation vs skimmer air exchange

[slogan315]

I am struggling with ph. 7.6-7.8. CO2 is most likely the issue since I live in an air tight house and work from home. Opening windows is not an option as I live in Texas and my AC can’t keep up as is.

I tried making a diy recirculating co2 scrubber sitting on my skimmer. I think it’s helping some, so considering buying a more efficient commercial scrubber. Before doing that, I want to run down all air exchange possibilities.

Is surface agitation comparable in gas exchange to skimmers? Or is skimmer gas exchange exponentially more efficient than surface agitation?

Could my surface agitation be negating the scrubbing happening in the skimmer?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, surface agitation will be a drag on pH in elevated CO2 air.

 

[ReefED!]

I want to know why we don't have a small, dedicated CO2 scrubber unit so we don't have to mess with attaching to a skimmer.

If I was technically savvy and motivated enough I'd design one myself.

But I'm not, so there's an opportunity here for some of you builders.

Create it, patent it, then sell it to one of the big manufacturers for a couple million.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I want to know why we don't have a small, dedicated CO2 scrubber unit so we don't have to mess with attaching to a skimmer.

If I was technically savvy and motivated enough I'd design one myself.

But I'm not, so there's an opportunity here for some of you builders.

Not sure what you mean. It needs to reduce CO2 in air, then aerate the water, the blow off the high CO2 air.

That sounds like an appropriate use for a skimmer, and a dedicated device would look quite like a skimmer (IMO).

 

[slogan315]

I want to know why we don't have a small, dedicated CO2 scrubber unit so we don't have to mess with attaching to a skimmer.

If I was technically savvy and motivated enough I'd design one myself.

But I'm not, so there's an opportunity here for some of you builders.

I guess you’d then just have 2 devices in your sump producing lots of microbubble aeration. Might as well collect the organics!

 

[ReefED!]

Not sure what you mean. It needs to reduce CO2 in air, then aerate the water, the blow off the high CO2 air.

That sounds like an appropriate use for a skimmer, and a dedicated device would look quite like a skimmer (IMO).

Well the issue is with a skimmer you have a recirculator overflow issues and that presents its own set of problems - along with reduced airflow when using a recirculator

A single, more compact device option would be nice.

 

[Aquachristik]

Living in S Fla I experience the same issues with CO2 and not being able to open the windows.

I recently reduced surface agitation as much as possible after running an outside airline to my skimmer and it has helped my pH a ton.

 

[El Toro]

Micro and better yet, Nano bubbles of pure oxygen will "drive off" excess CO2 and stay in solution without rising to the surface. Nano bubbles of "air" will lift proteins when rising to the surface and those that do not rise may dissolve into the water. Im not sure I have read any science that proves this but theoretically Nano bubbles could prevent the formation of carbonic acid. But a refugium will be helpful absorbing CO2 and thus help increase pH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well the issue is with a skimmer you have a recirculator overflow issues and that presents its own set of problems - along with reduced airflow when using a recirculator

A single, more compact device option would be nice.

Not all skimmers recirculate. Mine did not.

Not sure what you mean by overflow. You mean skimmate removal?

In any case, I’m not saying one could develop a nice aerating device, but it would likely look a lot like a skimmer. Both generate large amounts of air water interface.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Micro and better yet, Nano bubbles of pure oxygen will "drive off" excess CO2 and stay in solution without rising to the surface. Nano bubbles of "air" will lift proteins when rising to the surface and those that do not rise may dissolve into the water. Im not sure I have read any science that proves this but theoretically Nano bubbles could prevent the formation of carbonic acid. But a refugium will be helpful absorbing CO2 and thus help increase pH.

Let’s not go down that route. No reef tank device can generate nanobubbles. They are very hard to make in a lab and those reefers pushing the idea simply do not understand the science.

Aerating with pure O2 will carry its own problems with excessive oxygen, but I agree it would raise pH.

 

[El Toro]

I want to know why we don't have a small, dedicated CO2 scrubber unit so we don't have to mess with attaching to a skimmer.

If I was technically savvy and motivated enough I'd design one myself.

But I'm not, so there's an opportunity here for some of you builders.

Create it, patent it, then sell it to one of the big manufacturers for a couple million.

Design a hobbyist friendly device to produce Nanobubbles.

::wink to Randy