All excited - I am making a CO2 Scrubber :)

[ErikH]

Oh yeah, it's nasty to read. That's why it's always advised to thin out your macro, or at least I would assume so. I have also read to keep the light on 24/7 to keep the algae from going sexual. It's hard to remember, with so much falsehood on the internet, what is real and what is bunk.

[beareef19]

The color changing media sounds like a desicant that absorbs moisture thus changing from white to blue when exausted thats why they dont want you to get it wet. Do you have a skimmer on your tank? Aquatic plants absorb co2 and give off o2 if you increase are bubbles in your skimmer you will in turn burn off the co2 The more co2 the better plant growth as long as your lighting and everything else is up to par you may have to adjust your ph with buffer. How is your cal, levels
Barry

[Europhyllia]

Calc is 450, alk is way high at 14 dkh that's why I am scared of buffering any more.
Skimmer is running (ASM skimmer)

[glennr1978]

Are you actually having any issues with your tank? If not, I wouldn't bother with it. Keeping ph levels stable is important, but I think people get too caught up with trying to keep in the "optimum range". My tanks have alwayshovered around 8.0 and I've never had any problems because of it.

I would definitely stay away from adding buffer if I were you. At 14dkh you are already reaaallllllly high, adding buffer would just increase that number further. Also, buffer is just a temporary fix, it will drop back down quickly.

How much fluctuation are you having anyway?

[corruption]

Agreed -- stability in pH is far more important than any specific figure -- while the pH curve is logarithmic in nature, a spread range of 3-4 tenths of a point is perfectly fine, assuming long-term stability. Most everything that typically would go into a reef tank can maintain somewhere in the 8.0-8.3 range without ill effects --- presuming the swing of .4 points isn't occurring on a daily basis.

-Corruption

[Europhyllia]

It's very regular but my daily low (early morning before lights on) is 7.70. My daily high is 8.25 (before lights out).
I'd be happy with it just staying at 7.8 or above. 7.7 just seems a tad outside the acceptable range.
Fish, clams, inverts and corals all seem to be doing fine. But I'd feel safer if I could keep the daily swing somewhere between 7.8 and 8.4.

I saw somebody on RC posting their results using a CO2 scrubber by showing the graphs from their digital controller (which monitors pH and graphs it) and it totally stabilized it in a desirable range for them.

Is it just pushes my curve up just slightly then it will totally be worth it to me just for the peace of mind. There's really no maintenance involved once it's set up other than refilling the cartridge when the media wears out.

[Europhyllia]

My scrubber parts came in today. I already put it together and installed it.
It did seem to help push the pH up about 0.05.
The real test of course will be tomorrow morning to see how low it will swing overnight when there's less natural CO2 conversion (photosynthesis).

I'll report back at 6 AM lol Wish me luck. If it doesn't change things I'll be sad.

[txav8r]

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Jarob]

very interesting! keep updating!

[Paul28]

[QUOTE=EuroMom;710939]My pH monitor is driving me crazy. I can't stop looking at it. In the old days I'd only check pH every once in awhile - usually in the evening after getting off work.
QUOTE]


Everyones tanks are doing the same thing jumping around ph i bet half the people on this site dont have a pH monitor. CO2 is the number 1 drop in ph ive been running a pH monitor for many years now ive seen when alot of people come over ph drops bad when you dont open windows every other day ph drops. the best way to fix it is add a air pump and open your windows in that room every other day and co2 wont be a problem me i have a drop to 7.9 night to 8.3 sometimes in the day but if you dont have a Calcium reactor just add a airstone to a pump and put it in the overflow or the sump , how many people in maast have a pump and airstone on the tank i hope alot