Removing CO2... what are the best options?

[Curtis Scott]

I have been using http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-color-changing-medical-grade-co2-absorbent.html since early september and have only one more refill from the container I purchased. This is being used in the air filter I purchased from them as well that connects to my Avast CS1.

 

Pros:

It works. My ph from ~ 7.8 to ~ 8.2 and now only swings ~ .2 during the night.

Easy to use.

 

Cons:

I've realized this could start to get expensive.

Need a better way to monitor the CO2 levels and not have to wait until the ph is getting low to adjust it. (I guess I could set up an alert in my Apex)

Need to stabalize the ph so every 3 weeks it's not dropping so low. 

Can't use my fireplace in the tank room because it uses up all the filter media way to fast. (found this out over Thanksgiving)

 

 

Are there better alternatives to removing CO2?

 

Would going from dosing (B-Ionic 2 part) to a calcium reactor help solve this problem? 

Edited December 4, 2013 by Curtis Scott

[gmerek2]

Run fuge lights opposite cycle?

[AlanM]

Dosing alk at strategic times will help avoid ph swings, but not help as much with co2.

 

Plenty of people here have their skimmer air intake plumbed with tubing to the outdoors. That seems to work well.

 

Not sure how else to scrub it from the tank if its in your room aside from using outside air or the scrubber you have.

 

edit: Photosynthesis works too, as gmerek2 says, my pH goes up by 0.15 if I run the fuge light and add to my forest of fuge hair algae.

Edited December 4, 2013 by AlanM

[BowieReefer84]

 

 

Would going from dosing (B-Ionic 2 part) to a calcium reactor help solve this problem? 

This would HURT your problem.  Calc reactors lower ph.

[Curtis Scott]

Run fuge lights opposite cycle?

Run them for 24hrs

 

Dosing alk at strategic times will help avoid ph swings, but not help as much with co2.

 

Plenty of people here have their skimmer air intake plumbed with tubing to the outdoors. That seems to work well.

 

Not sure how else to scrub it from the tank if its in your room aside from using outside air or the scrubber you have.

 

edit: Photosynthesis works too, as gmerek2 says, my pH goes up by 0.15 if I run the fuge light and add to my forest of fuge hair algae.

Good points I have read up on the tubing to outside, but unfortunately this isn't an option... unless I can convince my wife  Maybe testing a reverse light cycle on the refugium is in order.

 

This would HURT your problem.  Calc reactors lower ph.

Ah, that's not good to hear. Wondering if there are any other options beside running the CO2 scrubber media or placing the air line outside.

[Curtis Scott]

I'm thinking my options are:

 

1. Reverse light on refugium
2. Set up some alarms in my Apex to alert me when my ph goes below a certain level
3. Purchase soda lime in bulk (http://www.diverssupplyinc.net/browse.cfm/4,1467.html)

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

Can't your regenerate the media for the co2 scrubber?

[bbyatv]

Curtis,

 

I run a calcium reactor and so am constantly adding CO2 to the tank.  My ph used to run around 7.8.  I have found the solution for my tank.

 

I have multiple air pumps I purchased from Walmart for like $8 each outside. in a covered situation so they do not get rained on.  I bought a ton of the clear tubing and ran one line to my skimmer intake.  I did not make it a tight fit in case the skimmer draws more air than the pump provides.  The other pumps are all plumbed to air stones that I have placed in my sump.  I run these air pumps 24/7.  My ph is at 8.1 in the morning and 8.3 at night.  I run my fuge lights about 22 hours and turn them off for like 2 hours from noon to 2 o'clock.

 

Could you some how place some air pumps out back of the house and run 3 or 4 air lines over to the tank?

 

It sounds like with the fire place being in the basement and not mush air flow, you have got to figure out a way to get fresh air to the tank.

 

Bruce

[Origami]

Stop exhaling. Get others around you to do the same.

 

Seriously, fresh air is probably the cheapest alternative. These days, our energy efficient homes are so tightly sealed that it leads to a high level of CO2 inside the house. This results in a higher level of CO2 in our aquarium and thus a lower pH. To test if this is the problem in your tank, take a cup of tank water out and measure the pH. Take it outside in the open air and aerate it with an air stone and air pump for at least 10 minutes (I like 30 minutes personally) and then measure the pH again. If your pH rises substantially, then it's high ambient CO2 in your home that's the problem and a fresh air intake for your skimmer is part of a possible solution.

 

There are other methods, too, of chemically capturing CO2, such as using an alkalinity additive like kalk or, for two part, baked baking soda (sodium carbonate). These obviously add to your tank while binding CO2.

 

You've already heard about CO2 absorbents so I won't go there. They can get expensive to use over the long run, though. Especially if the CO2 level of your ambient air is especially high.

[gmerek2]

Can't pumping 20 degree air in cool down the tank way too much. Did you have to add more heaters? What is the cutoff for PH drop on PH test? What is the cut off for PH swing at night?

[smallreef]

Is there a sliding glass door near the tank...and do you own any dogs?

So, I know opening a window year round is not going to happen when you have to heat the house...but oddly enough, my dogs doggy door lets in just enough fresh air as they go in and out to keep my ph good.... Kinda like a window but much less air escaping and heat loss...

[bbyatv]

Not if your running MH.  But I think Curtis is LED.

 

Bruce

Can't pumping 20 degree air in cool down the tank way too much. Did you have to add more heaters? What is the cutoff for PH drop on PH test? What is the cut off for PH swing at night?

[Origami]

Can't pumping 20 degree air in cool down the tank way too much. Did you have to add more heaters? What is the cutoff for PH drop on PH test? What is the cut off for PH swing at night?

Never had a problem. I have 300W of heaters though. Diurnal swing is different for many tanks but 0.2 pH units is not unusual. I've had it as low as 0.1 units when using a reverse lighted fuge.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

 

 

[zygote2k]

Easy.

Pump water up and over a bio-ball tower and let it trickle back down into the sump. The bigger the better.

[gmerek2]

What he chooses to blow extra room air in with pump that will still blow off more CO2 right?! Because the room air is not as saturated with CO2 as the water? I'm sure fresh air would work way better if that were an option

[Origami]

What he chooses to blow extra room air in with pump that will still blow off more CO2 right?! Because the room air is not as saturated with CO2 as the water? I'm sure fresh air would work way better if that were an option

If the high CO2 level is because of high ambient CO2 in the house air, then no. If it's due to something like a calcium reactor then yes. Check this by aerating a sample in another room and measuring the pH.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

 

 

[pizzaguy]

My tank backs my garage. I just poked a hole I'm the wall 3 days ago and ran the skimmer tube to the garage. I was staying around 7.9 at best and 7.7 at night. I'm now at 8.2 to 8.3 day and 7.9 to 8.0 at night. Definitely a big difference for me. The garage obviously not near as sealed as the house.

[gmerek2]

My tank backs my garage. I just poked a hole I'm the wall 3 days ago and ran the skimmer tube to the garage. I was staying around 7.9 at best and 7.7 at night. I'm now at 8.2 to 8.3 day and 7.9 to 8.0 at night. Definitely a big difference for me. The garage obviously not near as sealed as the house.

great idea plus hopefully you don't spend a lot of time in the garage blowing off CO2. Don't run your car or law mower very long in there.

[AlanM]

what does anyone do to keep spiders and stinkbugs and such out of the tube output outside?

[wangspeed]

Kalk throughout the day is better than 2 part to purge CO2 and raise PH. Agree that a fresh air tube for the skimmer is the cheapest way, but not always convenient or logical. Barring those options, you can get much cheaper absorbent in bulk or even in modest amounts from someplace like Med Vet.

 

Aside from that. I wouldn't worry too much about it dropping to 7.8. Below that you may have issues. Lots of photosynthesis helps too. Buy more coral, grow more algae, or other indoor plants

 

 

--

Warren

[pizzaguy]

what does anyone do to keep spiders and stinkbugs and such out of the tube output outside?

Never thought about that but I guess and air compressor would do the trick to blow the lines out. I have to have a one on one with my son. He sprays a lot of chemicals in the garage especially cleaners. I should probably add another 20 feet of hose AMD just take it to the outside to avoid the inevitable.

[Origami]

what does anyone do to keep spiders and stinkbugs and such out of the tube output outside?

Screen it.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

 

 

[wangspeed]

I'd be more curious how people are doing this without ruining siding or having permanently cracked windows.  I was thinking of making a piece of wood and coating it in epoxy paint and drilling holes, and stuffing the holes with coarse sponge, and attaching the hose to an inside facing hole.  Overkill?

[AlanM]

I'd be more curious how people are doing this without ruining siding or having permanently cracked windows.  I was thinking of making a piece of wood and coating it in epoxy paint and drilling holes, and stuffing the holes with coarse sponge, and attaching the hose to an inside facing hole.  Overkill?

I have wood framing around the windows.  I was thinking about drilling a hole through the frame around the window that the sash slides in, running the tube out through it, using paintable caulk to seal the tube in, then taking the outside part of the tube and putting it through a hole into the bottom of an old film canister with a fish net rubber banded over the end.

[Curtis Scott]

Can't your regenerate the media for the co2 scrubber?

I didn't even think about this. I was able to find this online which leads me to believe it's not possible. http://www.pharmaceutical-int.com/article/medical-grade-soda-lime.html  If you or anyone else has a resource that explains the process, I'd love to read up on it.

 

Curtis,

 

I run a calcium reactor and so am constantly adding CO2 to the tank.  My ph used to run around 7.8.  I have found the solution for my tank.

 

I have multiple air pumps I purchased from Walmart for like $8 each outside. in a covered situation so they do not get rained on.  I bought a ton of the clear tubing and ran one line to my skimmer intake.  I did not make it a tight fit in case the skimmer draws more air than the pump provides.  The other pumps are all plumbed to air stones that I have placed in my sump.  I run these air pumps 24/7.  My ph is at 8.1 in the morning and 8.3 at night.  I run my fuge lights about 22 hours and turn them off for like 2 hours from noon to 2 o'clock.

 

Could you some how place some air pumps out back of the house and run 3 or 4 air lines over to the tank?

 

It sounds like with the fire place being in the basement and not mush air flow, you have got to figure out a way to get fresh air to the tank.

 

Bruce

 

Thanks Bruce. I am trying coming up with a plan based off what you mentioned and will run it by my wife for approval. I think fresh air in combination with adding kalk to my top off might be my solution.  

 

Stop exhaling. Get others around you to do the same.

 

Seriously, fresh air is probably the cheapest alternative. These days, our energy efficient homes are so tightly sealed that it leads to a high level of CO2 inside the house. This results in a higher level of CO2 in our aquarium and thus a lower pH. To test if this is the problem in your tank, take a cup of tank water out and measure the pH. Take it outside in the open air and aerate it with an air stone and air pump for at least 10 minutes (I like 30 minutes personally) and then measure the pH again. If your pH rises substantially, then it's high ambient CO2 in your home that's the problem and a fresh air intake for your skimmer is part of a possible solution.

 

There are other methods, too, of chemically capturing CO2, such as using an alkalinity additive like kalk or, for two part, baked baking soda (sodium carbonate). These obviously add to your tank while binding CO2.

 

You've already heard about CO2 absorbents so I won't go there. They can get expensive to use over the long run, though. Especially if the CO2 level of your ambient air is especially high.

 

Kalk was something I haven't done much research on. After talking to a couple people and doing some research last night, I really think this is the missing key here. Thanks Tom. 

 

Is there a sliding glass door near the tank...and do you own any dogs?

So, I know opening a window year round is not going to happen when you have to heat the house...but oddly enough, my dogs doggy door lets in just enough fresh air as they go in and out to keep my ph good.... Kinda like a window but much less air escaping and heat loss...

Just a walkout basement, standard door. 

 

Not if your running MH.  But I think Curtis is LED.

 

Bruce

Yes, I'm running LEDs.

 

Easy.

Pump water up and over a bio-ball tower and let it trickle back down into the sump. The bigger the better.

Interesting idea. Wish I had room in my sump to do it though. 

 

My tank backs my garage. I just poked a hole I'm the wall 3 days ago and ran the skimmer tube to the garage. I was staying around 7.9 at best and 7.7 at night. I'm now at 8.2 to 8.3 day and 7.9 to 8.0 at night. Definitely a big difference for me. The garage obviously not near as sealed as the house.

That's a great setup.

 

Kalk throughout the day is better than 2 part to purge CO2 and raise PH. Agree that a fresh air tube for the skimmer is the cheapest way, but not always convenient or logical. Barring those options, you can get much cheaper absorbent in bulk or even in modest amounts from someplace like Med Vet.

 

Aside from that. I wouldn't worry too much about it dropping to 7.8. Below that you may have issues. Lots of photosynthesis helps too. Buy more coral, grow more algae, or other indoor plants

 

 

--

Warren

Thanks Warren. Thanks for mentioning Med Vet, they do carry it cheaper there - http://www.shopmedvet.com/product/soda-lime-5-gallon-JOR553B