high indoor CO2 Need Help.

[05nismoz]

I have had my 180g set up for about 6 weeks now. I was able to keep the house open for the last 3 days and with adding kalk to my top off I was able to keep the PH at 8.35 and with in 24 hours of closing the house and turning on the air the PH is now 7.78. I am sure the issue is high indoor CO2 because nothing else has changed. Is there anything I can do to help lower the high CO2 levels in my house? I really want to start adding some corals but I don't want to untill I can get the ph stable. Thanks for any help you can give.

[bertoni]

That pH isn't that bad, especially if that's a morning measurement. A limewater drip might help, and sometimes, pumping air from outside into the skimmer helps. Sometimes, though, nothing much helps. CO2 scrubbers for indoor air just aren't practical, at least not yet.

[05nismoz]

I am adding Kalk to all my top off. I have also tried running the hose for the skimmer out a window but did not notice any change. Thanks

[HowardW]

You really don't have to open every window in the house, just cracking a window or two at night somewhere near your tank will help, and a small fan near the window sucking in outside air works even better. I've also been told that having several houseplants in the room may help a bit.

[capn_hylinur]

do you have a refugium----chaeto in there with the light on at night will reduce the pH swing.
I agree with Jonathan-----there is really nothing to be concerned about--even with that swing---its natural so the corals will be fine.

[05nismoz]

Thanks for all the help guys. I do have a small refugium with a little chaeto in it. I leave the light on 24/7. I will add some more chaeto and hope that helps some. So you don't think that a ph of only 7.78 is too low. I live in ohio so in the winter months the house will be closed a lot. so I don't think I will be able to get it any higher than that.

[abwalker]

Just to clarify, is 7.78 your average pH or your morning pH?



We are struggling with the same problem and have improved it some with the addition of kalk. Our indoor CO2 problem is certainly not remedied by cracking a window. We see improvement a day or so after really opening up the place (like, with a cross breeze). We have a pretty tight 2nd floor condo and the CO2 seems to build back up pretty quickly-- probably due in part to our CO2 fertilized planted tank (although, I notice that doesn't kick on nearly as much as it did in my old place). For reference, if I put an airstone in a cup of tank water next to the tank, dkh of 9.5, the pH drops to 7.6 in a few hours.

I worry about the swing more than anything.

Are there any other solutions?

Abby

[Bri Guy]

Ive been struggling with the same, 2nd story newer apt complex. I get readings of 7.5 , Ive even did the test on my water and get it up to 8 or above, proving co2 to be the problem.

What ive found to help some is at least once a day, if not twice, I open up a couple of windows for an hour and air out the apt. This gets rid of the high co2 level and my pH doesnt' drop as much.

Its a hassle and I have to bite the bullet on heating/cooling. But it has helped some.

Next Im going to bump my alk some ive been running it at 7-8, but Im going to try 9-10 for a bit and see what becomes of it...

[05nismoz]

When the house is closed it stays at 7.78 with lights on and about 7.68 with lights off. After I open the house it takes about 24 hrs. and it goes back up to 8.35 during the day and about 8.25 at night.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by Bri Guy
Ive been struggling with the same, 2nd story newer apt complex. I get readings of 7.5 , Ive even did the test on my water and get it up to 8 or above, proving co2 to be the problem.

What ive found to help some is at least once a day, if not twice, I open up a couple of windows for an hour and air out the apt. This gets rid of the high co2 level and my pH doesnt' drop as much.

Its a hassle and I have to bite the bullet on heating/cooling. But it has helped some.

Next Im going to bump my alk some ive been running it at 7-8, but Im going to try 9-10 for a bit and see what becomes of it...

if you want to run a higher alk level then you can use Kent dkH reef buffer or similar --it will raise your pH and alkalinity
in the other situation where you want to raise your pH but not your alkalinity then you have to use Kalk or calcium hydroxide.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by 05nismoz
When the house is closed it stays at 7.78 with lights on and about 7.68 with lights off. After I open the house it takes about 24 hrs. and it goes back up to 8.35 during the day and about 8.25 at night.

after you open your house and bring the pH back to 8.25 how long does it take to go back to 7.78?

whats your alk level calcium and mag levels like during this period

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
if you want to run a higher alk level then you can use Kent dkH reef buffer or similar --it will raise your pH and alkalinity
in the other situation where you want to raise your pH but not your alkalinity then you have to use Kalk or calcium hydroxide.

I've been trying a little experiment myself over the last three weeks.---trying to find a pattern or correlation--happy dosing situation if you want. I have noticed that my alk will be around 8 when my pH falls below 7.8--I can use buffers to bring up the pH to 8.45 or so--by then my alk is 11.5dkH. It takes a week for the pH to go back to 7.8 and similarily my alk to fall to 8 or so--then I can dose similarily again.
this has been the pattern over the last three weeks---I guess my point is to see if you can discover a pattern in your tank and deal with it that way.

***the fluctuations have not bothered my corals in the least with those swings and period of time---and it shouldn't

[05nismoz]

After I close the house it takes less than 24 hrs to go to 7.78 and more like 36 hrs to get it back up to 8.35 after I open the house back up. Last time I tested was when the ph was 8.35 readings were:
ph:8.3
Salinity : 1.021
Temp: 79
Alk: 3.43
dkh: 9.6
Calcium: 380
Mag: 1320

just tested
PH: 7.64 (lights Off)
Salinity: 1.021
Temp 78.6
Alk:3.20
dkh: 9.0
Calcium:370
Mag: 1200

[rick s]

I've had the same CO2 issues for years. Mine bottoms out around 7.72 and peaks at 7.8-8.0 when the house is closed. If we have more people in the house, or if my wife turns on the gas oven, it drops even more.

During spring and fall, windows open, that changes to a low of 8.1ish and highs nearing 8.4. All my corals do fine with these swings (pics in my gallery).

Low pH seems to be one of those things that some of us just have to live with. I suggest you go ahead and start adding some corals and see how they do.


Ps. Are you aware that your salinity is on the low side?

[05nismoz]

Yes I am going to add some more salt to the mix. I have a calcium reactor that I was going to add once I got some corals but with the low ph I think that is out of the question.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by 05nismoz
After I close the house it takes less than 24 hrs to go to 7.78 and more like 36 hrs to get it back up to 8.35 after I open the house back up. Last time I tested was when the ph was 8.35 readings were:
ph:8.3
Salinity : 1.021
Temp: 79
Alk: 3.43
dkh: 9.6
Calcium: 380
Mag: 1320

just tested
PH: 7.64 (lights Off)
Salinity: 1.021
Temp 78.6
Alk:3.20
dkh: 9.0
Calcium:370
Mag: 1200

Your salt is really on the low side .025-.026 would be ideal and your cal and mag is low--450 and 1300 would be ideal.
But I don't think either of them contribute to pH?

I can tell you just what I was advised to do by Jonathan and Boomer----when I finish trying to see if it will stablize the way I mentioned above----

and that is to dose with Kalk or limewater---these will bring up the pH but not the alk level
you have such a great alk level that I wouldn't want to mess with it

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by rick s
I've had the same CO2 issues for years. Mine bottoms out around 7.72 and peaks at 7.8-8.0 when the house is closed. If we have more people in the house, or if my wife turns on the gas oven, it drops even more.

During spring and fall, windows open, that changes to a low of 8.1ish and highs nearing 8.4. All my corals do fine with these swings (pics in my gallery).

Low pH seems to be one of those things that some of us just have to live with. I suggest you go ahead and start adding some corals and see how they do.


Ps. Are you aware that your salinity is on the low side?

I agree and so do alot of others :

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1187329

[05nismoz]

I am dosing with kalk. I have a geo kalk reactor that all my top off water is going to. I have put a fan on top of the canopy to help with evaporation.

[bertoni]

How high does the kalk reactor keep the limewater pH? How is it being refilled?

[05nismoz]

The ph of the water coming out of the reactor is 11.34 I have it hooked up to my Tunze Osmolator.

[bertoni]

Hmm, you could try hand-mixing some saturated kalk and dripping that, as an experiment, if you tank can stand the alkalinity and pH boost. I'd watch carefully. The hand-mixed kalk might be more concentrated. The pH of saturated kalk is about 12.54, although a pH meter isn't going to be accurate at that level with standard calibration points.

[capn_hylinur]

At the first of the thread you stated the pH wasn't that bad---I and others agree---so is it really worth the trouble and potential for mishap to start mixing Kalk paste etc?

[capn_hylinur]

...this connection is bonkers tonight---
I was going to add that the tank has been up six weeks now--time for a water change and see how the tank parameters are after that???(I asking )

[05nismoz]

This sunday will be my third water change. Is there any way to reduce the c02 in the house. My house is full (2 kids, me and wife, grandma, 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 turtles)

[bertoni]

I'm sure there's bad joke there somewhere, but indoor CO2 is a difficult problem. More ventilation is about the only practical solution, really.