Will an air pump increase PH

[Adamc13o3]

I don’t know what it is these days but I see so many threads on boosting PH. My latest tank is about 3 months old. Since the start I have been battling extremely low PH. The highest I can absolutely ever get to is 8.13. At night it can get as low as 7.79 (this is with doing all of the things below)

Skimmer air intake pulling from outside
Added a co2 scrubber (did help)
Tried the scrubber on the outdoor air
and in a recirc style through the skimmer lid.
There wasn’t an increase between using the scrubber in recirc or scrubbing exterior air, however the media lasts a bit longer while scrubbing outside air.
Dosing 5,000 ML of kalk at night on a 100 gallon tank.
Have a refugium on a reverse light cycle.

It is so bad that I can’t ever turn off my skimmer. If I need to do a treatment and the bottle reads turn off skimmer, I can’t, if I do my PH plummets . I believe I’d get below 7.70!

I have also been having a diatom problem (figured new tank and the now crappy rock that were forced to use lol). I can’t even do a 3 day lights out period to help with that since I need that light to keep the PH up.

Here’s the question. If I add a decent sized air pump (placed outdoors) with some larger air stones to my sump will this help increase my PH. I know the skimmer definitely works. However the skimmer is pulling more air than an air pump would and is mixing it extremely well with the water. I was even thinking of using an old skimmer pump with a Venturi in my sump, but I am wondering if that would work without the skimmer body which does help with air and water contact time.

Thanks,

Adam

 

[DanyL]

I’d test the CO2 levels you have at home.
First and foremost - if it is indeed that high, it would not only influence the health of your corals, but may also influence the health of you and your family.

As for the tank - have you tried reducing surface turbulence? As if there is indeed a high co2 concentration in the room, it may still enter the tank in large amounts through surface gas exchange.

As for an air pump - in theory it should work, how much it would influence your ph would indeed depend on the amount of air and contact area of the bubbles.

 

[Adamc13o3]

I attribute the lower PH to the tank being new. The conversion from ammonium to nitrite then to nitrate will release hydrogen ions (H+), therefore increase acidity. I added and air pump today which is placed outside. It’s been a few hours and I haven’t seen any progress. While it’s a larger pump with very large air stones I think that in order for it to work it has to have more contact time / mixing with water like a skimmer does.

 

[DanyL]

You are correct that the Nitrogen cycle decreases PH in the process, however it isn’t limited to new tanks only but rather an ongoing process that all tanks, both new and established inhibit all the time.

I know it may sound unbelievable - but a small change like reduction of surface turbulence can go a long way in reducing the acidification of the water when co2 levels in the room are high. It’s a simple test worth trying.

As for the air pumps - it makes sense, airstones likely aren’t able to produce small enough bubbles to make a significant difference for you to measure.

 

[KrisReef]

Otherwise, cut back on fish foods and see if that reduces acid production in the tank. Open a window and let the CO2 out, if you can.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Outside air is generally helpful to raise pH, but at pH 7.8-8.1, it’s not an urgency.

 

[Garf]

Dosing 5,000 ML of kalk at night on a 100 gallon tank.

That's a lot, on a new tank isn't it? What's that doing to your Alkalinity?

 

[Adamc13o3]

That's a lot, on a new tank isn't it? What's that doing to your Alkalinity?

The ALK is holding at 8.5

 

[Adamc13o3]

It worked pretty well. I can see a gradual daily increase, and the day that I was messing with it on the 27th it was barely on and the PH did dip that day. I am using a pretty large air pump and really large air stone plates. It's creating a lot of turbulence in the sump section I have it in.

 

[Stacykirk88]

You are correct that the Nitrogen cycle decreases PH in the process, however it isn’t limited to new tanks only but rather an ongoing process that all tanks, both new and established inhibit all the time.

I know it may sound unbelievable - but a small change like reduction of surface turbulence can go a long way in reducing the acidification of the water when co2 levels in the room are high. It’s a simple test worth trying.

As for the air pumps - it makes sense, airstones likely aren’t able to produce small enough bubbles to make a significant difference for you to measure.

So I am just now having a similar issue. 75 gallon FOWLR with Chaeto in the display tank, two filter socks. No powerheads. Right now all I have is an API test kit, believe me I know the issues with that. I am purchasing two Hanna testers on the 11th along with a skimmer. Anyway my PH seems to be between a 7.8 and 7.9 where as since I established this tank 3 months ago, so yes still new, I have not had any issues with my ph. Only thing that has changed is I added 3 new fish( a bonded pair of clowns, and a single clown who is tiny),5 nassarius snails, and 4 small hermits on the 4th. Original occupants consist of 1 clown, 1 damsel, 1 chromis, 7 turbos, 1 halloween hermit, 1 emerald crab. I can open my front door into the entry where my tank is and also create a cross breeze by opening my back door which is directly across from the front door. So I can get fresh air. So that being said should I place my return jets to create more turbulence on the water or make less turbulence?

 

[Adamc13o3]

Since I started this thread the air stone didnt really work. However, I added a skimmer pump to the tank with a Venturi and it definitely does work. I got a .10 bump within a day.

 

[lmfbs]

I know it may sound unbelievable - but a small change like reduction of surface turbulence can go a long way in reducing the acidification of the water when co2 levels in the room are high. It’s a simple test worth trying.

When people say 'CO2 levels are high in the room' what do we mean by 'high'?

 

[piranhaman00]

When people say 'CO2 levels are high in the room' what do we mean by 'high'?

> 1000ppm

 

[lmfbs]

> 1000ppm

Gosh I couldn't imagine how awful I'd feel if my house had 1000+ ppm CO2. I've got a pH problem at the moment and I know the first thing people will say is 'bring in fresh air', but the CO2 in my house is between 450 - 485 day and night so gotta look at other solutions!

 

[Clownfishy]

The C02 in our house can easily hit 900 and on a still day, over that. We have learnt to sacrifice some heat loss (I live in the UK!) and now keep our windows cracked open all the time. My nano's pH really struggles when the C02 rises.
I have often thought that increasing aeration when the air is full of C02 would have an additional negative effect on pH as more C02 is injected into the water but I have no idea if that would be the case.

 

[lmfbs]

The C02 in our house can easily hit 900 and on a still day, over that. We have learnt to sacrifice some heat loss (I live in the UK!) and now keep our windows cracked open all the time. My nano's pH really strugglea when the C02 rises.
I have often thought that increasing aeration when the air is full of C02 would have an additional negative effect on pH as more C02 is injected into the water but I have no idea if that would be the case.

Jeeze. My house has never got over 600 since we got our co2 meter in 2020, and that was when I burned stuff cooking, but we usually crack the windows and have extraction/circulation fans running

 

[VintageReefer]

I’ve tested ph once in the last 10 years and probably 3 times in the last 20+ years. Is this setting that people pay attention to because it’s causing a noticeable issue?

Maybe I’m just in environments where things naturally are fine and I never needed to worry about it. My algae scrubber also causes a natural ph increase so maybe that’s keeping me in the safe zone

 

[lmfbs]

I’ve tested ph once in the last 10 years and probably 3 times in the last 20+ years. Is this setting that people pay attention to because it’s causing a noticeable issue?

Maybe I’m just in environments where things naturally are fine and I never needed to worry about it. My algae scrubber also causes a natural ph increase so maybe that’s keeping me in the safe zone

I don't care too much about it, my kh keeper tests it so see it

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I don’t know what it is these days but I see so many threads on boosting PH. My latest tank is about 3 months old. Since the start I have been battling extremely low PH. The highest I can absolutely ever get to is 8.13. At night it can get as low as 7.79 (this is with doing all of the things below)

Skimmer air intake pulling from outside
Added a co2 scrubber (did help)
Tried the scrubber on the outdoor air
and in a recirc style through the skimmer lid.
There wasn’t an increase between using the scrubber in recirc or scrubbing exterior air, however the media lasts a bit longer while scrubbing outside air.
Dosing 5,000 ML of kalk at night on a 100 gallon tank.
Have a refugium on a reverse light cycle.

It is so bad that I can’t ever turn off my skimmer. If I need to do a treatment and the bottle reads turn off skimmer, I can’t, if I do my PH plummets . I believe I’d get below 7.70!

I have also been having a diatom problem (figured new tank and the now crappy rock that were forced to use lol). I can’t even do a 3 day lights out period to help with that since I need that light to keep the PH up.

Here’s the question. If I add a decent sized air pump (placed outdoors) with some larger air stones to my sump will this help increase my PH. I know the skimmer definitely works. However the skimmer is pulling more air than an air pump would and is mixing it extremely well with the water. I was even thinking of using an old skimmer pump with a Venturi in my sump, but I am wondering if that would work without the skimmer body which does help with air and water contact time.

Thanks,

Adam

Do you have the ability to get house plants? Sounds crazy I know, and some will say you need a ton for it to work. But I did some research on best plants to remove CO2 and snake plants Winn by a mile. So I have 5 in the room with my tank, no scrubber ( I have one, just no need to hook it up so far) and my skimmer pulls from the house not from outside. My PH is now staying steady at 8.3

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

When people say 'CO2 levels are high in the room' what do we mean by 'high'?

Higher than outside air.