CO2 scrubbing and sps polyps extension.

[ERIC1975]

Has anyone ever tried CO2 scrubbing and noticed a change/response in your corals? Particularly sps?
I just started it last night for 3 hours after lights out and I see a marked difference is polyps extension today...even during the day when some sps barely show any PE before now does! And the one that has some PE during the day now has crazy long PE. Crazy!
Used a little air pump with two wooden air diffusers.

 

[saybng]

any before and after pics..maybe a video?

 

[Smite]

What's the theory behind it? Just curious how it's different from running a skimmer at night?

 

[ERIC1975]

any before and after pics..maybe a video?

Unfortunately no before pics . You're gonna have to take my words for it lol

 

[ERIC1975]

What's the theory behind it? Just curious how it's different from running a skimmer at night?

The theory behind it is that it help get rid of excess CO2 in your tank, help stabilize pH and the micro bubbles help loosen small debris and help bring them to the surface to be removed from you tank. Bubbles from skimmer alone is not enough. There are tons of articles online about it.

 

[M3ace9]

I think this is just a theory. Doesn't really make sense how this would work IMO

 

[pciscott]

It raises PH, when houses get closed up in summer or winter for heat or AC excess C02 levels lower the PH do too less gas exchange. I have been running a scrubber for over a year and my PH never drops below 8.05 and averages 8.25. Before my PH hit 7.8, my tank has been doing better with PH always above 8. The same results can be had by plumbing your skimmer air intake outside to fresh air. I made a muffler that sits on top of my skimmer intake that holds the media out of old reactor. I can take a picture if someone would like to see. I bought a 5 gallon pale of the Soda Lime media from air gas and used less than 1/4 bucket in year. Media gets a slight Purple tint when spent. I change out if my PH ever goes below 8.00. It was not easy to get dfresh air in my fish room so I went scrubber route. I have great polyp extension even during the day.

 

[M3ace9]

I use a c02 scrubbing media and it works well. I think the putting air bubbles in the tank not a effective way to go. I have seen people run bubbles at night but little to no results.

 

[ERIC1975]

Well I'm not sure how effective the micro bubbles work in removing excess CO2 as compared with media but I think it must have some effect based on what I saw in my tank. I didn't really expect to see any changes that quick to be honest. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to try it out and it doesn't really cost anything.

 

[pciscott]

I misunderstood what you meant by C02 scrubbing. Many threads on Microbubbles, on other forms. Did your coral slime up?

 

[ERIC1975]

I misunderstood what you meant by C02 scrubbing. Many threads on Microbubbles, on other forms. Did your coral slime up?

No I did not notice any slime. The only thing I noticed was the increase in PE. I don't really check pH so I wouldn't know how it effect pH so I can check my Alk see if it does anything.

 

[watchguy123]

I think micro bubbling and co2 scrubbing might have been accidentally interchanged initially in this discussion. The long and contentious thread on micro bubbling on r2r was entertaining. Believers vs non-believers! Not to sure of what to make of it.

CO2 scrubbing I remember reading about it a while back. [MENTION=8656]M3ace9[/MENTION] and [MENTION=3580]pciscott[/MENTION] , do you think it is worth the effort and I would love to see a photo of your scrubber setup. Do you think the increase in pH is impacting either the growth or health of your coral. I guess I need a refresher or review of what removing CO2 achieves and what the benefits may be.

 

[Jetsetter57]

It raises PH, when houses get closed up in summer or winter for heat or AC excess C02 levels lower the PH do too less gas exchange. I have been running a scrubber for over a year and my PH never drops below 8.05 and averages 8.25. Before my PH hit 7.8, my tank has been doing better with PH always above 8. The same results can be had by plumbing your skimmer air intake outside to fresh air. I made a muffler that sits on top of my skimmer intake that holds the media out of old reactor. I can take a picture if someone would like to see. I bought a 5 gallon pale of the Soda Lime media from air gas and used less than 1/4 bucket in year. Media gets a slight Purple tint when spent. I change out if my PH ever goes below 8.00. It was not easy to get dfresh air in my fish room so I went scrubber route. I have great polyp extension even during the day.

How is there less gas exchange with the air/heater running and constantly cycling fresh air into the house? There's not many days I even open my whole house up other than at night to turn the whole house fan on and I see no change in ph. Is there another reason the co2 scrubber increases ph vs a skimmer running 24/7?

 

[M3ace9]

I think micro bubbling and co2 scrubbing might have been accidentally interchanged initially in this discussion. The long and contentious thread on micro bubbling on r2r was entertaining. Believers vs non-believers! Not to sure of what to make of it.

CO2 scrubbing I remember reading about it a while back. [MENTION=8656]M3ace9[/MENTION] and [MENTION=3580]pciscott[/MENTION] , do you think it is worth the effort and I would love to see a photo of your scrubber setup. Do you think the increase in pH is impacting either the growth or health of your coral. I guess I need a refresher or review of what removing CO2 achieves and what the benefits may be.

For me chasing Ph is the norm. Unfortunately, I cannot be consistent because of the different variables. I use a c02 scrubber via skimmer intake as well as dose kalk in the pm to keep ph up. I have seen great growth while running steady 8.4 ph when chasing. During the last month I have not had these numbers but been in the norm of 8.0-8.2. Still good growth but better with a hight ph in my experience. Studies suggest that zoanthelle use oxygen to help with the coral waste removal and growth. Some argue that the oceans natural ph is in the 8.1 and its normal to have it in that range but there is evidence that show there has been an increase in the oceans acidity in the last few centuries. Higher ph makes sense since the start of decalcification starts at 7.8. Just a thought

 

[M3ace9]

How is there less gas exchange with the air/heater running and constantly cycling fresh air into the house? There's not many days I even open my whole house up other than at night to turn the whole house fan on and I see no change in ph. Is there another reason the co2 scrubber increases ph vs a skimmer running 24/7?

The air introduced into your skimmer through the co2 scrubber has the co2 absorbed therefore changing the ratio of co2 to oxygen, introducing less co2 and more oxygen into your aquarium. Theres not less gas exchange, theres just less oxygen available to be put into your water column when the gas exchange is occurring .

 

[Fly5150]

How is there less gas exchange with the air/heater running and constantly cycling fresh air into the house? There's not many days I even open my whole house up other than at night to turn the whole house fan on and I see no change in ph. Is there another reason the co2 scrubber increases ph vs a skimmer running 24/7?

Do you an economizer or outside air intake on your air conditioning unit? If not, with your house closed up, and the heat/air on, all you're doing is conditioning the air inside your house, not exchanging old air for fresh air.

 

[Jetsetter57]

Yeah mine must be different than most I guess.

Most people don't know what a whole house fan is but in the evening all windows get open and it sucks outside air in and out the attic. I see no marked ph change. I may try this scrubber thing though. My ph never gets above 8.10

 

[rayray]

Are people trying to scrub CO2 even if they dont use a calcium reactor? Why not just improve air flow & evaporation?

 

[Fly5150]

Yeah mine must be different than most I guess.

Most people don't know what a whole house fan is but in the evening all windows get open and it sucks outside air in and out the attic. I see no marked ph change. I may try this scrubber thing though. My ph never gets above 8.10

Just turning on your air isn't going to make air changes inside your house to increase oxygen unless you have an economizer or outside air duct on your air conditioning unit, which you probably don't.

I'm very familiar with whole house fans. At night when it comes on, is probably at the end of your lighting when your ph is at its highest, and starts to drop. Unless it runs all night and you have a lighted fuge, it's probably not helping your ph.

 

[Jetsetter57]

Just turning on your air isn't going to make air changes inside your house to increase oxygen unless you have an economizer or outside air duct on your air conditioning unit, which you probably don't.

I'm very familiar with whole house fans. At night when it comes on, is probably at the end of your lighting when your ph is at its highest, and starts to drop. Unless it runs all night and you have a lighted fuge, it's probably not helping your ph.

Lighted fuge yes and most of the night yes. I'll have to try the scrubber and see where that gets me.