Co2 Scrubber vs Line to skimmer from the outside.

[Gatorpa]

So for months I’ve been running a CO2 scrubber with good ph boost about 0.2.
Last weekend I decided to bite the bullet and run a line from the outside directly to my skimmer, the line was about 2.5 ft long, went theough the wall behind the tank to the outside. First day pH seemed unchanged from prior history. I’d then began to decline by day 4 it was really dipping, so I went back to the scrubber with new media and boom pH rolled right back up to where it had been.
Thoughts?
I live in Florida and the weather has been pretty typical as of late, mostly sunny some mild rain here and there.

Evening of the 17th is when I switched back to scrubber.
The 13th is the day I ran the airline to the outside.

 

[IKD]

Hey there, I also live in Florida and use both the outside line and scrubber together. I actually have my scrubber outside. Before this my pH would peak around 7.9, and this setup peaks around 8.35.

 

[CaptPatrick]

I’m also in Florida, Southwest to be exact, so I’m pretty much in a swamp and don’t know if the air being so humid would have any negative effect on it. I had run my skimmer line outside prior to installing a recirculating co2 scrubber and I didn’t notice much of a difference with the outside air. With the scrubber recirculating skimmer air I get to 8.42 with a night time low of right above 8. I’m happy with the increase but have been considering kalk at night to try and stabilize it and minimize the .4 swing.

 

[IKD]

I’m also in Florida, Southwest to be exact, so I’m pretty much in a swamp and don’t know if the air being so humid would have any negative effect on it. I had run my skimmer line outside prior to installing a recirculating co2 scrubber and I didn’t notice much of a difference with the outside air. With the scrubber recirculating skimmer air I get to 8.42 with a night time low of right above 8. I’m happy with the increase but have been considering kalk at night to try and stabilize it and minimize the .4 swing.

Just my opinion, but I’ve never seen issues with pH swings like 0.4, especially if your hitting 8.4 already. Just don’t want to see you chasing/adding things that may not benefit your corals much.

 

[geckoejon]

I’m also in Florida, Southwest to be exact, so I’m pretty much in a swamp and don’t know if the air being so humid would have any negative effect on it. I had run my skimmer line outside prior to installing a recirculating co2 scrubber and I didn’t notice much of a difference with the outside air. With the scrubber recirculating skimmer air I get to 8.42 with a night time low of right above 8. I’m happy with the increase but have been considering kalk at night to try and stabilize it and minimize the .4 swing.

Do you have pics of the recirculating tubing on your skimmer? Did you just drill a hole & stick the tubing through the lid?

I’m in central Florida & been battling low ph… Rain the skimmer air intake tube outside & minimal effect… I got a scrubber, but media doesn’t last long…

I want to try recirculating, but worried about sucking skimmate into the scrubber…

 

[moz71]

I find your question very interesting as I have been considering doing one or the other. I thought my house had high CO2 since I run air conditioning 24/7. However here in northeast temps were mild over the last week and opened all the windows and doors for a week straight and noticed no difference. And I have big glass sliders in same room as tank so lots of fresh air. Now I am thinking forgetting about running line outside be cause will not make a difference and just get a scrubber but don’t like added cost.

 

[Gatorpa]

I find your question very interesting as I have been considering doing one or the other. I thought my house had high CO2 since I run air conditioning 24/7. However here in northeast temps were mild over the last week and opened all the windows and doors for a week straight and noticed no difference. And I have big glass sliders in same room as tank so lots of fresh air. Now I am thinking forgetting about running line outside be cause will not make a difference and just get a scrubber but don’t like added cost.

My inside CO2 runs from 500-(800-900). depends on who is home.
talked with a guy at the LFS who was friends with a guy that ran a farm and he was told that because all the rain it forces the CO2 lower to the ground(but that doesn’t seem right to me) plus my outside CO2 always dems to measure 420-450.

 

[Gatorpa]

I’m also in Florida, Southwest to be exact, so I’m pretty much in a swamp and don’t know if the air being so humid would have any negative effect on it. I had run my skimmer line outside prior to installing a recirculating co2 scrubber and I didn’t notice much of a difference with the outside air. With the scrubber recirculating skimmer air I get to 8.42 with a night time low of right above 8. I’m happy with the increase but have been considering kalk at night to try and stabilize it and minimize the .4 swing.

I run the Scrubber recirc from the top of the collection cup, see below. however I was reading this could cause low O2 and don’t have the ORP probe and they are crazy expensive also I see lots of people have issues with them reading.

 

[Gatorpa]

I’m also in Florida, Southwest to be exact, so I’m pretty much in a swamp and don’t know if the air being so humid would have any negative effect on it. I had run my skimmer line outside prior to installing a recirculating co2 scrubber and I didn’t notice much of a difference with the outside air. With the scrubber recirculating skimmer air I get to 8.42 with a night time low of right above 8. I’m happy with the increase but have been considering kalk at night to try and stabilize it and minimize the .4 swing.

I run Kalk for replacement and ATO at night. If you look close you can see the little stacking when the kalkwasser is added.

 

[Gatorpa]

It’s funny how tech makes you follow and tinker. 25 years ago when I got i to the hobby I used a Pinpoint pH meter and hardly looked at it.
My first frag set up was a 75 gallon with 10 watts per gallon of VHO. sPS grew like mad, I would top off with kalk, and add Ca+ here and there rarely tested. Stuff just grew like weeds.

Now with the apex and trident I’m always adjusting my 2 part trying to get things dialed in for better stability. When we moved into our new house in Dec I upgraded from a 75 to a 120, added the Apex in May and I certainly dick around more than before. But I now wonder how much swing there was before the automation as I would be luck to check DkH once a month let alone 4 times a day…
Ive never been a big water change guy and always use NSW as I live 2 minutes from the beach. Always wondered if using NSW helped my stability as opposed to mixing salt (In my head natural is always best). When I did the transfer I swapped out about 40% of the water with fresh NSW and then did a big 50-60% water change a few weeks later.
Im luck because my live rock is the real stuff a mix of Fiji, tonga and caribbean elk horn that’s 20+ years old so the diversity is off the charts I’m sure.
Always figured that helped me be more hands off

 

[Gatorpa]

Hey there, I also live in Florida and use both the outside line and scrubber together. I actually have my scrubber outside. Before this my pH would peak around 7.9, and this setup peaks around 8.35.

Do ya have a picture of your set up

 

[CaptPatrick]

Do you have pics of the recirculating tubing on your skimmer? Did you just drill a hole & stick the tubing through the lid?

I’m in central Florida & been battling low ph… Rain the skimmer air intake tube outside & minimal effect… I got a scrubber, but media doesn’t last long…

I want to try recirculating, but worried about sucking skimmate into the scrubber…

Yes I drilled a hole in my skimmer cap and put Tee inline on the way to the scrubber and ran a hose off the Tee with a valve so if it accumulates water or overflows skimmer I will catch a decent amount before making its way to the scrubber and hopefully giving me a chance to catch it. I’ve found the media lasts much longer with it recirculating. Water level in sump is cause I was feeding doesn't run that high under normal operation.

 

[Gatorpa]

Yes I drilled a hole in my skimmer cap and put Tee inline on the way to the scrubber and ran a hose off the Tee with a valve so if it accumulates water or overflows skimmer I will catch a decent amount before making its way to the scrubber and hopefully giving me a chance to catch it. I’ve found the media lasts much longer with it recirculating. Water level in sump is cause I was feeding doesn't run that high under normal operation.

Is that a pro star tank?

 

[CaptPatrick]

I run the Scrubber recirc from the top of the collection cup, see below. however I was reading this could cause low O2 and don’t have the ORP probe and they are crazy expensive also I see lots of people have issues with them reading.

I run a similar setup, I just posted pictures of mine above. I haven’t noticed any negatives since doing this and have had it setup for probably 6 months. I feel like the higher ph has improved sps growth. Prior to the scrubber I was just using the cdx media containers, I had drilled holes in top and bottom of container and installed fittings and that worked well but changing media was a pain so got an actual canister.

 

[CaptPatrick]

Is that a pro star tank?

Yes, I swapped sumps though. I put a trigger under it.

 

[Gatorpa]

Yes, I swapped sumps though. I put a trigger under it.

I like the tank and sump, just wish there was a better spot to run a refugium withoit having to get rid of the small tarp off tank. I have the 150, but really wish I went with the next size up but when i was deciding it would have been to tight in the room with the furniture my wife had, then she got rid of a couch and the bigger tank would have fit perfect.

 

[CaptPatrick]

My gf got this as gift for me, I was running an 80 deep blue frag with a 30 gallon sump and when she went to find a tank she told the store I wanted something larger and they sold her this and she was unaware that it really is only a 65 display not a true 90. It’s the first tank I’ve had that is pretty much a plug n play, except I redid the plumbing and changed sump cause it’s never good enough and can always be better right, or at least that’s what we tell ourselves lol. Overall I’m happy with the tank but need an upgrade as I’ve about outgrown this one.

 

[Gatorpa]

My gf got this as gift for me, I was running an 80 deep blue frag with a 30 gallon sump and when she went to find a tank she told the store I wanted something larger and they sold her this and she was unaware that it really is only a 65 display not a true 90. It’s the first tank I’ve had that is pretty much a plug n play, except I redid the plumbing and changed sump cause it’s never good enough and can always be better right, or at least that’s what we tell ourselves lol. Overall I’m happy with the tank but need an upgrade as I’ve about outgrown this one.

I have the 150, but like I said up thread wish I got the 200. the extra foot of viewing area and more space under the cabinet would be nice. Plus it’s a bit deeper front to back.

 

[Gatorpa]

So quick update,I went ahead and ran a shorter line to the outside, then through the CO2 scrubber. I also covered a few holes that were in the top of my skimmer cover, boom almost immediate impact.
Did that the morning of the 19th, higher highs and lower lows.

 

[Tiki_Reef]

I live in Florida as well and run my line from outside to the scrubber from the scrubber to the skimmer intake pretty much pegged at 8.37 daily low overnight is at 8.13-8.15.