fresh air intake for skimmer ?

DaveAngie79 · 02/07/2010, 11:45 PM

recently i have seen a few people talk about having these
wondering what pros and cons would be

sir_dudeguy · 02/07/2010, 11:50 PM

i'm assuming they're referring to getting outside air into it, which would allow for a very good gas exchange (C02 i believe). Helps to keep your pH up. If you notice its low and cant seem to get it up, try opening a window in a house once in a while and dont use glass tops on the tank unless you've got a sump for gas exchange. This would have the same affect as using outside air for the skimmer intake.

DaveAngie79 · 02/08/2010, 06:00 PM

b
323

Chris27 · 02/08/2010, 06:29 PM

I have a 20' tube running from my skimmer up into the attic near a roof vent - done specifically to get the pH up a bit. It worked, as I went from 7.6 at night and 7.8 during the day, to 7.8 at night and 8.0 during the day.

stealle · 02/08/2010, 06:39 PM

CO2 builds up in the house from being closed up tight. At the same time, O2 in the house is slightly lower than outside. This causes the pH of the water to become more acidotic which is reflected by a lower pH reading. I have tried opening a window. It works! unfortunately it is very temporary. Close the window and within a couple hours the pH drops again. There is a product called the CO2 scrubber. I have seen it at premiumaquatics. You hook the CO2 scrubber up to the intake. The purpose is to remove CO2 from the air as it flows through the CO2 scrubber. It does not "add" O2, but it does reduce the CO2. I don't know how effective the products is.

The benefits of having outside/"fresh" air intake for the skimmer are:
Pulls in air that is higher in O2 and lower in CO2; which will increase your pH

Cons:
Could possibly pull in more pollutants from outside. For example, automobile exhaust, crop-dusting, neighbors fogging for mosquito control, smoke, ect.

buddah001 · 02/08/2010, 08:08 PM

Ok I did this. I ran 1" PVC to the outside.To stop any pollutants going into the the tank put some carbon on the intake outside. There are a bunch of different ways to do this. But remember you will have to change once a month so make the end peice removable.The carbon will remove any pollutants and the fresh air and will make the skimmer work better. Put more oxygen into the tank and keep you ph very stable. I wish I had done this years ago!!

mcoomer · 02/08/2010, 10:24 PM

I didn't have a convenient way to run a tube to the outside. Finally it dawned on me that I could run my air tube back along the water line that runs under the floor (under the house) from the RODI to my sump so that's what I did. I just did a couple weeks ago and also started two part dosing so I don't know how much effect it's having on my pH but it's up.

Mike

Finsky · 02/08/2010, 11:53 PM

I use Reef Crystals which has a lot of calcium. As a two part system I use Seachem Reef Complete to raise calcium Seachem Reef Buffer to raise pH an alkalinity as instructed and today my pH was 8.4 when I got home from work with all the lights on. It is back down to 8.32 with the lights out for an hour. If I need any additional calcium and a pH raise, I use Seachem Kalkwasser. I also have Two Little Fishes C-Balance which I rarely use.

02/07/2010, 11:45 PM	#1
DaveAngie79 Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 662	fresh air intake for skimmer ? recently i have seen a few people talk about having these wondering what pros and cons would be

02/07/2010, 11:50 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	i'm assuming they're referring to getting outside air into it, which would allow for a very good gas exchange (C02 i believe). Helps to keep your pH up. If you notice its low and cant seem to get it up, try opening a window in a house once in a while and dont use glass tops on the tank unless you've got a sump for gas exchange. This would have the same affect as using outside air for the skimmer intake. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

02/08/2010, 10:24 PM	#7
mcoomer Rat Bastard! Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sammamish, WA Posts: 1,487	I didn't have a convenient way to run a tube to the outside. Finally it dawned on me that I could run my air tube back along the water line that runs under the floor (under the house) from the RODI to my sump so that's what I did. I just did a couple weeks ago and also started two part dosing so I don't know how much effect it's having on my pH but it's up. Mike __________________ Spending exorbitant amounts of money on this hobby since 1998! My wife thought the tank would be cheaper and easier to keep than a dog...no seriously! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon mixed reef; Reeflo Barracuda, Tunze 6105 (X3), 250W Radiums with dual HQI Blue Wave 7, Reefkeeper Elite controller, custom sump with ASM G4, carbon and GFO reactors

02/08/2010, 11:53 PM	#8
Finsky Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 746	Seachem Reef Buffer I use Reef Crystals which has a lot of calcium. As a two part system I use Seachem Reef Complete to raise calcium Seachem Reef Buffer to raise pH an alkalinity as instructed and today my pH was 8.4 when I got home from work with all the lights on. It is back down to 8.32 with the lights out for an hour. If I need any additional calcium and a pH raise, I use Seachem Kalkwasser. I also have Two Little Fishes C-Balance which I rarely use. __________________ Finsky Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef - 250 lbs of live rock, Rena XP4, two Hydor Koralia 3250s, Aqua-Medic Tuboflotor multi 1000 skimmer - Two 60" Marineland Reef Capable LEDs - 8 1/2 years

02/08/2010, 06:00 PM	#3
DaveAngie79 Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 662	b 323

02/08/2010, 06:29 PM	#4
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	I have a 20' tube running from my skimmer up into the attic near a roof vent - done specifically to get the pH up a bit. It worked, as I went from 7.6 at night and 7.8 during the day, to 7.8 at night and 8.0 during the day.

02/08/2010, 06:39 PM	#5
stealle Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 501	CO2 builds up in the house from being closed up tight. At the same time, O2 in the house is slightly lower than outside. This causes the pH of the water to become more acidotic which is reflected by a lower pH reading. I have tried opening a window. It works! unfortunately it is very temporary. Close the window and within a couple hours the pH drops again. There is a product called the CO2 scrubber. I have seen it at premiumaquatics. You hook the CO2 scrubber up to the intake. The purpose is to remove CO2 from the air as it flows through the CO2 scrubber. It does not "add" O2, but it does reduce the CO2. I don't know how effective the products is. The benefits of having outside/"fresh" air intake for the skimmer are: Pulls in air that is higher in O2 and lower in CO2; which will increase your pH Cons: Could possibly pull in more pollutants from outside. For example, automobile exhaust, crop-dusting, neighbors fogging for mosquito control, smoke, ect.

02/08/2010, 08:08 PM	#6
buddah001 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Genoa, IL Posts: 599	Ok I did this. I ran 1" PVC to the outside.To stop any pollutants going into the the tank put some carbon on the intake outside. There are a bunch of different ways to do this. But remember you will have to change once a month so make the end peice removable.The carbon will remove any pollutants and the fresh air and will make the skimmer work better. Put more oxygen into the tank and keep you ph very stable. I wish I had done this years ago!!