Adding medical oxygen tank feed to skimmer for PH Stability - will this work??
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I am in the process of adding a Calcium reactor, but my main concern is my low PH.
average is currently only 7.9 which can dip down to 7.71 overnight. I boost it back up with Kalk and soda ash. My question is this : Will the Calcium reactor drive down the pH even further?? Or make it more stable?
I had been using BRS 2 part, with poor results.
I started making my own soda ash, and have found that you need to bake for 2 hrs at 400 to drive out most of the c02. (had bad results after baking at 300F for one hour, pH rose more sowly and dropped quicker)
I've also been using Kalk to push out the C02 which has been driving my pH down. (mix refil water to .035 then add lots of Kalk water to bring up the PH) Soda ash alone will not keep the pH up for very long, causing my alk to run high up to 16 DK max. is what I allow.
Another problem is my salt mix which I recently switched. Instant ocean with my RO water comes in at avg 7.80 (too much cheap baking soda - sodium Bicarbonate in mix) their reef crystals seems a bit better, but have not used enough to say the pH is much better in the mixed water.
I recently added more plant material to a fuge, which seem to die off inmy tank maybe due to low phosphates. Does little anyway, even with a bubbler below the algae.
I have a heavily SPS dominated 120 gal in a basement tank, which is why my pH is so low probably. Ii think I would have better growth if I could get the pH to stay around 8.2 but have not been able to do this.
Anyway, here is my theory
I have an idea that if c02 drives pH down, then adding oxygen such as a medical oxygen tank and running a line to my skimmer would add the badly needed oxygen to my tank and cause the pH to raise. I am assuming that adding oxygen would drive out the pH similar to the way the Kalk does but better. I would add the pure oxygen at a very slow rate to counter the effects of my Calcium reactor. Maybe use a bubble counter and valve setup like on the C02 tanks. Run it with my apex to only come on when the pH is below 8.10
Will this work?
Has anyone ever tried this before??
I cannot run an outside line BTW
Yes oxygen is flamable, I would add slowly and not really worry about the extra oxygen in my C02 heavy basement.
I have also thought about adding lots of potted plants to increase oxygen in the room, but am doubtful this would do much for my pH in the lg room.
Also thought about C02 absorbing media in the skimmer airline, but this may not be the cheapest way to go due to the cost of the media.
Please let me know you thoughts...
Thanks,
Mark