Outside Air to Tank in Basement?

[marvelfan]

I'm looking for some ideas on how to run some outside air to my tank in the basement.
I can't seem to get my pH over 8.1. According to my pH probe I'm sitting around 7.7-8.0 each day.
I have cheato lit 24/7 and its pulling out CO2 and nitrates. There are absolutely no windows in my fish room in the basement. I have a sneaking suspsicion (after reading Randy Holmes-Farley post) that my surronding basement air is too heavy in CO2 to allow my pH to raise any farther.
I'm going to run some tests he recommends. Removing a cup of water and aerating it with inside air and outside air to see if there is a bit difference.
I'm looking for some ideas on how to get inside air down to my tank.
I though about running some air tight PVC through a basement wall and letting my airpumps and skimmer pull all there air from the PVC. This way it will only use the outside air.
Anyone ever try this. looking for methods

 

[bang guy]

Do the experiment first to verify you have a CO2 issue.
How well is your skimmer doing? What kind of skimmer? Can you vent just the skimmer to the outside?
I didn't vent outside air in but I did vent my basement lagoon to the outside but that was more for keeping the humidity down.

 

[marvelfan]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/395961/outside-air-to-tank-in-basement#post_3526818
Do the experiment first to verify you have a CO2 issue.
How well is your skimmer doing? What kind of skimmer? Can you vent just the skimmer to the outside?
My skimmer is undersized for my display. Its a 60G rated Coralife on a 150 gallon Volume System. (Upgrading Skimmer in November) . I currently have the inline air to the skimmer hooked up to an airpump to help with skinmate production. So far it seems to be doing a great job. I have the option too vent it to the outside if I run a line out through my wall. I was thinking of also running my UAS air supply to the outside as well. Figured it can't hurt to pull even more outside air in.
I didn't vent outside air in but I did vent my basement lagoon to the outside but that was more for keeping the humidity down.

 

[bang guy]

Seems to be that running an airline to the outside would be a lot easier than anything else and that should be all you need.

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarvelFan http:///t/395961/outside-air-to-tank-in-basement#post_3526817
I'm looking for some ideas on how to run some outside air to my tank in the basement.
I can't seem to get my pH over 8.1. According to my pH probe I'm sitting around 7.7-8.0 each day.
I have cheato lit 24/7 and its pulling out CO2 and nitrates. There are absolutely no windows in my fish room in the basement. I have a sneaking suspsicion (after reading Randy Holmes-Farley post) that my surronding basement air is too heavy in CO2 to allow my pH to raise any farther.
I'm going to run some tests he recommends. Removing a cup of water and aerating it with inside air and outside air to see if there is a bit difference.
I'm looking for some ideas on how to get inside air down to my tank.
I though about running some air tight PVC through a basement wall and letting my airpumps and skimmer pull all there air from the PVC. This way it will only use the outside air.
Anyone ever try this. looking for methods
Your chaeto in not pulling out sufficient CO2 if the pH is below 8.
Be sure to always check pH just before light out.
IMHO you need to add more chaeto and other macro algaes. even if you just partition the tank so chaeto is between the partition and glass.
Or even just harvest your chaeto more often to keep it growing fast.
And of course measure alk and add baking soda if necessary to bring that up.
But the macros sucking out co2 will raise pH.
my .02

 

[marvelfan]

Well.. it may have been a false alarm. I did my testing tonight. I decided to take some calibration fluid that I used for calibration a couple days ago. The 7.00 measured at 6.69 and the 10.00 measured low at around 9.8 or so.
I re-calibrated until the calibration fluid tested withing .01 to .02 of the fluid value. Now I'm getting a pH. for 7.94 towards the end of the lighting cycle for the day. My seneye device is measuring 8.15.
I'll still do the aerating test over the weekend.
In other news, my skimmer pump died. I'm buying a new skimmer in Nov, when my budget allows, but for now I just ordered a cheap Rio venturi pump to get me through the next couple months.

 

[marvelfan]

Yeah.. its a faulty probe for sure.. my pH is reporting 4.36 today.. i know that is not the case at all. Trying to see if there is a warranty on these.. its only 3 months old!