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DIY CO2 Scrubber


USCG CWO

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I have always had to fight low PH and I think it is because my house is so new and efficient that I trap higher levels of CO2 which drives my PH down. I usually run 7.92 at night and 8.01 during the day.

 

I had heard that some reefers were scrubbing the CO2 from the air and feeding it to the skimmer where it would help raise the PH in their tanks. So I decided to give it a shot. It is a fairly easy build.

 

Supplies:

 

(1) 10" water filter housing (Ace Hardware) $35 there are cheaper ones on eBay. I was in a hurry and didn't want to wait.

(1) 5 gallon pail of Sodalime (airgas) $71 Should last at least a year it is also color changing. Goes from white to purple when used up.

Fittings needed to plumb the tubing from the housing to the skimmer $10

Assorted tubing - In my case I used 1/2" and 1/4"

(1) 10" length of 1" PVC pipe with several notches cut along the length of it. This will go where the traditional water filter would, forcing the air through the CO2 media and then to the skimmer.

 

After mounting and plumbing everything together and then letting it run for a couple hours my PH has gone from 8.01 to 8.14 which is pretty spectacular if you ask me. This has only been on for today so I will keep you posted on how it goes.

 

Here's some pictures:

 

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I can believe the PH rise. I know that Impur had his skimmer being fed outside air and noted an increase of PH. I did for awhile until the cat started playing.

With the warmer weather and my windows being open my PH has risen nicely. It won't be long before I have to shut them again.

This just might be the solution for a lot of us.

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Very interested in seing how long a charge lasts. I have read reviews that say the costs will be very high due to a lasting only about 2 weeks. The 5 gal bulk may be the answer! Let us know after a few changes your estimated yearly costs.

 

Ken

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