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CO2 Scrubber/Adding outside air to the tank (1 Viewer)

I unplug mine in the summer….Because when it runs, it pulls in very hot outside air and can cause ac to run all the time. So instead I just open windows during evening, when it’s cooler out to do my exchange that way during summer.
 
I agree with everything that have been stated above. There is a HRV (heat recovery ventilator) and an ERV (Energy recovery ventilator). Historically HRVs were used in colder climates like ours. Nowadays an ERV is recommended for MN/WI as they have come a long ways. In both units fresh air is sucked in and stale air is sucked out of the house. Both in coming and outgoing air go through a “core” where the heat or now energy is 70% recovered without the air physically touching each other. HRVs have a drain where the condensation is drained, ERVs do not. The major difference between HRV and ERVs are that ERVs also balance the humidity. So you can run it all year long when it’s hot and humid outside or it’s cold and dry outside. However there is still some gain or loss of energy and humidity. In a perfect installation the HRV or ERV is stand alone and has its own ventilation, typically do this when you are building a house. But for the rest of the Yahoos like us who are installing it after the fact it will be “plumbed in 🤪” to our existing HVAC system.. and ideally the wiring is connected with your HVAC controller so you blower works parallel to the ERV or vice versa. I got the Braun AI series 160 , can post the picture later. Essentially it automatically detects pressure, humidity and temperature and runs in the background. The key with this system is that it is “balanced” so in your sealed home if you turn on the kitchen vent that is vented outdoors or the bathroom exhaust it will automatically detect the negative pressure and adjust the in and out accordingly to balance it
 
Well, for the HRV or ERV mentioned above, I'm thinking I would need someone to know more about doing such installation where my roof would need to drilled and such, or how to connect it to the central air system, more than just having me drilling a hole on the house 😄.

About 'outside air input to the tank' subject, I do notice that the amount of algae build up has decreased. I can leave the tank walls uncleaned for a week and they still look OK. But I also just notice that my chaeto's health has declined as well. It's dying off. So, I'm now undecided what to do. Keeping the air tube and sacrifice the chaeto, or take off the air tube and save the chaeto. The chaeto was growing well before. So, it must have done something for the tank!! 🥴
 
Your chaeto light be dying off from decreased nutrients resulting from increased pH and coral growth.

I had the same thing both times I’ve added a scrubber to my system. I’m now dosing ammonia and phosphate just to keep them above zero.
 
spsick said:
Your chaeto light be dying off from decreased nutrients resulting from increased pH and coral growth.

I had the same thing both times I’ve added a scrubber to my system. I’m now dosing ammonia and phosphate just to keep them above zero.
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I don't have the numbers to prove it, but I conclude that my chaeto is dying because of the outside air input that I just added in. Because I haven't done anything differently except that, and I have been increasing the fish feeding even :). As I do everything by 'guessing', I don't know how efficient the chaeto is and if I should lose them by keeping the outside air input. They were meant for 'nutrient export' and I have no clue that the heck it is that they had been exporting or if they had done anything at all :D. But currently, my tank does not have anything that I don't like, like flatworms and such, so I would hate to lose my current chaeto, then later on, decide to get it back from someone, and risk adding stuff that I don't like to have that might come along with it ... Well, I suppose I can get fancy and go for the extra miles to find a 'clean' chaeto like some people then? :p

About adding this, then losing that, then adding others ... Well, that's what I don't like to do. I do not want to turn my fish tank into a chemistry equation where I have to keep on balancing things. I didn't go for chemical engineering for some reasons :p.
 
Fair enough. Feed more then! Feed recklessly!

Without testing I can’t say for certain but it happened for me like clockwork: ph rose, alk consumption rose ALOT, nutrients dropped.

Chaeto is a pretty simple plant, and plants grow here ok with our air :)
 
I wonder what I'm getting into :D.

OK, my simple mind thinks:

1) 'Outside air' means 'higher Oxygen level', which leads to 'beneficial to the tank (it raises pH or whatever)' but 'limiting algae growth'. That's why my chaeto is dying.

2) But while the outside air/scrubber has it own good, it is not working like the chaeto, which absorbs and removes the 'nutrient' from the water.

So, with the outside air/scrubber, it's like something that just suppresses the algae growth, but the nutrient is still there in the tank, not removed. Am I correct? I have a feeling: Geez! If I keep dumping stuff in to get other thing up, the tank will be like a ticking bomb that will explode one day :D.

... And I'm too lazy to think about plugging it in one day, then remove it the next and keep rotating :p.
 
This is my opinion, without testing your parameters. You have a probable elemental difficiency, most likely iron. You could try to use chaeto gro.
But if your nitrates and phosphates are not high just lose the chaeto as to no compete with the corals. I don’t think outside air would kill chaeto . Just drawing on my hi-tech planted tank experience from eons ago
 
BlindSwordsman said:
Well, for the HRV or ERV mentioned above, I'm thinking I would need someone to know more about doing such installation where my roof would need to drilled and such, or how to connect it to the central air system, more than just having me drilling a hole on the house 😄.

About 'outside air input to the tank' subject, I do notice that the amount of algae build up has decreased. I can leave the tank walls uncleaned for a week and they still look OK. But I also just notice that my chaeto's health has declined as well. It's dying off. So, I'm now undecided what to do. Keeping the air tube and sacrifice the chaeto, or take off the air tube and save the chaeto. The chaeto was growing well before. So, it must have done something for the tank!! 🥴
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You don’t need to go through your roof. My unit is in the basement and the fresh air intake is right underneath my front door patio deck going down to basement , and exhaust at least six feet apart

Your HVAC person can problem solve it. Unless the only place you can install it is the attic
 
asifiqbal2 said:
This is my opinion, without testing your parameters. You have a probable elemental difficiency, most likely iron. You could try to use chaeto gro.
But if your nitrates and phosphates are not high just lose the chaeto as to no compete with the corals. I don’t think outside air would kill chaeto . Just drawing on my hi-tech planted tank experience from eons ago
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But the thing is the chaeto was growing just fine before I hooked up the air tube to my skimmer. So that was why I suspect that it's reducing the algae grow in my tank and it's killing the chaeto as well, as the chaeto is also a sort of plant. .. In any case, maybe I'll disconnect the air tube for a while ... I will think about that :D. Thanks!

Edit: After I replied, I came out and looked at my tank and the corals look happy. Maybe I just let the chaeto die! 😂😂😂 I used to keep the tank without the chaeto before. I think the tank does fine with or without it :D.
 
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Hey Ken - So I "think" that's what everyone is saying. The increased pH (if that's the case) from the fresh air is making the coral VERY happy, so it's sucking way more nutrients out of the water as it grows more quickly. BUT that might mean there is less nutrients available for the chaeto (and the film algae that was growing on your glass), since it's being sucked up by the now very happy coral.

I liked your concept about total amount of available oxygen vs carbon dioxide in the water column. I think as you mentioned, the goal with the fresh air is clearly to get more O2 and less CO2. Less carbon dioxide means less carbonic acid means higher pH. I think the question is whether or not the amount of free carbon dioxide gets low enough to actually be a limiting factor on the biology of the algae. I'm not a biologist, so I have no idea if that is possible or not. But I think that's what would have to be happening for your hypothesis to be true. But as the corals all (or mostly all) have zooxanthelle that are also algae and also need CO2, it can't be TOO low if the corals look happy?

To your point though, if it wasn't broke (clearly your tank is beautiful, so a person might argue it wasn't broke), then don't fix it? :)
 
I keep telling myself that 'don't fix it if it ain't broken' too. But, 'I give myself very good advice, but I seldom follow it'. Oh well!! 😆 Thanks for the explanation!
 
Well…explanation might be a strong description. That’s my newbie take on things from the ridiculous amount of reading I’ve done. BUT that plus $4 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
 
I think Varig summed it all up.
My thoughts:
In a vacuum drawing outside air would not kill chaeto by itself
Not in a vacuum: system connected with corals. Drawing outside air and driving higher PH will boost the coral’s engine and its growth. Drawing higher amounts of nutrients available in the current water equilibrium ( maintained by your current habits of feeding and fish waste) thereby robing the chaeto of nutrients and killing it
 
Very succinct. It makes me think of the quote from Mark Twain. I'm paraphrasing: If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.

I suffer from using too many words too often... :) Nice work saying it short and sweet.
 
Thanks, you guys! I think my head was wrapping about the idea that things are being sucked up by the chaeto but I didn't take into the account of the corals growing and doing it themselves. Good points! I'll just let the chaeto die if it dies then. I used to run the tank before without it for years, and honestly, I could do without it anyway. ... .. Maybe it's a good time to update my tank thread? :D
 
Always a good time to update a build thread! At least for nerds like me...

I'm always impressed by your method Ken. My mental issues would never let me just "let 'er rip," but you're clearly the more successful reefer of the two of us. Keep it up!
 
BlindSwordsman said:
Thanks, you guys! I think my head was wrapping about the idea that things are being sucked up by the chaeto but I didn't take into the account of the corals growing and doing it themselves. Good points! I'll just let the chaeto die if it dies then. I used to run the tank before without it for years, and honestly, I could do without it anyway. ... .. Maybe it's a good time to update my tank thread? :D
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The chaeto will die back and release the nutrients back
Varig said:
Always a good time to update a build thread! At least for nerds like me...

I'm always impressed by your method Ken. My mental issues would never let me just "let 'er rip," but you're clearly the more successful reefer of the two of us. Keep it up!
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nice! I’m delinquent with my build thread. I am 6 months in. 210 gallon custom plumbed to basement 75 gallon sump with remote 40 breeder refugium. Will get to it eventually
 
@Varig: I just don't have the patience that you do, David. If I keep on sitting there waiting for something, it'll drive me crazy! :p

@asifiqbal2: Your sump is the size of my actual tank! 😅
 
@BlindSwordsman it was my mixed reef 7 years ago 😂 I drilled it and repurposed it. The 40 breeder was hi-tech fresh water planted tank we were injecting co2 into. So took all the planted tank lights to repurpose to grow Chaeto and will use the co2 and solenoid for the CaRx when the Kalk is unable to keep up. Just the waiting game for the bacteria warfare to settle the maturity
 
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