PDA

View Full Version : Using bottled O2 to help with PH


Runfrumu
10/04/2009, 10:02 AM
I'm sure someone had tried this and it must not work cause I can't seem to find any info on anyone doing this.

Alot of people, myself included have problems keeping the PH of our reefs up mainly due to too much CO2 in the air in our homes. Opening a window to allow fresh air in isnt always a viable option, as most of the time it is either too hot or too cold.

Has anyone tried using a O2 bottle and adding it to the tank much like you would do with CO2 to a planted freshwater tank? Would there be any danger any doing this and what could be done to test for this so you arent flying blind? ORP?

Thanks

Mark

Mike O'Brien
10/04/2009, 10:39 AM
Oxygen doesn't raise pH. Maybe the confusion comes from the fact that algae releases some oxygen during photosynthesis, but the pH raising effect is because the algae is consuming CO2.

billsreef
10/04/2009, 11:12 AM
Yup, the O2 won't do anything to raise the pH. Also, depending on you add it, it is possible to oversaturate the water with O2 and cause gas bubble disease.

luther1200
10/04/2009, 11:42 AM
You have to remove the CO2 in the air somehow. The O2 won't displace the CO2 from the water what I gather.

But what if you somehow released the O2 in the air over the tank? Wouldn't it be similar to having houseplants, or would that not work for some reason. Or is there just no logistical way to do it?

Randy Holmes-Farley
10/04/2009, 04:21 PM
The only way to drive out CO2 using O2 (or N2 or any other pure gas) is to drive so much through the water that it sweeps out the CO2. Even if you did that enough to work, you'd drive O2 too high and would be undesirable.