Raise pH in Your Reef Aquarium with an IceCap CO2Scrubber

The pH in a reef tank should be around 8.3 for optimal coral growth. If youre struggling to maintain pH or if your aquarium suffers from chronically low pH, connecting an IceCap CO2scrubber to the air intake of your protein skimmer is a great way to increase and keep your pH level within ideal ranges.

Run This Simple Test to See if a CO2Scrubber Will Help You

The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) level in your home or office may be contributing to the low pH level in your saltwater aquarium. A house full of people and pets affects the pH in your tank. In fact, its usually the cause of low pH in a home aquarium. An experiment you can perform to find out if this is the culprit behind your low pH is to open up the windows and doors in your home for a day to let the excess CO2escape. After 24 hours, test your aquariums pH. If the pH level has risen, you can be pretty confident that the CO2load in your home is high and that a CO2scrubber will help. Since keeping the windows and doors of your home open all the time isnt an option for most people, a CO2scrubber is an easy and affordable way to remove CO2gas so that it doesnt suppress the pH of your aquarium water.

Installing the IceCap CO2Scrubber is Super Easy

The IceCap CO2Scrubber can be installed on just about any aquarium with a protein skimmer.

Just connect the tubing from the air intake of your protein skimmer to the output side of the CO2scrubber. You may be able to remove the silencer from your protein skimmer. Next, remove the lid of the scrubber and fill the reactor withIceCap Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Media(or your preferred CO2 absorbent media) and place it back inside the scrubber.

Finally, put the lid back on the scrubber and tighten it. Test the pH level of your aquarium water hourly (or as frequently as possible) during the first few days of use. Once the pH level begins to drop (usually after 2-4 weeks), its time to replace the media inside. Most carbon dioxide removal media changes colors once its depleted, so youll likely have a visual indicator as well to help you determine when its time to swap it out.

Running a CO2Scrubber Helps Raise and Maintain pH

The IceCap CO2Scrubber will not only raise your pH by a couple of points, but it will also help maintain it at higher levels. Having low pH results in slower coral growth, so by boosting it with the IceCap CO2scrubber, youll be able to achieve faster growth and experience fewer pH swings. With your pH level stable, coral growth and nutrient uptake will increase. Calcium and magnesium consumption are also likely to increase as you raise the pH level, so be sure to continue testing your major water parameters along the way to ensure your reef flourishes.