pH and Dehumidifiers

My tank is in my basement and I do run a CA reactor so as you could imagine my pH is always on the lower side (7.7-8.1), I don't pay much attention to it because it doesn't seem to affect my livestock.

I run a dehumidifier in my basement that pulls out about 1.5 gallons of water per day, a few times now I noticed that whenever my dehumidifier is NOT running (container full, auto shut-off), my pH is a bit higher....is this just a coincidence or is there some logical explination?

 

It could be that the RO water being used for top off in your tank is lowering the pH as it's added. Just my 2c. On a side note, 1.5 gallons of water/day, jeeze that's a lot. I only go through about 3gallons evey two weeks or so.

 

Several things affect PH. Using a reactor can lower it but there are other things. I can't really see why a dehumidifier would do it. Or more specifically would lower it by running or raising when off. I would think it would be a coincidence with something else going on at the time. Windows open, fresh air in the house, lights turned on. Something like that.

With it being off, humidity would be up lowering tank evaporation. But I don't see how that would effect gas exchange.

 

You only have a 29 gallon Bio cube and that has a cover which help reduce the amount of evaporation. Don't know what size tank that map95003 has but I have a 75 with 50 sump and 37 gallon fuge, I go through a 5 gallon bucket or replacement RO water every 2 days in my Auto top off system.

 

I have a 75 DT and a 4.5g Pico, both plumbed into a 55g sump. I also have a 10g ATO container, my tank evaporates more than a gallon per day. It's cold in MA now so opening the windows in the basement for an extended period of time is no longer an option....the weird thing is that my pH also runs a bit higher in the colder months even though I don't open the windows. The only other thing that I can think of that affects this is that I get less evaporation during the colder months, so less RO top-off.

My tank running at a lower pH than I would like doesn't seem to affect my corals so I'm not too worried about it, just wanted to throw the question out there to see if others have experienced anything similar and find out if there is a logical explaination...thanks for the responses.

What I do know for sure is that since I switched from dripping kalk to a CA reactor, the pH has dropped. Prior to switching to a CA reactor, I was able to maintain a pH of 8.1-8.3.....but of course dripping kalk was a lot more work.

 

To test out the "dehumidifier off, pH up" theory, I shout off the dehumidifier for a few days....guess what? pH up to 8.2....could be the RO water, less being dumped into the system when the dehumidifier is off. Unfortunately I can't not run it, my basement would be covered in mold in no time.

 

I would try running an airline from the skimmer outside, and see if that does anything.

 

check out this vidio that explains what black raven is seaying it was a neat vidio i actually watch most of his
YouTube - Low PH in Saltwater Tanks Solved in 3 Easy Steps

 

You should test your top off water's pH. Very pure water is slightly acidic.

 

Very pure water is actually pH 7. That's the real baseline for pure water, and the very thing the midpoint of the scale is based off of.