Fresh air and tank PH

I have read and seen on youtube how by opening up your windows in your house can cause your PH to rise. I really did not think it would work but I am now a believer. My ph stayed around 7.7 to 7.8 but now that the summer heat has let up and I have opened my windows my ph is 8.1 to 8.2.

 

It does so by letting accumulated CO2 out of the house. The accumulated CO2 dissolves into the tank water thereby lowering the pH.

 

In the summer this happens to people with AC, smaller houses and more people. Doors and windows are locked up tight to keep the cool air in and the hot air out. CO2 is naturally going to rise in those conditions.

 

it works the other way too. Recently we had a party here at the house with friends and family - probably about 20 or so people. It was way to hot outside to open a window and with all that breathing going on, my PH took a nose dive

You can see it coincided with that party - people started showing up around 6pm and the last one left around midnight.

The PH dropped from 8.2 down to 7.8 in about four ours.

 

For the records, CO2 is often used to lower pH in pools that use a high pH disinfectant (such as sodium hypoclorite aka chlorine). CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid, a weak acid which of course lowers the pH. The same happens with our aquariums. Our windows are open all of the time, so no surprise that my tanks maintain a higher pH.