CO2 - correct amount

So I couldn't resist the temptation of a lucious looking planted tank and @Ryno at Dorry relieved me of some cash yesterday and gave me a CO2 system and the usual good advice in return:wink:.

Not that I doubt @Ryno 's advice, which was 1bpm for the first week, but even that looks a lot. Reason I say this is that the Jewel 180's filter blows out water like a fire engine - huge current in the tank. So instead of the bubbles going stright up it hits the current and then gets dispersed throughout the tank. See pic, there are CO2 bubbles all over. So I am thinking this must cause a much bigger absorbtion of CO2 if they are suspended like that instead of going straight up and popping on the surface, thus I need a far lower bubble count than a tank with low or moderate water movement?

 

First question would be where does your Co2 get injected? In your filter out or with a diffuser in your tank?

I always had the same proplem using an inline co2 diffuser on my filter outlet pipe... Got an inline Co2 reactor and not one single bubble makes it out my lilly pipe

 

Try to eliminate/remove as much of your surface agitation whilst injecting co2 as you are wasting co2 to atmosphere. It's your choice how much or how little co2 to inject but any co2 is better than none. Get a drop checker and keep an eye on your fish...

Also, the more co2 you use the more nutrients and lighting you will need to provide. These 3 things are affected by each other (lighting, co2 & ferts) so if you increase one you will need to increase the other two.

HTH

 

@Ryno has moved to the dark side....if your filtration is to strong I suggest cut it down slightly if possible. Your plants can only absorb so much co2 and not more. But for the co2 to spread is good and not bad, as long as you dont brake the surface as @Hawk said.

 

1bbps should be fine if the fish are acting normal therw isnt tooooo much co2 on the tank. you still need to get a drop checker sometime

 

Just to chip in... I started with diy co2 on saturday and the rate has settled at around 1 bubble every six seconds. Im not using a diffuser, the co2 gets pulverised by the internal filters pump, right at the outflow. The bubbles get flung across the back of the tank where they are pushed dowb and around by the hob to complete a circuit of the tank before slowly rising to the surface. Im probably losing 50% of the co2 im generating but thats fine cos its free! my ph droppes from 7.5 on saturday to around 7.2 now. No pearling yet, fish seem as active as always

Scuse the tannins, took the purigen out cos I was medicating

 

Get a dropchecker...doesn't have to be one of those beautiful ADA jobs but will take out the guesswork..

 

+1


I also think it is still best to get the drop checker so that you know exactly what is going on with the parameters.