Diy co2

[bullyboy]

So i got a kit and set it all up and i have some questions before i add ingredients and put it in the tank.
(20tall)

Anyone used one of these before?

 

[nirbhao]

Which kit?

 

[bullyboy]

Citric acid type

 

[bullyboy]

Just wondering how long to prime it?
On and off times vs. Lighting
Kh and ph stuff mosly

 

[nirbhao]

My DIY situation was yeast and my lighting was the sun, but the wonderful people here answered many of my questions in this thread.

 

[mbkemp]

Just wondering how long to prime it?
On and off times vs. Lighting
Kh and ph stuff mosly

When you build your recipe give the bottles a good shake. Connect the lines and squeeze the acid bottle so the reaction will start

I start mine about an hour before lights on and off about an hour before

From there it depends on your lighting and plants. Lots of variables

 

[bullyboy]

So i hooked up my system and here it is (below)

I gave it a test run for an hour yesterday at 1 bubble per second just to make sure everything was smooth.

I also picked up an API kh/gh test kit

So what do i need to know now?
What should i watch for when i give it the first full day run through?
...or there after?

 

[bullyboy]

Glass bubble counter in the back is a bit hard to see

 

[mbkemp]

So i hooked up my system and here it is (below)

I gave it a test run for an hour yesterday at 1 bubble per second just to make sure everything was smooth.

I also picked up an API kh/gh test kit

So what do i need to know now?
What should i watch for when i give it the first full day run through?
...or there after?

One thing you want to think about is how it is diffusing, and from there flow. You want the bubbles to be as small as possible and as consistent in coverage as possible. There are lots of ways to measure how much concentration you are getting. I found a chart in one of these forums, measured my kh and my ph. At the end of your co2 day, measure ph again. The chart will tell you how concentrated it is. 30ppm is generally a good place. Hopefully this helps

 

[bullyboy]

Id love to find that chart for sure.

I put the difuser under the filter intake and it sucks in most of the bubbles and sends out the Co2 saturated water into the tank fight in the center.

 

[mbkemp]

Id love to find that chart for sure.

I put the difuser under the filter intake and it sucks in most of the bubbles and sends out the Co2 saturated water into the tank fight in the center.

That should work fine, I did the same with my canister filter. I will see if I can find the chart

 

[mbkemp]

That should work fine, I did the same with my canister filter. I will see if I can find the chart

I hope this attaches

 

[bullyboy]

So the Ph is down the side and the Kh is across the top?

So how do i use this chart exactly?

 

[mbkemp]

So the Ph is down the side and the Kh is across the top?

So how do i use this chart exactly?

Yes, kh on top. Ph on the side.

The chart tells you how much co2 you in parts per million. Too much and you gas your critters. Too little depends on the type of plants and light. If you have good light and easy plants the worst thing is algae

You can use a drop checker. This is more accurate

 

[bullyboy]

So i tested my KH and it was 5 drops which the chart says is 89.5
How does that reflect on this chart above?


Also my Ph is 7.6

 

[nirbhao]

The equation is
(12.839 * kH * 10^(6.37 - pH))

The chart won't load for me for some reason. You use degrees of hardness, so just the number of drops. Very straightforward in that way.

Edit: as soon as I posted, the image loaded. Obviously. Just use the number of drops across the top. Your dissolved CO2 is 3.8ppm. Just about the same as atmospheric CO2.

 

[bullyboy]

The equation is
(12.839 * kH * 10^(6.37 - pH))

The chart won't load for me for some reason. You use degrees of hardness, so just the number of drops. Very straightforward in that way.

Edit: as soon as I posted, the image loaded. Obviously. Just use the number of drops across the top. Your dissolved CO2 is 3.8ppm. Just about the same as atmospheric CO2.

So im no where near the grey area, which im assuming is optimal.

So how should i deal with this?
Drop my PH or up my KH?

 

[nirbhao]

I really just went through this same series of questions! And just a few days ago my husband made a totally shady parking lot deal for a 20 pound bottle of CO2.



I've read that some people drop their pH to increase CO2 uptake, but fiddling with pH is risky.

I guess the question would be how you are planning to change either pH or kH.

I did not do the citric acid method. I used yeast, which actually did a good job adding CO2 but also (TWICE in less than a week) the yeast itself. With yeast, you add a bit more sugar and get a bit more bubbles. Lots of bubbles is the goal.

Whatever you do to make the bubbles, make more of them.

 

[bullyboy]

Im using the Citric acid method and it seems to be working.
Ive got so much darn driftwood in this tank its like english tea time in there haha.
Ill look into trying to safely make these changes.

Does the Co2 in of itself, effect KH or PH levels either while on or accumulated over time?

 

[nirbhao]

I'm not sure what you mean by seems to be working, because you currently have approximately the same amount of CO2 as you would if you weren't adding any.

An increase in dissolved CO2 lowers the pH.