how much is too much - Aquarium Advice

mkurtzer70 · 05-13-2009, 07:22 PM

ok so i made a co2 system to get some plants going that are very rare in my town and sell for$$$$ at my lfs (java moss, riccia,hydro green, and others) but i sat and watched to make soru that i had good pressure going out from the 2 liter into the tank no leaks or nothing i have a 20 long by the way. i was wondering how much is too much co2 because my fish are slowing down from their activeness and just kinda hanging out at the top like they aren't getting enough air but compared to my air stone, that is putting out about a billion bubbles to the maybe fifty to one hundred co2 bubbles am i gonna have a massiv e fish kill off. and yes i'm positive that there is no liquid leaking i nto my tank from my diy co2 set up can anyone give any advice

mgamer20o0 · 05-13-2009, 07:45 PM

do you have a ph and gk test kit? is it 1 2 liter bottle? i think you are ok just guessing.

you have a air stone running in the tank along with co2?

mkurtzer70 · 05-13-2009, 08:27 PM

yeah got a ph test that reads continuously in the tank its reading a little high but it read high before the co2 i do have a lot of pregnant females i'm wondering if one is just about to give birth and thats why their all acting funny

Ruadh · 05-13-2009, 09:51 PM

Take a sample of tank water and set it out overnight then take a pH reading.
Take a pH reading of fresh tank water in the morning (or whenever it is that you do the old water) and if the difference is 1 point of pH then you have 30ppm of CO2. This is the maximum safe level for FW fish.
If it's less than that, you're fine.
Only trouble is, when there is an air stone going, you're gassing off most of the CO2 and it's not doing anything.
If you have an HOB filter then you don't need the air stone.
If you have a canister you need to set the outlet, be it spray bar or nozzle, to cause the surface of the water to gently ripple. This will put plenty of oxygen in the water and not gas off the CO2.

mgamer20o0 · 05-13-2009, 10:57 PM

any ripples will cause the co2 to gas off. unless the surface is still it will be released. also fish can take more then 30 ppm. though 30 ppm tends to be the sweet spot. its all about a balance.

HN1 · 05-13-2009, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkurtzer70

yeah got a ph test that reads continuously in the tank its reading a little high but it read high before the co2 i do have a lot of pregnant females i'm wondering if one is just about to give birth and thats why their all acting funny

The in tank meters are notoriously inaccurate. I'd suggest testing with a liquid reagent. API Master FW is ~ $25 and well worth it IMO.