Cycling and CO2

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

smallfry53

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
435
Location
Grafton, Ohio
I have been doing a fishless cycle now for almost four weeks. I have added 5/6 plants so I decided to set up a diy CO2 system. After a few hours of it running at 1-1.5 bubbles per second I tested my water. My ph has been pretty constant at about 7.6 throughout the cycle. Well when I checked it, it was like 6.6-6.8. Could the drop have been from the CO2 or just from the cycle or a combination? After I checked it I disconnected the CO2 and did a pwc. Tested again after a couple hours and it was about 7.0. So should I wait until after I am done cycling to add CO2? If anybody has any thoughts I'd love to hear them, and just let me know if you need more info. :thanks:
 
Your pH went back up so that's good. You can keep running the CO2 just keep an eye on your pH. If it drops into the LOW sixes then do a PWC to bring it back up.
 
Ok thanks. How much does CO2 drop pH levels? I'm starting to think that maybe I should just wait to hook it back up after I'm done cycling. The way things are going I think I might be done with my cycle in a week or so anyway. That way I don't have to worry about stalling the cycle. Maybe I could just wait until I have a day I'm not doing anything and can check the pH every few hours and see if it levels out? So it wouldn't slow my cycle if it stayed around 6.6?
 
If you are more comfortable finishing the cycle first then by all means do so. That's actually what I would do as then you don't have to work with wondering if it's the CO2 dropping the pH or a crash. BTW, do you have a drop checker for your CO2 level? If not, you should get one ASAP.
 
:hide: No. I've never heard of it. It's a test to see how much CO2 is in the water? I was going to look into that more once I was about ready to get fish, but didn't think it mattered too much with no fish in the tank.
 
I've looked the drop checkers up, but have no idea what I should get. Would a cheap one off of ebay be ok? or is there a particular brand I should get?
 
Yup, get the cheap one from eBay. Try and find one that come with a bottle of 4dKH solution.
It "measures" the CO2 in the tank so you don't overdo it and hurt your fish.
 
Back
Top Bottom