Dr. Fosters & Smith double membrane diffuser?

[FSEMTB2]

Does anybody have reviews for this product? Any suggestion?

TY

 

[rkilling1]

You would have to have quite a few of them on a 75 gallon tank.

This is what you are talking about correct? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9907&N=2004+113779

I am running my 75 at 3 BPS of CO2 or 180 bubbles per minute. According to the information on that product, you would have to have 5 of em with good water circulation or 9 of them without good circulation.

As far as how good it works, I do not know.

 

[FSEMTB2]

Thank You..LOL Saved me some money. What do you think about the CO2 reactor 500 they have?

 

[rkilling1]

That is a newer reactor from Red sea. I have seen a few of them and have not hear of any bad things as of yet. It states that it can handle 3 BPS.

There are other ways of introducing CO2 to the aquarium besides fully dissolving it (not that dissolving is bad). Have you looked at CO2 mist? The mist method is becoming very popular lately.

 

[FSEMTB2]

I am currently using the glass diffuser that the same compant sells and a powerhead to diffuse. The bubbles get sucked up threw the powerhead and sprayed. But the plants dont seem to be pearling. I am running pressure at about 3 BPS. The fish load is very, very small, 5 black neons in a 46 gallon tank that is medium planted.

 

[rkilling1]

That sounds like misting to me. There is more to pearling then just the CO2.

What kind and amount of light do you have over the tank?

what are you dosing?

pH, KH, GH?

 

[FSEMTB2]

I dose all the dry ferts from Greg Watson and use the EI method. For my lights I am using 4 30w T-8 bulbs by GE(aqua rays). My PH is around 6.8 and have no idea about the rest of the parameters.

 

[rkilling1]

The light sounds good. I would measure the amount of CO2 in the tank before I bought another type of reactor. If you can find out what the KH is, then you can plot what the CO2 is using the pH value.

As long as the CO2 bubbles are getting circulated around the tank, then I don't think it's a CO2 problem. It could be a nutrient issue.

What and how much are you dosing and on what days?

 

[FSEMTB2]

40-60 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/4 tsp KN03 3x a week (aka- Potassium Nitrate/make sure to test levels before dosing)
+/- 1/8 tsp KH2P04 3x a week ( aka- Mono Potassium Phosphate/do not over dose & will cause algae)
+/- 1/8 tsp K2S04 3x a week (aka-Potassium Sulfate/safe to dose dry)
+/- 1/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week(must not be dosed with others)
50% weekly water change


Monday-Trace Elements

Tuesday- 50% water

Weds.- KNO3/KH2PO4/KSSO4

Thurs.- Trace Elements

Friday- KNO3/KH2PO4/KSSO4

Sat.- Trace Elements

Sunday- KNO3/KH2PO4/KSSO4

 

[rkilling1]

Those are EI. except for doing the PWC on a non-dose day. (you may end up depleting your Macros doing it this way.)

Now all you have to worry about is Mg++ and Ca++. ie GH.

Again, I would measure your CO2 first before jumping onto something that you may not need.

 

[FSEMTB2]

Thanks..And I will get the test kits and back to you.

Ken

 

[PITT]

+/- 1/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week(must not be dosed with others)

Why can't you dose Trace w/ others? I'm new to dry ferts and use greg watson. I currently have a similar EI dosing sched but I dose all at once 3 times a week (once on the PWC). Is this wrong? What is the advantage to splitting up the dosing?

 

[Purrbox]

The problem isn't so much with dosing Macros and Traces on the same day, as dosing Phosphate and Iron at the same time. The Phosphate will cause the Iron to precipitate out of the solution making it unusable to the plants. By dosing Macros and Traces on alternating days you avoid this problem.

 

[PITT]

Thanks. I'll begin altering the days. Never would have guessed!

 

[FSEMTB2]

Does my dosing look right?

 

[rich311k]

Looks like a pretty good routine. I do a water change and first macro on the same day and alternate from there with a day of rest before the cycle begins again.

Excess phosphate will not cause algae, an imbalance of nutrients or insufficient CO2 will cause algae.

I would not worry so much about testing N. I would just add it, you are not adding that much and with the 50% change you fish will be fine.