Help, I have cloudy water.

[Blueiz]

Do you have a check valve on the co2 line? If not, what mfdrookie posted regarding the mixture getting in your tank (good catch) is probably what is going on. Put a check valve on co2 line, do a 50 percent water change today and another tommorow and you should be set.

 

[ricardo48]

I agree... I had exactly the same problem with cloudy water and my PH suddently began rising. I had no check valve so mixture was being syphoned into the tank causing cloudyness, elevated ph AND toxic water to the fish as the co2 mixture contains alot of alcohol.

 

[timwag2001]

a check valve wont stop any mixture from getting into the tank. check valves only stop things from going backwards. also your mixture shouldnt be so high in the bottle that it can get out. however it does happen. and that is why you should have another bottle that will serve as a bubble counter. it will catch any mixture that has left your diy bottle.
if you have surface agitation than i HIGHLY doubt that your fish died from co2 poisoning. most oxygen exchange occurs at the surface where there is disturbance. also co2 doesnt displace oxygen. so just because you are putting co2 in there doesnt mean that there isnt oxygen

 

[mfdrookie516]

if you have surface agitation than i HIGHLY doubt that your fish died from co2 poisoning. most oxygen exchange occurs at the surface where there is disturbance. also co2 doesnt displace oxygen. so just because you are putting co2 in there doesnt mean that there isnt oxygen

i killed 3 fish in a tank that had a diy co2 setup. i did everything right, or so i thought. I had a milk jug with the mix, line running from it to an empty jug, then a line from the empty jug to my filter which served as my diffuser, letting off more tiny microscopic bubbles than id ever seen... 4 hours after i set it up, i had 2 dead fish and one breathing as hard as a fat man running up-hill. if you put enough co2 in the tank, it is very possible it could kill the fish... just speaking from experience

 

[timwag2001]

yeah. it can happen. i've killed fish with co2 as well.
however the op says that the bubble rate is slow and has surface agitation. that will off gas co2 and add oxygen to the water.

my bet is cycling issues. she replaced the filter cartridge and the tank has been running for what sounds like only a little over a month. so she removed the bio filter and sent the tank into a cycle.

 

[fort384]

I don't think the DIY CO2 is the problem here based on the description.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am still very new to this but I would have to say that I think maybe it is a combination of both. I definitely feel that the co2 mixture was getting into my tank because when i took it out I noticed a small difference in the cloudiness. However the cloudiness is still there so I am I assuming I have a bacterial bloom as well. I have learned my lesson with the filters thanks for that information. As far as everything I am going to keep my tank running and just keep doing water changes...any other information besides keeping an eye on my parameters, water changes, etc? I still have 3 tetras, some ghost shrimp and my little miracle baby guppy that I would like to keep alive. My plants look fine as of right now.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

Oh and one quick question about the filter...does this really seem like the biggest problem since I am running a sponge filter with the hob? I have never washed the sponge besides in the tank during water changes. Shouldnt I still have good bacteria on that one even if I just replaced the filter cartridge? I mean eventually you have to change them out? JW.

 

[timwag2001]

yeah. the sponge should pretty much keep you from a mini cycle. was there any moisture in your airline coming from your co2?

 

[LittleMossHead84]

There was definitely moisture in my airline from my co2. That is why I also assume that I had leakage into my tank. Also today I did a 50% water change and the tank is clear...bacterial bloom? Idk anymore.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

So today I woke up, tested my tank and now my parameters are:

PH- 6.8
NO2-.25 ppm
Ammonia-0ppm
NO3-0ppm

My water is crystal clear. I need help on the Co2. Id like to have Co2 in my tank but I need help with the regulator valves and controlling it from getting into my tank. Advice please.

 

[Blueiz]

A check valve is a must, the ones that you buy to put on airline tubing from your air pump to the tank to prevent water back flow will do.

Making a bubble counter will stop the problem of any that makes it past the check valve by making the co2 flow through water before going into your tank. Here are two links on how to make them yourself.

Bubble Counter for CO2

DIY CO2 bubble counter and checkvalve - AquaticQuotient.com

 

[timwag2001]

the only thing a check valve does is stop water from flowing from the tank when you're changing your batches. otherwise it does nothing.


here is a better picture of what a bubble counter is.
CO2 Generator and Reactor
like blueiz said the water filters everything going into your tank. (like a water bong)

 

[fort384]

Here is a pic of the DIY setup I used to use... the bubble counter/gas separator is in the middle... just a rigid airline tube running from the co2 container side, and another bulkhead at the top with the airline running to the diffuser. This setup will separate out any floccuated yeast and mix that might creep up, keeping it out of your tank, as well as offer a nifty way to measure the "bubbles per second" to judge how well your mix is doing.

I never used a checkvalve on my setup and didn't have any problems, but it couldn't hurt. The only thing is you will need to change the check valve out every 6-12 months as CO2 is corrosive to the plastic, and the check valve will eventually fail.