The nice folks at Green leaf

[Da Squid]

Anyone have some reviews on their products? I was checking out their co2 system packages

Choice CO2 System | Green Leaf Aquariums

And was looking for some feedback. I know I can probably acquire all these these things much cheaper elsewhere, but it seemed like a good idea to identify some of the better gear first before looking for bargains.

 

[Da Squid]

As a bump and follow up, does anyone know how the PH monitoring device works? Is there a chemical that needs to be added in somehow or is there some clever way to read acidity electronicaly?

 

[JustOneMore20]

I've bought dry fertilizers from there and had good results. They shipped pretty fast. The owner is on plantedtank.net and he's a nice guy. I would recommend them.

You have to calibrate the pH monitor and the solution is included with it. I think it uses a probe to actually read the pH. I have never used one of these though. If you need to save money, you could leave that out. Its more of a luxury IMO.

 

[Da Squid]

Thanks Kristin! I totally agree regarding it being a luxury item, but it sounds like a pretty useful one. This is sort of a combined X-mass present that I'm picking out myself, so while I dont want my family wasting money, this seems like something that could be worth it for me.
I'm new at this and there would be some peace of mind here to know things arent swinging wildly out of control while I'm at work .

Speaking of swings, my KH is so low its off the testing chart. Will this make the conversion to pressurized CO2 more difficult?

 

[Smitty]

Well, they happen to be located locally to me and I've been by their store. It isn't open to the public yet but they are working on it. Really nice couple work there and they are very prompt. I didn't even know they were local until I ordered some CO2 stuff and accidentally put my state as Fed St of Micronesia instead of Florida (stupid drop down menu!).

Anyway, they worked great for me! Once I found out I was local they credited back the shipping charge and let me go and pick it up. They had already packed it and it was packed really well.

 

[Da Squid]

Thanks for the story Smitty. I'm definately getting a good vibe from these people.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Super low KH just means your pH has the potential to swing crazily. You could add in some crushed coral (like a small handful) in a media bag to your filter to help buffer it, if you wanted. If you haven't had problems, then it should be ok to skip the crushed coral, even with co2. But it won't hurt to use it, especially for peace of mind.

Be sure to pick up a co2 drop checker as well. That way you will be able to tell if you have enough co2 going into the tank or not.

 

[Da Squid]

ouch I forgot the drop checker... and the defuser. Well, it will still be worth it when I have faster growing plants, less algae, and hopefully some pearling!

I did try adding about a cup of crushed coral a month ago to the cannister, but it really didnt change the KH at all. Still too low to test. It's probably time for me to rinse one of the filter trays out again so maybe I'll add some more soon.

 

[mgamer20o0]

personally i would just buy the regulator from them. you really dont need the ph reader though it wont hurt. co2 tank you should be able to find local. many places rent them or sell cheap used ones.

they sell great products high quality.

 

[Da Squid]

Well, I hooked up the system and it's mostly working. Just a few concerns. I know the solenoid is supposed to be warm, but mine is almost too hot to touch. Also the needle valve that I use to control the bubble count is very hot as well. Its not a big deal, but I just want to make sure that is normal.

Also, the only time I can see a mist coming out of the diffuser is when I have the CO2 pumping full blast. At a few bubbles per second it doesn't look like anything is going out of the tank. Could I have a leak somewhere? I checked all the connections and things are quite tight.

 

[Smitty]

I'll have to check my soleniod when I get home. I never thought to touch it and see if it is warm. Honestly, I don't think it should be.

What kind of diffuser do you have? Right now I'm only using a power head (but I'm looking to change because I'm tired of all the bubbles in the tank). When I have the CO2 on it will launch bubbles into the tank once every second or two. It is possible you have a leak. The easiest way to check is to use a squirt bottle with a soap/water mix. Any leaks will start to bubble up.

 

[Da Squid]

Actually, my light just turned on and there is in fact a very tiny thin stream of bubbles going up to the surface. They are just too fine to see with the lights out. Mind you my bubble counter is on very low right now since I dont have any fast growing plants in the tank yet. My diffuser came through Green Leaf and its a 3000 or a 5000. Whichever one they recommend for 40 gallons and up. Maybe I'll up the count to 3 or 4 bubbles a second and monitor what kind of affect it has.
I'm not working today and any excuse to avoid cleaning the house is a good one.

 

[Da Squid]

I just called green leaf and they said it should be almost too hot to touch. Its gonna be about 65 degrees hotter than room temp. But he assured me its designed to withstand all of that and its perfectly normal. It sounded like he's asked that question alot .

 

[Smitty]

Interesting on the temp, I never even thought to test mine... just hooked it up to a timer and let it rip!

The smaller the bubbles the better for getting the CO2 into the system. Did you get one of those bell housings for the KH solution? I got one off of ebay but it is so small it is hard to read. I still have plenty of solution left over that I got from green leaf so I may look to replace something.

So much to buy... so little to spend!

 

[Da Squid]

I hear ya. yes I have the green leaf drop checker. I put it in two hours ago but its still showing the initial dark blue color when I mixed it. They said it should be turning a different color by now, which makes me wonder if my bubbles aren't small enough and they are escaping. Perhaps I'll move the diffuser under the canister intake and break it up even more.

Ah the never ending mysteries of the aquarium hobby.

 

[Orlando]

If by the end of the day your drop checker is still blue, increase your bubble rate. Small adjustments are what your aiming for, no reason to rush things in planted tanks

Increased bubble rate will increase co2 into the tank

 

[Da Squid]

Hmm. Now I'm a bit confused. I've upped the CO2 to the point where I can no long count the bubbles going through the counter to get a nice mist comming out of the diffuser. And it must be working because my PH dropped from 7.2 to 7.0
I have a PH regulator that I callibrated for 7.0, so now the gas has shut off (at least I know that works!) but my drop checker is still showing a dark blue. Does that mean to get adequate CO2 in the water I'll need to drop my PH much further?

 

[Da Squid]

scratch the part about my regulator working. I just got home and the PH dropped to 6.6 and the gas was still running even though I set the regulator to 7.0. The drop checker turned a dark green color though, so it was definitely starting to change to the desired level.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Did you use a 4dkh (4 degree carbonate hardness/kh) solution in the drop checker?

 

[Da Squid]

Yep. They gave me a bottle of it with the checker. It was a dark blue color when I mixed the dkh and the drops of PH solution in. Now its sort of a dark bluish green. So thats good right? I'm seeing an effect from the CO2 all day.
I'm more worried about the regulator not shutting off. I tested it a few times and after it hits the desired PH and shuts off, the gas keeps running. Unless I'm doing something wrong, the regulator and/or solenoid seem pretty unreliable.