DIY Co2 system

[Lainey183]

Hello,

On Sunday I installed my DIY C02 system. By Monday I was seeing bubbles in my tank.

My understanding was that the Co2 would lower the PH in my water. I have been testing the PH daily and have seen no drops at all. Does that mean that my Co2 is not working?

I have a 30gal freshwater aquarium. 1 Blackmoor, 4 nerite snails, 5 Wisteria, 2 dark green ferns (not sure what kind exactly), 1 anubia, and 3 amazon swords. I also have some drift wood pieces from a cherry tree.

Thanks,
Lainey!

 

[Lainey183]

I also wanted to add that I have my lights on a timer and they are on for 12 hours a day. Is that too much??

 

[Peyton]

I also wanted to add that I have my lights on a timer and they are on for 12 hours a day. Is that too much??

Depends on what kind of lights. Usually 8-10hrs is best IME. How are you diffusing the co2?

 

[Lainey183]

I purchased a little 1gal aquarium filter to diffuse it, it has a little unput for a air hose.

I will try running the lights for only 8 hrs and see how that does as well.

Also, I should mention that I have quite a bit of surface movement, which I have read may lessen the Co2. Is that true?

 

[Lainey183]

Any suggestions would be most helpful!

 

[blert]

Yes, too much surface agitation will gas off your CO2 quickly.

But... DIY CO2 is not very effective in tanks larger than about 20 gallons. You may want to think about setting up a second bottle if you want to stick with DIY.

 

[Lainey183]

Ok, Thats a bummer! I thought everyone was saying you could do 30gal on a diy......

 

[CorallineAlgae]

You can. You'll do better with 2 DIY mixes. Set up one about 10 days after the first mixture so when one is slowed down a fresh one is starting up. It stays more even that way. Still, nothing is more controllable than pressurized co2

 

[Lainey183]

I suppose I can do that... I am going to have to drink some more juice...... What about my diffuser? Does anyone have thoughts about that?

How big should the bubbles coming from the diffuser be?

 

[blert]

I suppose I can do that... I am going to have to drink some more juice...... What about my diffuser? Does anyone have thoughts about that?

How big should the bubbles coming from the diffuser be?

Juice is good for you... Drink up!

I prefer no bubbles in the tank but not everyone would agree. You do want any bubbles as small as possible so that they are absorbed into the water before they reach the surface and pop. A wood air block is good for making tiny bubbles (the tip of a chop stick will do well also). In one of my tanks I have a wood air block directly under the intake of a HOB filter so the bubbles are as small as possible before they go into the pump to get mixed and chopped up even more.

 

[Lainey183]

Ok, so my bubbles are entirely too big!! I will have to work on that.

I am guessing an air stone does not work?

 

[paytertot]

Ok, so my bubbles are entirely too big!! I will have to work on that.

I am guessing an air stone does not work?

Do you have a canister filter? If so you can just run the tubing into the intake. That's how I do mine.

 

[blert]

Ok, so my bubbles are entirely too big!! I will have to work on that.

I am guessing an air stone does not work?

No, a regular air stone is not really good enough. As paytertot said, you can run it to the intake of your filter but it is still best to get the bubbles small before it goes into the intake, it will really help with absorption and noise. Go get some Chinese food and grab some chop sticks. Cram a chop stick into the CO2 line and cut it to fit. It will produce small bubbles.

 

[paytertot]

Doesn't the chopstick have to be bamboo?

 

[aqua_chem]

What's the model of filter you're using to diffuse the CO2, and how do you have it set up? What model is your main filter for the tank?

 

[Lainey183]

This is the filter:
petco.com - Penn Plax Small World Filter customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings

I have shoved some filter media inside and managed to reduce the bubble so that I can barely see them.

This is my tank filter:
Marineland Penguin Aquarium Power Filter 50 to 70-Gallon 350 GPH

 

[Lainey183]

Am I correct that the PH will lower when the water has co2 in it?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Am I correct that the PH will lower when the water has co2 in it?

Very correct. Mine goes from 7.1 to 6.4 every day. BTW, do you have a bio wheel on that filter?

 

[Lainey183]

Yes, there are two bio-wheels.

When is it best to test PH?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

My pH readings will act very differently from yours because I use pressurized co2. It turned on about 1 1/2 hours before my lights and off an hour before lights out. that means my pH will be highest early in the morning and lower after the co2 kicks on. You'll probably have the lowest pH readings before your lights come on and it'll likely get higher as the day goes on and the plants absorb it.
Bio-wheels work against co2, gassing it out pretty quickly. I love them, but not as much on planted tanks. They are very efficient at increasing gas exchange. That is, releasing co2 and adding oxygen. You may do better with only one running.