Co2 injection is 12 bbs is this too high

[rstampa]

I have a 65 gal planted fish tank. CO2 injection system. I'm running 12 bbs in my tank. My starting PH is 7.2 and after 8 hrs of running the PH is 7.0. My KD is 4. That means I'm only getting 12 PPM of CO2. I don't know why the PH doesn't go down. I know it should be higher but with out open my bubble counter wide open, how can I achieve a 22 + CO2 PPM? What bbs should I be setting?

 

[toolman]

Do you have a leak? Because at 12bps you should have more co2 I believe, but I'm not an expert. That would be a possibility with your ph issue.

 

[brendenscott]

What is your pressure at? You most likely have a leak. Also what are you using to get the co2 in tank? Diffuser? Reactor? Atomizer? Also if you have a lot of surface movement that will cause co2 off gassing depending on how much movement depends on how much co2 is lost.

 

[rstampa]

No leaks. I checked all connections using the soap and water check. Everything is tight.
I am using a 5lb co2 tank with a 2 gauge reactor and diffusing through my 350 gph powerhead.
I don't believe the surface is too rapid. The water surface has just a small simmer.

 

[brendenscott]

A lot of surface movement? What tubing are you using? How are you getting co2 in the tank?? Something is not right.

 

[brendenscott]

The way you get co2 in the tank makes a big difference how much bps you may need. So what do you use??

 

[rstampa]

I am using a 5lb co2 pressured tank with a 2 gauge reactor and diffusing through my 350 gph powerhead.

 

[toolman]

Also are you using co2 safe tubing?

 

[brendenscott]

I am using a 5lb co2 pressured tank with a 2 gauge reactor and diffusing through my 350 gph powerhead.

How is it going through your powerhead? Are you seeing a lot of bubbles going to the surface?

 

[brendenscott]

Any bubbles you see is not diffused co2 meaning lost co2. Why a diffuser or atomizer or reactor are best as the diffusion will be better. Would explain why so little co2 in aquarium. Most is getting lost.

 

[Fresh2o]

I'm assuming you mean bubbles per second (bps) instead of bbs.
That's seems a bit high. I'm running between 2-3 bps. I have not checked my pH and KH in a very long time. The drop checker gets to a nice golden color during the latter pat of the day. I have a CO2 diffuser/atomizer set in the path of the canister output. Tank is filled with a mist of bubbles. Plants pearling and growing.

 

[rstampa]

I'm using the co2 black tubing. No leaks

 

[rstampa]

What size tank do you have. Mine is 65 gal so I know I need more bps but 12 seems too high. Any less and the check valve color stays blue. Using 10-12 bps the check valve is green. I have never had it reach the yellow mark. I also check my PH with reading 7.2 before and 6.9 after co2 injection.

 

[toolman]

Somewhere your loosing co2, if no leaks it's off gasing or something.

Larger tanks can be a challenge to get good co2 distribution, that's why I'm researching good before I add to my 75. Wish I could be of more help but Brendan & fresh know what they're doing.

 

[rstampa]

Any bubbles you see is not diffused co2 meaning lost co2. Why a diffuser or atomizer or reactor are best as the diffusion will be better. Would explain why so little co2 in aquarium. Most is getting lost.

Bubbles are very fine. They are pushed down by my filters out flow and sucked in from the intake. I'm sorry put I never heard of NO bubbles coming out of a diffuser or any other type of devise. Please explain.
Yes I have a 1.5 diffuser. I don't care for it. Better results with my powerhead.

 

[brendenscott]

Bubbles are very fine. They are pushed down by my filters out flow and sucked in from the intake. I'm sorry put I never heard of NO bubbles coming out of a diffuser or any other type of devise. Please explain.
Yes I have a 1.5 diffuser. I don't care for it. Better results with my powerhead.

I have zero bubbles that come out of my reactor. I run 50ppm of co2 that is that level by the time lights come on. The point is if you see bubbles they immediately go to the surface, was never mixed with the water and therefore cannot be used and is lost/wasted co2. Diffusion/mixing of the co2 with water you will not see if it's properly mixed any bubbles or anything. It's just like when plants pearl. Most if not all the bubbles that you see on the plants and that go to the surface that o2 was never added to the tank and is not near the amount of o2 the plants give off that you don't see. It's the mixed o2 from the plants that you never see that is actually added to the water raising the o2 level.

Basically to break it down if you see it then it wasn't mixed in the water.

 

[toolman]

I have zero bubbles that come out of my reactor. I run 50ppm of co2 that is that level by the time lights come on. The point is if you see bubbles they immediately go to the surface, was never mixed with the water and therefore cannot be used and is lost/wasted co2. Diffusion/mixing of the co2 with water you will not see if it's properly mixed any bubbles or anything. It's just like when plants pearl. Most if not all the bubbles that you see on the plants and that go to the surface that o2 was never added to the tank and is not near the amount of o2 the plants give off that you don't see. It's the mixed o2 from the plants that you never see that is actually added to the water raising the o2 level.

Basically to break it down if you see it then it wasn't mixed in the water.

[emoji106] very well said and right on point.

 

[brendenscott]

And I am not at all saying the other methods do not work you just have to use more co2 to get the same level as you would a reactor. They plain and simple are not as efficient at mixing the co2.