Hair/Beard Algae control.....

[gu2high]

I use CF light. For the 20 gallon tall tank, try to find a 36-40w CF bulb.

 

[ikon]

All of the commercial CO2 Drop Checkers state to use your tank water. The problem is that you run into exactly the same issues for checking your CO2 levels with test kits this way. By using a KH reference solution you bypass these and the color result is actually meaningful. There's a sticky at the top of the forum that explains this in more detail.

That means that your tank water is approximately 5 dKH. So green would indicate about 38ppm of CO2 IF you don't have any other buffers in the water that throw off the pH/KH relationship.

You want to leave your tank KH alone, which part of the reason for using a drop checker which can have its own dKH which is completely independant of the tank parameters.

A reference solution is simply a solution with a known value. There are pH reference solutions, Nitrate reference solutions, etc.

can u recommnd a good commercial co2 diy system ?? the one i have is a red sea bio turbo .. problem im having its a got a powerhead ventrai valve .. the bubbles always rises to the top ... is that normal with co2 systems ?? or are the bubbles siuppose to " pop " b4 they hit the surface..

i dont think i have any buffers ... the only thing i add to the tank is dechlor , and flourise liq ..

 

[Purrbox]

Good Commercial DIY CO2 system. That's a bit of an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Sounds like you're mainly having issues with the CO2 diffusion in your current kit. I'd recommend looking into an Inline CO2 Reactor (which can be powered by a waterpump/powerhead if you don't have a canister filter on the tank) or the mist method.

The buffers can be added with certain pH adjusting products OR simply be present in your tap water. The only way to be sure whether or not they are present is to either let a glass of tap water sit out overnight or aerate it for an hour and then test your pH and KH. If these numbers give you a result that's more that a couple ppm off of 3ppm, there are buffers present messing up your pH/KH relationship.

 

[ikon]

Good Commercial DIY CO2 system. That's a bit of an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Sounds like you're mainly having issues with the CO2 diffusion in your current kit. I'd recommend looking into an Inline CO2 Reactor (which can be powered by a waterpump/powerhead if you don't have a canister filter on the tank) or the mist method.

The buffers can be added with certain pH adjusting products OR simply be present in your tap water. The only way to be sure whether or not they are present is to either let a glass of tap water sit out overnight or aerate it for an hour and then test your pH and KH. If these numbers give you a result that's more that a couple ppm off of 3ppm, there are buffers present messing up your pH/KH relationship.

ya i heard about the inline method .. but i dont know anything about it .. hmm .. i was sent a link diy inline method by buying some parts from home depot..

im not sure if i have a canister filter or not .. i have a marineland filter its got a spot for a bio wheel and a filter pad .. its got a long intake tube .. its the ones that comes with new aquariums ..

here is the co2 system i have .. if u can take a minute or 2 to check it out .. could i use the powerhead with this setup .. on the inline system..
http://redseafish.com/Product.asp?dir=y&CatId=99&SubID=61&proID=229


ill give the tap water a test and see what happens..

 

[Purrbox]

That would be a HOB (Hang On Back) filter, so you'd either need to purchase an inexpensive waterpump/powerhead and/or switch to a canister filter to be able to use an inline reactor.

I'm familiar with the system you're referring to, even though I've never used it myself. Basically what you would do if you wanted to switch to a different method of diffusion is just remove the diffuser that you're currently using and add in the new one.

I just went and reread the thread to remind myself of some of the details. I'd still recommend switching to a pair of 2 liter bottles if you haven't already done so. Increased CO2 production combined with a more efficient means of diffusion will greatly improve your results.