Fishperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
So the title says, "CO2 help," but this thread is really about a bunch of stuff.
First of all, my CO2 tank.
The tank itself is an Empire 20 ounce tank.
The regulator is by Aquatek, and specifically formatted for paintball tanks.
But something is wrong. My tank is running out unexpectedly after only 3 weeks of use. It is usually on at a reasonable rate (I don't have a bubble counter) for ~15 hours a day.
The pressure gauge was at ~900 psi, right above the green zone, around two weeks ago, but now it's at 0.
Did it just run out? Before it has shown these symptoms, and if I took the regulator off and then put it back on it would work as normal and return to ~600 psi or whatever it was at before. I tried that now and it doesn't work.
Secondly, I'm getting more algae than I'd like in this tank. It is a 20 gallon high (16 inches tall) with a 24" Finnex Fugeray on it for 4 hours on, 4 off, 4 more on (8 total). I dose a modified PPS pro formula (less nitrate, more phosphate, more micros) which is probably not correct. My phosphate is around 2-2.5 according to the API kit, and nitrate goes from 10-30 (but the API kit is so hard to read that that means very little).
I think I have a lack of CO2, causing me algae on my pogostemon erectus, as well as my anubias and alternanthera reineckii, even though all three grow fast.
I also dose 10 ml of metricide daily.
The algae appears to be BBA. There's also some green stuff, that's not hairy, on my crypts. Supposedly, GSA comes from low phosphate or low CO2, and BBA from high phosphate and low CO2. So in theory I have simply low CO2. Would you guys agree?
The level it has been at seems to affect the fish. They usually hover above the substrate, and don't swim in the open much. There are 12 tetras in this tank, by the way. They are all healthy though. It could also be that they don't have enough cover, are scared by me or other noises, or don't like the bright light.
I don't know what to do! I feel like my CO2 is too high and low at the same time! I'm gassing my fish but starving my plants!
What do I do? I don't have a drop checker, by the way.
First of all, my CO2 tank.
The tank itself is an Empire 20 ounce tank.
The regulator is by Aquatek, and specifically formatted for paintball tanks.
But something is wrong. My tank is running out unexpectedly after only 3 weeks of use. It is usually on at a reasonable rate (I don't have a bubble counter) for ~15 hours a day.
The pressure gauge was at ~900 psi, right above the green zone, around two weeks ago, but now it's at 0.
Did it just run out? Before it has shown these symptoms, and if I took the regulator off and then put it back on it would work as normal and return to ~600 psi or whatever it was at before. I tried that now and it doesn't work.
Secondly, I'm getting more algae than I'd like in this tank. It is a 20 gallon high (16 inches tall) with a 24" Finnex Fugeray on it for 4 hours on, 4 off, 4 more on (8 total). I dose a modified PPS pro formula (less nitrate, more phosphate, more micros) which is probably not correct. My phosphate is around 2-2.5 according to the API kit, and nitrate goes from 10-30 (but the API kit is so hard to read that that means very little).
I think I have a lack of CO2, causing me algae on my pogostemon erectus, as well as my anubias and alternanthera reineckii, even though all three grow fast.
I also dose 10 ml of metricide daily.
The algae appears to be BBA. There's also some green stuff, that's not hairy, on my crypts. Supposedly, GSA comes from low phosphate or low CO2, and BBA from high phosphate and low CO2. So in theory I have simply low CO2. Would you guys agree?
The level it has been at seems to affect the fish. They usually hover above the substrate, and don't swim in the open much. There are 12 tetras in this tank, by the way. They are all healthy though. It could also be that they don't have enough cover, are scared by me or other noises, or don't like the bright light.
I don't know what to do! I feel like my CO2 is too high and low at the same time! I'm gassing my fish but starving my plants!
What do I do? I don't have a drop checker, by the way.