co2

[fishfanatic]

What would you guys think if I got a nutrafin co2 for my 35 gallon tank? I wouldn't use the pre mixed packets I would so some sugar and yeast. I found this at petsmart it is only 35$ would this be a good plan or is it silly?

 

[mfdrookie516]

IMO that's the same as using milk jugs or 2 litre bottles and a bubble ladder. And, probably quite a bit more expensive.

 

[fort384]

It is a waste of money imo. You are paying $35 for what you could build for less than $3 and about 20 minutes of your time.

 

[fishfanatic]

The only real reason I wanted it was for the bubble ladder. Is there a place were I could buy just a bubble ladder?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Here's the first one google turned up- Plant Gro CO2 System | Plant Fertilizers & Additives | PetSolutions

 

[fishfanatic]

Would one bubble ladder be enough for a 35 gallon tank?

 

[fort384]

A $0.50 airstone will be a more effective diffusion method than a bubble ladder, imo.

 

[fort384]

For a 35 gallon tank, You will also need multiple generators running. You won't see the levels of CO2 you need with just 1 generator.

 

[fishfanatic]

Is there a way to hook an airstone to a bubble ladder. (I usume you mean the co2 will be coming out of the air stone like if you had it hooked up to an airpump)

 

[fort384]

Hooking an airstone to a bubble ladder wouldn't be very effective. It would be 1 or the other.

 

[fishfanatic]

Dumb question how do you known the level of co2 in your tank?

 

[Aspencer]

Hooking an airstone to a bubble ladder wouldn't be very effective. It would be 1 or the other.

An airstone or an DIY co2 reactor and a bubble ladder are the same?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Drop checker is the best way. You can use a pH/kH reference chart, but it isn't always accurate if you've got peat or other materials in your tank affecting pH.

 

[mfdrookie516]

An airstone or an DIY co2 reactor and a bubble ladder are the same?

A DIY Co2 setup involves a generator, and a diffusion method. The ladder and airstone are two diffusion methods. Its one or the other. can't use both.

 

[fishfanatic]

How many pp (I think that is how co2 is measured) do I need and how many would I get from just 1 bubble ladder vs an airstone

 

[fort384]

For your tank, I would recommend: 2 yeast generators. 1 gas separator. 1 airstone or Ceramic/glass diffuser to dissolve the CO2 (instead of the bubble ladder).

 

[fort384]

How many pp (I think that is how co2 is measured) do I need and how many would I get from just 1 bubble ladder vs an airstone

That depends on a lot of factors... how good the mix is, how old the mix is, how much surface movement of the water there is, how many plants are in tank, what the lighting is like (intensity/duration), how many yeast generators you are running, whether the airstone is fine or not, etc.

The goal is to find some combination of all of these things that keeps your tank at ~30ppm CO2.

 

[mfdrookie516]

You want to aim for 30-40ppm co2, 30ppm is generally what most people run. Neither an air stone or a bubble ladder are highly efficient, so you'll likely need considerably more co2 going in the tank than if you were using a powerhead or an inline reactor. I run 3-4 bubbles per second in my 40 breeder with an inline reactor. With an air stone or bubble ladder, you'd probably need 4-5, but that's purely a guess.

 

[fishfanatic]

what if i were to pump the co2 into my canister filter and have it blow out the bubbles? (would it be okey for my filter)

 

[mfdrookie516]

If you have a canister, you can DIY a reactor inline between the outlet of the filter and the tank. That's what I did on both my tanks. That's a very efficient diffusion method.