Help me check my c02 levels?

[MantisX]

I recently constructed a c02 reactor, via chuck gadds site. .http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/diy_reactor.htm It was noted that he is getting around 20ppm of c02 out of this reactor. I plugged my ph and kh into his converter and its saying my c02 level is low. Is there a set time I should be running my tests? FYI, I only started injecting my co2 this way today around 6pm est.

Here are my test results
kh 53.7ppm from the faucet, 35.8ppm from the tank.
ph Around 7.2-7.4

I would also like to add that my tank is topless. What can I do to remedy my low c02 problems?

Thanks

 

[betowess]

I believe it takes a little time (a couple of days) for the dissolved CO2 to saturate the water. I bet you will see some brighter numbers after a few days and hopefully your CO2 will drop your pH a bit which will dramatically increase the CO2 concentration. This is all just a guess , as I'm no expert. Bob

 

[MantisX]

I certainly hope youre right! Another question I've been meaning to ask is, what in aquariums raise/lower the kh/gh/ph? My ph from the faucet is about where I want it to be in my tank. its about 6.8-7 coming from my faucet. For some reason though, after it gets to my tank and I test again, it raises quite a bit.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Take a minute and read my FAQ and hit the link in the Water Chemistry section.

You need to test the pH from your tap after the water has rested for a minimum of 12 hours and waiting 24 hours is even better. Dissolved gases in the tap water have a huge effect on the pH. Allowing these gases to escape will normally raise the pH of the water.

To raise kH you can use baking soda, to raise both kH and gH you can use calcium carbonate. Either of these products will raise pH. To lower pH use CO2 and nothing but CO2.

 

[malkore]

essentially the tap water has CO2 in it already, which lowers the pH. it then outgasses in the tank, so the pH goes up a bit.

what's screwy is that if you do regular weekly water changes, the Kh from tap and in tank should be identical. Kh shouldn't be 'eaten' up that quickly.

what's your water change schedule like?

 

[MantisX]

I change my water about once every 2 weeks in about 30 percent increments. With the info you just gave me, ill probably drop it to weekly and 40 percent.

I am currently bubbling 1-2 bubbles per second into my reactor. Shouldnt my ph be somewhere around 6.8-7 by now instead of 7.2-7.4? Also, tonight I am running some water from my faucet to sit to be tested later. I will post those as soon its ready to be tested.

Rex, what kh range is usually the most safe for plants and fish? Also, I read in chucks article that raising the kh also raises the ph? Also, I love your site. Great info and humor here and there.

Thanks

 

[betowess]

MantisX, Are you injecting through your reactor from a pressurized tank/regulator or from a DIY yeast generator? BTW, What do the characters in your avatar signify? Just curious. Bob

 

[Guest]

Most all plants can handle kH from almost 0° to at least 20°. Fish are a different story. Some fish are very adaptable others are not. And many are very picky about breeding conditions.

Bubbles per second are actually meaningless when compared from tank to tank. What they really are is a guide for someone with experience with THAT tank to know if they are close to the right amount of CO2.

 

[MantisX]

betowess, I am injecting via DIY yeast. The characters in my sig mean Grass

Rexx, the only fish I have in the tank are 2 rams and 1 pleco. I reread the part on your site about kh&gh and to experiment, I tried the baking soda. Im gonna give the water about 12 hours and check it again to see if either raised.

After doing all the testing and reading your site, I found my major problem was potassium. I wasnt dosing anywhere near what I should be. Now my pearlgrass is of a deep green that ive never seen before and I cant control the stargrass

Im still in need of 2 more tests though, and ill probably pick those up this week. Nitrates and phosphates.

 

[Guest]

Baking soda will raise the kH almost instantly. It will also raise the pH just as fast.

 

[malkore]

DIY CO2, on what size of tank? DIY really only works on up to 20-30 gallon tanks...after that pressurized is needed to put a significant amount of CO2 into teh water.

 

[MantisX]

The tank size is 10 gallon. This is the first time ive tried the reactor and unless my test kit for ph is broken, Theres not much if any c02 saturation improvement from when I was bubbling it into a powerhead.

Rex, I tried the baking soda, and the kh rose immediately. However the ph also rose so perhaps thats not the best way for me to get better c02 saturation?

 

[Guest]

You are not understanding the CO2/pH/kH chart. Just raising your kH is NOT going to give you higher CO2 levels. As you have noticed the kH and pH go hand in hand. The ONLY way to get higher CO2 levels in a tank is injecting CO2. Raising kH is NOT going to help.

 

[MantisX]

hmmm, either my reactor isnt as efficient as Chucks, or I need to switch to pressurized. I can tell a difference in the plants after using the reactor, but numbers wise, it isnt doing its job. Just to be on the safe side, Im gonna pick up another ph test to make sure this one hasnt gone bad.

 

[betowess]

On your DIY, are you using a 2 liter 7-up bottle with CC's recipe? It puts a lot more bubbles out than Hagen's pre made packets and smaller plastic container... I believe the recipe is 2 cups of sugar, six of water and 1 teaspoon each of baking soda and baker's yeast. You prolly already know this. Lasts about a month. Pressurized is quite expensive for a small tank. You should have good results with DIY, I would think. Ever tried the hagen ladder. About 5 bucks.

 

[MantisX]

Betowess, yes its a 2 liter setup. However, ive never measured my water. I always just fill it about 8-10 inches from the spout. Also, I use half a teaspoon with 2 cups of sugar. Perhaps my recipe is off? Also, I thought those ladders went for about 20-30 bucks? Can you point me in the direction of one?

 

[Medusa Head]

The charts assume that all buffering in the water is carbonate based. If it isn't (and most tanks aren't) then the chart isn't that accurate.

I got sick of doing guesswork and finally found a test kit that is not carbonate dependant. It's a titration test and is very accurate. The chart was telling me my CO2 level was 6 ppm. It was actually around 14-15 ppm.

The test is the LaMotte CO2 test. It is NOT the same thing as the "yellow-blue-green" CO2 indicators that are commonly sold; those are also carbonate based tests.

You can buy the LaMotte test kit here: http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/453/cid/60

 

[Guest]

All the major on-line stores sell the ladder. Here's a link to one http://petsolutions.com/product.asp?pn=15517690 note they call it a bubble counter.

 

[malkore]

Medusa,
what makes you say that most tank's aren't buffered by carbonate compounds?

 

[Medusa Head]

From what I understand, there are many elements other than carbonates that have an effect on buffering and pH. For example, phosphates. You can add carbonate buffering to the water (I do myself), however, that isn't the only thing playing a role. I can't imagine any well established tank that has nothing other than carbonate buffering playing a role in the pH. It is my opinion that the chart can be used as a guide and it is more accurate in a tank where carbonate buffering has been added, but it isn't completely accurate. The test I linked is. As I said, I use carbonate buffering, and my actual CO2 level was off by at least 8 ppm according to the chart.