Surface aggitation and CO2

[frostby]

My 55 tank has an XP2 filter with submerged spraybar. If it is directed below the surface, within a few days I get a film developing on the water surface, if the water is aggitated, the film gradually dissapears. I'm trying C02, and have heard it's bad to aggitate the water surface.

What do you guys/gals do?

Is the protien/ film stuff bad? Where do I find the best compromise?

 

[rich311k]

I get the same thing. I have never had any problems with it and I figure since I change every week it doesn't matter. You can float a paper towel to remove it if you wish.

You are correct you do want limit surface agitation when you inject CO2.

 

[frostby]

Is the stuff toxic?

 

[rich311k]

No it is residue from food and ferts etc.

 

[u2_Crazy]

I have started aerating at night. I read a few people on here do this because the plants do not produce O2 when it's dark so no surface agitation means no O2 for the fishies. I just started last night so I'll see if it has any effect. The fish were not gasping as it was, I'm just doing this to make the tank a little more comfortable.

Maybe this is something you can look into for your tank since you have very little or none at all surface agitation

 

[frostby]

It's interesting hearing what everybody else is trying through trial/error. I only have 1.1, 1.2 WPG, and probably don't badly need C02, I just happen to get a good deal on a kit, and thought I'd give it a try. Actually it's more of an experiment to see what I can do to ward off my hair algae, I'm starting to get desperate.

It's really cool and frustrating how much is involved in aquariums that most people will never know about. -Heck and I'm just getting into this stuff, for the last several years, the only thing I know about was dechlorinating the water - now look what happened!! I'm experimenting with CO2!!!

Has anybody noticed a change in their algae since injecting CO2?

 

[u2_Crazy]

I too had hair algae, since adding a second bottle of DIY CO2 and 4 Rosy Barbs, no more hair algae.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

The film on the top is only organic solids, and won't hurt anything. I currently run an air bubbler with my CO2 injection and still get the levels I want. Currently I run between 34-53ppm CO2, and the air bubbler hasn't changed my settings on my regulator, still putting out about 2-3 bubbles per second. So for the purposes of CO2 gassing off, here's my theory. If you have less surface area on top, with a bubbler more CO2 will gas off. With a larger surface area like my 75G, less CO2 will gas off. And I run my bubbler away from the point of CO2 injection.

 

[frostby]

Thanks you guys! Although you keep opening the door for me to ask more questions!

Tell me more about the Rosy Barbs, I read about them on another website, and says they are rather compatable with many types of fish, including cichlids(my tank)... do they enjoy eating 'hair algae'? This might just be the ticket I'm looking for!!!

 

[u2_Crazy]

I added 4 Rosy Barbs 2 weeks ago to my 29ga with my 6 tiger Barbs and there isn't a spot of hair algae anywhere now. Plus, they are very nice looking fish and fairly active. Great fish IMO. I wasn't overrun with Hair Algae before, but I did have a noticeable amount on ALL my plants, now nothing!

 

[frostby]

Guess what I will be buying shortly!!! THANKS!

 

[malkore]

if you over feed, that film develops quickly...or if your food is of a lower quality. I tend to stick to brands like OSI, Omega, and Ocean Nutrition for my FW tanks.

Also, weekly 50% water changes should be the norm for planted tanks, and will help export the DOC's and protiens responsible for the film.

 

[7Enigma]

So for the purposes of CO2 gassing off, here's my theory. If you have less surface area on top, with a bubbler more CO2 will gas off. With a larger surface area like my 75G, less CO2 will gas off. And I run my bubbler away from the point of CO2 injection.

I do not believe this is correct. The more surface area (speaking directly to the surface of the water where it meets the air) you have the more CO2 will leave the water. CO2 only leaves the water by direct contact with the air (surface), unless you have a poor injection scheme (say just bubbling directly into the water).

If you could have a very tall but narrow tank (say 75gallons the size of a large coffee can but 10feet tall) you would have the LEAST gassing off of CO2 since there is the least surface area.

By the same token, if you had a very shallow wide tank (say 3" deep but the size of a large desk) you would have a very difficult time retaining the CO2.

Bubblers really only cause problems in planted tanks when the bubble reaches the surface. This causes the water near the surface to constantly be moved around allowing for more and more CO2 to be outgassed. The bubbles themselves from the air bubbler do not actually contain much if any CO2, rather they just facilitate the outgassing of CO2 at the surface.

HTH,

justin