Well tomorrow I am able to fill my CO2 bottle. Today tweaked my inline diffuser. Had to really work at positioning to make space for my filter & bottle in the cabinet's small compartment with a door.
Bit nervous setting it up especially since to much CO2 kills. Any suggestions from you pros would be appreciated.
It's a Milwaukee regulator, bubble counter, & needle valve. I also have CO2 airline. I'm using a DIY inline bio-ball diffuser on the output of my filter. The water passes through a spraybar about an inch under the water. The water flow out is at about approx. 45d angle downwards.
Any tips or pit falls I should watch for? TANKz
Quote from: dan2x38 on August 12, 2008, 09:28:34 PM
Bit nervous setting it up especially since to much CO2 kills. Any suggestions from you pros would be appreciated.
...
Any tips or pit falls I should watch for? TANKz
Congrats! You wont regret it ;)
Watch your fish: if they become calm and lazy then it is too much ... :)
Quote from: fischkopp on August 12, 2008, 10:18:49 PM
Congrats! You wont regret it ;)
Watch your fish: if they become calm and lazy then it is too much ... :)
Going for the standard to start - 1 bubble per/sec.
Dan , just make sure that the control vlave on the regulator is screwed all the way out( to the point where it`s loose) before you crack open the valve on the bottle.
Did you get the instructions on how to set up the regulator? I have found in the past the the Milwaukee tends to be more consistent when the the output pressure of the regulator is set to about 20-25 PSI, i think the manual suggest 10 PSI.
Same thing with the needle valve; you must make sure the valve is completely open before you open the main bottle valve. Otherwise you risk wrecking the regulator, the needle valve or both.
I set mine at around 40psi. I find it easier to set the bubble that way :)
I actually find the milwaukee needle valve not precise enough to accurate adjust the bubble count. I set it, and then I use the main regulator valve to get the bubble count exactly where I need it.
I run mine between 20 and 25 psi and am pushing around 5 bubbles a second
If this is one of your bigger tanks in the living room we're talking about, crank the needle valve to more than 1 bubble/second for sure. Like BigDaddy, I run mine on about 5 bubbles/second on the 55 gallon. And make absolutely sure the control valve is open all the way out until it's loose. I know it's been said twice in the thread, but it is extremely important - I paid the price of a new regulator when I didn't open the control valve on the old one (the main membrane cannot withstand the sudden high pressure if it is even slightly closed).
There are things to watch out for when you introduce pressurised CO2. One is to make sure your KH is at least at 3 or even 4 degrees to avoid a drop in PH. If it is lower, baking soda goes in in small doses (a teaspoon per day).
A simple solution to monitor the CO2 level for me was to get the CO2 monitor (indicator). It tells you the level of CO2 in water with colours. MOPS has them for about $12.
Guys thanks very much. I got it filled. Waited for the gas to warm up then connected it just as you guys said all went well. I am using the solenoid connected to my lights timer. Count is at 1/sec and PSI @ 20. My diffuser is working perfectly almost totally dissolving the CO2. So far so good!
In a trade awhile ago I got a CO2 drop tester so it is in there to to give me a baseline. Tomorrow after a full day of dosing at lights out I will test pH/KH. Will also leave a cup of water sit out testing pH when taken out then again 24hrs later.
Thanks again guys anything else to watch for?
Sluggish fish or fish gasping at the surface.
Otherwise, crank it. On your big tank, I can pretty much guarantee 1 bubble per sec is not going to get you 25ppm of CO2
Quote from: BigDaddy on August 14, 2008, 08:40:07 AM
Sluggish fish or fish gasping at the surface.Otherwise, crank it. On your big tank, I can pretty much guarantee 1 bubble per sec is not going to get you 25ppm of CO2
;D ;D, this was once deemed the "Chinese checker" by one of our renown planted tank hobbyist
HAHA ;D That's so true and it works. I hope he reads this post
Quote from: charlie on August 14, 2008, 09:14:15 AM
;D ;D, this was once deemed the "Chinese checker" by one of our renown planted tank hobbyist
Works like a charm as long as you do it every hour ... ;D
Quote from: dan2x38 on August 13, 2008, 10:15:03 PM
Guys thanks very much. I got it filled. Waited for the gas to warm up then connected it just as you guys said all went well. I am using the solenoid connected to my lights timer. Count is at 1/sec and PSI @ 20. My diffuser is working perfectly almost totally dissolving the CO2. So far so good!
Wouldn't you want to turn on the solenoid a couple of hours before the lights go on to build up the the content of the gas in water? That's how I would do it anyway; in my experience, it takes a good couple of hours to build up the desired CO2 levels in larger tanks.
Also, not to threadjack, but are people worried at all about ph swings that would occur when you turn the solenoid on and off? I leave my CO2 running at night because I'm worried about ph changes in water...
Yes I hook mine up to a second timer that turns on before lights on and turns off before lights off.
pH swings are not something to worry about. In nature, the pH of blackwaters, clearwaters and whitewaters change by full points ever day.
Quote from: BigDaddy on August 15, 2008, 11:20:29 AM
Yes I hook mine up to a second timer that turns on before lights on and turns off before lights off.
How long before lights out to shut down? How long before lights on to turn on?
I do 2 and 2.. but I'm also injecting a hell of a lot more per second than you are right now
Doing a 24hr. pH CO2 test. Since I tested pH also tested KH... wow it did not register. I have 2 kits used both same results. I have crushed corel I use in a breeder filter so I added a filter bag in my filter.
Seeing the KH off the chart scares me! In that tank it was always arounf 4. Why would the KH fall off like that?
Quote from: dan2x38 on August 15, 2008, 12:07:44 PM
Doing a 24hr. pH CO2 test. Since I tested pH also tested KH... wow it did not register. I have 2 kits used both same results. I have crushed corel I use in a breeder filter so I added a filter bag in my filter.
Seeing the KH off the chart scares me! In that tank it was always arounf 4. Why would the KH fall off like that?
You said the KH did not register, what did the PH register at?
Quote from: charlie on August 15, 2008, 01:20:15 PM
You said the KH did not register, what did the PH register at?
pH was 6.0 & KH 0
I added crushed corel to the filter yesterday morning. Last night 2 hrs. after lights out was pH 6.6 & KH 2. Will retest that water samples pH. Later on test KH from tank again. This low a KH concerns me. But I am not sure how long it has been like that? So no way to tell if it had anything to do with the pressurized CO2.
I was in Mtrl so did not test water at lights out. Will try to tonight but heading to the Ex with the Fam... :)
Quote from: dan2x38 on August 15, 2008, 12:07:44 PM
Seeing the KH off the chart scares me! In that tank it was always arounf 4. Why would the KH fall off like that?
Lots of light, lots of nutrients, not enough CO2. The plants will strip the carbonate out of the water to get their carbon source.
PS - Adding crushed coral to a tank with pressurized CO2 is an accident waiting to happen.
Quote from: BigDaddy on August 17, 2008, 10:45:08 AM
PS - Adding crushed coral to a tank with pressurized CO2 is an accident waiting to happen.
Why?
Corel coming out!
Here is a link I've researched in the past: http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm
I got a 3 way bubble counter. I took your advice Charlie hooked up my 75g to my rig. I went and bought some heavy air line from Canus plastics for $0.17/ft. It took awhile to get it to the other side of the room but I did it. Now I need another timer to set the CO2 on before lights & off before lights. Really considering setting an air pump on a timer for lights out. Either way be interesting to see the results in my 75.
Dan, I wouldn't use the crushed corral either... Sean is right - the CO2 gas is acidic, will eventually cause the corral to disintegrate, and fast! Why not use the good old baking soda with your water changes to raise the KH? I add a teaspoon after each water change as part of my weekly routine. Works like a charm!
BD said he uses nothing. His KH often drops with no affects. I did remove the coral. I think I'll leave it for now... after all BD & Charlie are the true plant gurus... Not been testing lately since I've tweaking the system. Tomorrow or Sat will test again for a baseline again.
Using 2 nano glass diffusers in my 75. Think I'll add a couple small PHs I have to disperse better.
I tell ya it took some time to get both working had a couple leaks... :D
Well the 3-way bubble counter worked great was running the 2 tanks. I looked over tonight at the other tank and there was no CO2 output. So I checked the bubble counters nothing... adjusted the needle valve nothing... there is a leak I lost the whole bottle in a week. :( Now I got to refill $23 a pop and find the leak. Crap!
Is there a gang valve I can use to split the output from my one bubble counter? If so can I get one locally?
Quote from: dan2x38 on August 24, 2008, 07:28:56 PM
... there is a leak I lost the whole bottle in a week.
This sounds more like a leak between CO2 canister and high pressure regulator to me. Did you use a o-ring in between? Did you check this connection for leaks before setting everything else up? (switch off solenoid, close CO2 canister, check if high pressure indicator changes within an hour or so)
Do you have the 10lb tank? If you finished them in a week, it must be quite a leak. I hope you able to find it.
There was a leak on one of the bubble counters. To find it I put it in water. I fixed the leak. Then I started getting output to the 2nd tank. Yes I used an 'O' ring the one that came with the regulator. What sugestions do any of you have? How best to find the leak/s? And to not have it happen again! :( A lot more expensive then 2 cups of sugar and a tsp. of yeast.