Co2 Injection Help

[LaurieLou]

I have questions... DH and I have gone the DIY CO2 injector route. We have tested our water, GH is approx 300ppm (19? if I did my math correctly), PH is 7.0, KH is 0. I was actually surprised to see these numbers. After all the reading I have done, I came away with the impression KH should be higher than that, more like 5.0-6.0 before I attempt CO2 injection. Is this true? Our tank is 55 gallons, and only have 4 angels,4 swordtails, and 5 corys. Our plants are just not happy though. I really do not want to hook this thing up until I have the water chemistry right and I don't want to add any chemicals to increase KH. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks so much

Laurie

 

[Themuleous]

I would be sceptical about the 0 KH, have you testing your tap water? Do you have much wood in the tank?

Sam

 

[Castellop123]

... )

 

[LaurieLou]

I was skeptical the first time as well, which is why I did it a second time, same results. I am actually sitting here thinking I am going to do it again. I just bought the test kit today. We do have 2 pieces of driftwood in there, they are maybe 15 inches long. Lots of not very happy plants. The tank has been up and running for months and besides the unhappy plants, everything has been fine. We do 25% water changes every other week, and 50% water changes in those alternating weeks. The ph in the begiing had been pretty steady at 7.6 until we put the driftwood in a month ago, and it dropped to 7.2 and has been steady there. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10 nitrates. Flourite and gravel for substrate. I don't know if any of this matters to the problem at hand, but I thought I would throw it out there! I haven't tested the tap water yet, I think I will do that right now.

 

[LaurieLou]

Well, I just tested my tap water. KH is 0ppm, GH is 250ppm, ph is 7.2. Maybe I need to add something to my tank after all, I just didn't really want to go that route if I didn't have to.

 

[Themuleous]

When did you add the wood?

 

[LaurieLou]

The wood was added about a month ago. I think I figured out the problem though. The test kits first reading goes from 0ppm-80ppm. So, even if I had 60ppm, it would read at zero, so I bought a much better one last night and it looks like I have 3kh. It made me feel much better and it was the final thing for me to never get advice from chain fish stores again. I will stick to my LFS, even though it is more expensive. Now my only issue is I can't seem to get my yeast to ferment, but really, in the grand scheme of things, that is a minor, workable irritant! Thanks so much for the replies and the input.

 

[Themuleous]

Crikey! How inaccurate is that test kit! Next to useless really! 80ppm is 4.4dKH and if it cant measure below that, whats the chuffing point of it!

Rant over! Which make was it, just out of interest?

Glad you've got it sorted, 3dKH is planted to be adding CO2. Re the yeast, which are you using? Backers, champagne and brewing yeast are all know to work well, but it can 'go off' so your lot might need replacing.

Sam

 

[LaurieLou]

Crikey is right! It was a Mardel 5-1 test strip. The thing that really irked me was it didn't say on the box what the parameters of the test were, just what the "ideal" range for tanks was. I took it back to the chain last night not a happy camper. I am pretty sure the problem now is that my yeast has gone, it's bakers yeast, although it hasn't quite been 24 hours yet, but still, 1 bubble in all that time? Our kids think we are nuts, mommy, why is there a yucky coke bottle on your hutch?