Co2 Injector Questions

[srolfe]

36G Bowfront
Magnum 350 Filter
Automatic CO2 Injection
17 Tetras
5 Corys
KH=8
GH=8
PH=8.5

This week i installed the co2 injection, the salesman said that the bubble counter was not needed. I set the system to PH=6.8 and turned it on. I later noticed that large amounts of co2 were being added, causing fish distress, I turned the system off for the night. Next morning the PH had risen to 8.5. I installed the bubble counter and adjusted to 1 bubble/sec. Waited for day and ph did not go down. Raised rate on bubble count and again stressed fish. Turned rate back to 1 bubble/sec. Will PH go down or what should I expect?

PS: PH is still going up

 

[zig]

You should expect the PH to go down as you inject the CO2 and you should expect it to rise again as you stop the injection of the CO2, so the PH will return to its normal level of PH 8.5. Im not quite sure what you are doing wrong, maybe you are injecting the CO2 to quickly and therefore stressing the fish, but someone else with more experience of pressurised CO2 will be able to help you a bit better than i.

BTW 1 bubble per second sounds about right, how are you diffusing the co2? and when you say you raised the bubble count........by how much?

But like i say some one else with more experience of pressurised CO2 might be more able to help you solve the problem.

 

[srolfe]

I raised the flow to 5-6 bub/sec. The tank is not fully planted yet. Right now there is a Anubias, a couple of mondo grass and a val. Maybe there is to little veg to be using the co2 yet?

 

[Walt]

how are you diffusing the co2?

1 bpm would be a good starting point...
the ph should go down over time as you inject...

It looks like you wanna shoot for about 6.8-7.0 ph....
With a KH=8, this would give you about 30ppm of CO2....

Use this link to determine your co2 ppm
http/www.sfbaaps.com/reference/table_01.shtml

 

[srolfe]

I placed the co2 hose in the intake tube for the filter