Co2 Setup And Running

[fatheadminnow]

Right now I am at 1 bubble every 1.5-2 seconds.

What should I be looking for, with bps, with a 55 gallon tank to get around 30 ppm?

Will running an aerator have any effect on the Co2 I am pumping into my tank?

I have my lights on for 8 hours a day, should I up this to 10 hours now since I am injecting Co2?

Thanks guys!

-FHM

 

[salty pig]

Right now I am at 1 bubble every 1.5 seconds.

What should I be looking for, with bps, with a 55 gallon tank to get around 30 ppm?
Hi de hi.. b4 ya get all excited that someone at last has come to your aid.. I know nothing.. But.. If i have a technical question like yours i would ring up one or two shops, now i swear by Charterhouse Aquatics, 0870 850 6138 I have used them for alsorts and there postal service is good. Try giving them a ring midweek is best when they can give you there time. could you let us all know what the outcome is and what type of co2 did you buy?? look 4ward to hearing more.

 

[fatheadminnow]

I live in the US, so I will not be calling that FS.

Co2 is Co2, I just got pressurized Co2.

-FHM

 

[fatheadminnow]

Now I am not sure if my drop checker is working?

I was reading the pinned thread about drop checkers and it says you need to add 2 different types of solutions? Is this correct? I only have one kind that came with my drop checker? It says to add 3-5 drops in the ball part and fill it with water. Is this right? What water do I fill the drop checker up with, tap water and then add the drops?

Also, I have my Co2 system set at 1 bubble every 2 seconds, and my drop checker has yet to turn a different color other than the blue color it is always at. Is this because I am not pumping enough Co2 into the tank yet?

Please help me out here guys, as I do not want a faulty drop checker lead tome pumping in too much Co2 and gassing the fish.

Thanks!

-FHM

 

[fatheadminnow]

Okay, I think I need to get some 4dKH?

I have an accurate scale, could I just make some 4dKH? And will RO water work for this as I have RO available to me.

I read the pinned article about making 4dKH, but I am a little confused still.

Can someone please help me out!

-FHM

 

[Mikaila31]

The solution that came with the drop checker should work, it takes about a hour for the drop checker to get accurate reading. You won't suddenly kill your fish with CO2, they will be gasping for air long before anything unfixable happens. A aireator should not be used as it removes the CO2.

 

[squiggley]

Different bubble counters produce different size bubbles, so counting bubbles will inacurate. Some people run at 7bps and just get a green colour in the drop checker whilst others can gas their fish with 2/3bps.

4dKh solution is recommended, can't really help with making a batch up, tried myself a failed ending up with something 4.5dKH

Try moving your DC around it maybe that it is in a deadspot in which you will need to adjust your flow around your tank

 

[Truck]

Do the drop checker instructions tell you to fill it with aquarium water? if so, it's wrong, and it needs to be filled with 4DKH solution. You can aerate the water, but you will have to raise the Rate of injection.<div><br></div><div>As above, make sure your DC is in a place that gets good flow, and turn the regulator up until the DC shows a lime colour, only turn it up a little every 2 hours though, because it takes roughly that time to change colour.</div>

 

[aaronnorth]

The "water" you need to fill the DC up with is 4dKH. This can be purchased or made up.

make sure you have accurate scales (0.01g) and use very accurate measurments:

Add 6g of pure Sodium Bicarbonate to 5l of DeIonised water (DI) to give you a solution at 40dKH.

Mix 10ml of this solution with 90ml of 'fresh' DI to give you 1l of 4dKH reference solution.

With the reagent, I would only add a max of 3drops, as IME anymore and the colour id to dark to see it properly.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Thanks a lot guys!

One question, if I just put 3 drops of the fluid that came with my drop checker, and no solution mixed with it, will this work for the time being until I get some 4dKH solution made up? I bought some, but won't be here until a week. If I can get DI water, then I have everything else to mix up a batch.

To mix it up, I have to add 6g of pure sodium bicarbonate (is this just bacon soda) to 5l of DI water? Is this 5 liters? Just making sure, because that seems like a lot to me?

Thanks a lot guys for your help!

It kinda makes me a little frustrated, as I got everything else set up, a $100+ dollars to get the Co2 system running, only to find out I am missing some silly 4dKH solution.

I hope I can make some tonight!

Thanks again!

-FHM

 

[aaronnorth]

The 4dKH is the known solution.

When the drop checker is green, the pH is 6.6, and because we know the KH is 4, we know there is 30ppm CO2 dissolved.

If you use aquarium water, that may have a pH6.6 & KH4 already, which would show as "green" and 30ppm but we obviously know there isnt that much dissolved in without injecting any.

sodium bicarbonate is baking soda.

Yes, it is 5litres, you can scale it down, the more you do so, the less accurate it becomes. You could always sell some off providing it is accurate.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Great! Thanks for the info guy, you are life savers! lol

-FHM