Co2

[sianuk]

Hi guys

Just doing a test run with pressurized co2 prior to planting next week,i have managed to set at 1 bubble per second via the jbl spiral diffusser which seems to be working fine my question is please does this rate sound about right and if so how long should i expect for drop the checker to turn green (4dkh solution and bromo blue) and will it go bright green?

Tank 29 UK gallons filled only 3 days ago

Thxs Ian

 

[SuperColey1]

Hi guys

Just doing a test run with pressurized co2 prior to planting next week,i have managed to set at 1 bubble per second via the jbl spiral diffusser which seems to be working fine my question is please does this rate sound about right and if so how long should i expect for drop the checker to turn green (4dkh solution and bromo blue) and will it go bright green?

Tank 29 UK gallons filled only 3 days ago

Thxs Ian

A few other parameters needed I'm afraid.

What is your WPG
What fert regime (or not) are you using
How heavily planted
Filter and attachments (i.e. how good is your water circulation)
Anything else you can think of too.

I have 29G, 73W (2.5WPG)
I dose full EI
I am 75% planted.
I have Tetratec EX700 linked to glass lily pipe inflow/outflow.
I get 2 bubbles through the bubble counter and the drop checker shows green

Andy

 

[sianuk]

Hi Andy,
Thx for reply sorry i did not make it clear that the tank is newly filled with nothing planted as yet i was just trying to reach green with the checker purely with just the water in it, should i be testing with plants in and every thing up and running?

tank will be similar to yours
29 uk galls
2.4 wpg
75% planted
dosing EI
fluval 305 pipe attachments that come with it good circulation tho

perhaps i,m jumping the gun a bit but i was just trying to get some idea from the off as i read that not enough co2 with that wpg could lead to probs

thx Ian

 

[SuperColey1]

All I meant is that with a heavily planted tank it will take more CO2 to reach 30ppm and stay there due to the plants using CO2 whilst it is being injected.

I would think that 1 bps should do an empty tank. Maybe even send it to yellow, seeing as there is nothing to use the CO2.

I had a co2 massacre when I first went pressurised (upped it too quickly), therefore the second time, I built up the injection over 2 weeks (probably over cautious), until I got to the light green I wanted, this time with all the fish alive.

It will take time to get the CO2 right once you get plants, so maybe best to do this before you get fish, then you can leave it at yellow for a while and get the growth without too much algae, then slowly reduce it until you hit green, then add the fish.

Also remember once you add the fish, you are adding extra nutrient through the fish waste and food, so you might find you have higher nitrates etc. Not a bad thing unless the nitrates are too high.

Good Luck
andy

 

[sianuk]

Thx Andy,
All your points understood and taken on board much appreciated. Co2 has been running now for approx 6-8 hrs and checker is showing a greenish blue now so i think this would be a good bench mark for starters and increase dose as plants require. From the start i was going build the photo period from 6 to 8 hrs say over a couple of weeks, the same with the lights half...full...half power within the 6 or 8 hrs period, good idea or just go for it full on from the start. Would you dose EI from the off?

Thxs again Ian

 

[SuperColey1]

I would get timers if you haven't already.

depending on if you can turn your lights on independently (I have 1 x 55W and 1 x 18W)

When I first got high lights for the plants, I did as follows:

Week 1 - 4hrs 18W, 4 hrs 73W, 4 hrs 18W
Week 2 - 3½hrs 18W, 5 hrs 73W, 3½hrs 18W
Week 3 - 3hrs 18W, 6hrs 73W, 3hrs 18W
Week 4 - 2½hrs 18W, 7hrs 73W, 2½18W
Week 5 to present - 2hrs 18W, 8hrs 73W, 2hrs 18W

That is how I have had it ever since.

Andy

 

[sianuk]

Hi

Have timers already and 4 x 25 watt tubes so i will work out some sort of schedule from this. Did you dose EI from the start?

Thx Ian

 

[SuperColey1]

If that is the route you have chosen, then it makes sense to do it from the start

That way you won't be changing anything and risking algae breaking out later on.

When I started EI I had a planted tank already for 3 months, and had lower lighting, but as I went down the higher lighting route, my researching led me to EI and pressurised.

Previously 1.2WPG with 2 x Nutrafin cannisters and just Tropica as fert (along with the fish waste)

andy