Diy C02

[leafs]

I finally got my diy C02 working thanks to people in this forum, but the bubbles seem to be getting stuck at the bottom of my ladder, then going to the suface. Does it take time for the bubbles to go up the ladder properly? I'm getting a steady stream of bubbles every other second. Also, does it matter if the bottle is kept at tank level or below?

Thanks

 

[donkey]

this seems to be a common problem with the ladders .just give it time and it will make its way up to the top .i dont think it matters where you but the bottle . but if its lower than the tank you might wanna put a none return valve on it just to be on the safe side

 

[leafs]

this seems to be a common problem with the ladders .just give it time and it will make its way up to the top .i dont think it matters where you but the bottle . but if its lower than the tank you might wanna put a none return valve on it just to be on the safe side

Thanks. I'll have to be patient with it. I do have a check valve, if thats what you mean.

 

[donkey]

yes thats what i mean .i know a while back when i had the ladder it took a while for it to make it to the top .but after a while it made it .not sure why this is .maybe it has some coating on the plastic that stops it doing it . but with in about a day it was working fine

 

[Jen]

Make sure that your ladder is level as well. If it is tilted to one side at all the the bubbles will slip out the side.

 

[leafs]

That's a good point canoechiq. I'm pretty sure it is, but I'll double check. When I first set it up, the bubbles started after 2 hours but there wasn't an even stream. Now after about about 12 hours, there seems to be a steady flow. Is this the way it usually works, starts off slow, then picks up?

 

[Jen]

When I was using the yeast based co2, it first took 36 hours before getting any bubbles. I know that some people mix it all together, then leave it out for a day to get everything brewing before hooking it to the tank for that exact reason.

 

[leafs]

When I was using the yeast based co2, it first took 36 hours before getting any bubbles. I know that some people mix it all together, then leave it out for a day to get everything brewing before hooking it to the tank for that exact reason.

Thats a good idea. I was thinking of hooking up another bottle, but I think I'll just leave it for now.

 

[robgurr]

i find that if you place the ladder closer to the top you get more bubles b/c the co2 doesn't have to have to have as much pressure to push the bubbles down through the tube.

 

[leafs]

It's been 3 days now and the bubbles are are starting to move up the ladder without getting stuck as much. I have a couple of questions;


1) My pH has been slowly dropping, but my KH is staying the same. Is this normal?

2)When I make up a new mixture, can I just mix it and leave it out in the open without covering it, should it be kept warm?

3)Why do the bubbles seem to be the same size when they get to the top of the ladder? I thought they were suppose to get smaller as they go up and dissolve?


Thanks.

 

[Jen]

The pH is doing exactly what it should be doing. CO2 has that effect on it. Make sure you monitor that is you have any fish that need harder water. Mine goes from 7.4 out of the tap to 6.6 after co2.

Some people do leave the mixture out... I haven't done that, but I'm sure you will get a responce from someone who does.

The bubbles are supposed to get smaller, but only if they are moving slow enough. If the bubble rate is too fast, then there isn't enough time for them to get absorbed into the water. Since your pH is dropping, you are getting some absortion, but not as much as you could get. if you have an airline hose control (where you control the flow of air) you can attach that on the line and slowly close it until the bubbles are coming out at 1 bubble per row. By the time the get to the top, there will be smaller bubbles, however doing this may change the pH. So make sure that you monitor that as well.

 

[leafs]

The pH is doing exactly what it should be doing. CO2 has that effect on it. Make sure you monitor that is you have any fish that need harder water. Mine goes from 7.4 out of the tap to 6.6 after co2.

Some people do leave the mixture out... I haven't done that, but I'm sure you will get a responce from someone who does.

The bubbles are supposed to get smaller, but only if they are moving slow enough. If the bubble rate is too fast, then there isn't enough time for them to get absorbed into the water. Since your pH is dropping, you are getting some absortion, but not as much as you could get. if you have an airline hose control (where you control the flow of air) you can attach that on the line and slowly close it until the bubbles are coming out at 1 bubble per row. By the time the get to the top, there will be smaller bubbles, however doing this may change the pH. So make sure that you monitor that as well.

Thanks for the reply. It does seem that the bubbles are going pretty quickly up the ladder. I'm getting a bubble every 2 or 3 seconds. So by adding the airline hose control I'm reducing the rate at which the bubbles come out?

 

[Jen]

When you add it, you get to control the rate the bubbles come out at. You turn a knob and it opens or closes a hole, adjusting the rate the gas comes out.

One of these guys...

 

[leafs]

When you add it, you get to control the rate the bubbles come out at. You turn a knob and it opens or closes a hole, adjusting the rate the gas comes out.

One of these guys...

Thanks again canoechiq. I think the rate at which their coming out isn't too fast (every 2 seconds), they just seem to be getting stuck a little still. Hopefully in a few days the slime will build up on the ladder and the bubbles will flow more smoothly.

 

[leafs]

Another quick bubble update. When I got home today the bubbles where finally getting smaller and smaller as they went up the ladder. I guess it was just a bit of a break in period for the ladder.