Pressurized Co2 Problems

[Rlon35]

Man, it's like I am getting everything wrong, just like when I was a beginner. I am struggling to acclimate Cardinals. The tap PH is 6.0 to 6.5, and the pressurized CO2 is dropping it to God knows where (i.e. off the charts). The Cardinals where all imeddiately at the top, gasping and struggling to right themselves. I shut off the CO2, turned on the airstone, and turned off all water flow. I am about to go pickup some stress zyme. I can't seem to keep my indicator in the green. It is always yellow, and when I turn the co2 system way down, it barely produces bubbles. Anyone else had this problem, and if so, what should I do? I alqays used 100 percent reverse osmosis water before, adding equilibrium, and I never had any problems. I would think tap water of these parameters would be fine, but I had not experienced using co2 injection with such 'low' tap water before.

 

[LondonguyJ]

To be honest I feel as though the c02 systems are an unnecessary expense. I use liquid c02 (seachem)and my plants which I bought as shrubs are loving it and I have watched them pearl several times.

The bottle costs £7.00 and my dosage is half a cap every other day. I am no expert but the seachem seems like a lot less work in my opinion.

J