Could my CO2 really be this low?

[Scott Rogahn]

I have a moderately planted tank 20 gallon tank with 3 watts per gallon. I
have been injecting CO2 with the Hagen Natural Plant system for about 1
week. I increased the light from 30 to 60 watts when the CO2 was added.

I finally bought a descent test kit (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater
Master Test Kit) and tested the water after the lights had been on for about
11 hours with the following results.

PH 8.2
GH 26
KH 11
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0

This works out to a CO2 of 2.1ppm using the calculator at
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

This seems low for even a non-injected tank. The CO2 bubbles at a rate of 6
bubbles per minute. They get very small by the top of the diffuser, so they
must be dissolving. Surface agitation is from a hang on back filter as low
as it can go and an air powered UGF as low as I can set it on one tube and
none on the other.

What can I do to raise the CO2? Or should I give it a month and see haw the
plants react?

[Scott Rogahn]

I tested this morning KH of 12 and PH of 7.8 (was KH 11 ph 8.2 CO2 2.1
eleven hours into the light) which works out to CO2 of 5.7 ppm. So the CO2
injection is working.


"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> >I finally bought a descent test kit (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater
> >Master Test Kit) and tested the water after the lights had been on for
about
> >11 hours with the following results.
>
> Try testing your water first thing in the morning, just before the lights
go
> on. Then test it in the middle of the photoperiod. If you start out with
a
> lot of CO2 in the morning, and it decreases throughout the day, until
lights
> out, then the test kit is probably accurate, the Hagen thing is working,
and
> your plants are simply using up the CO2.
>
> >What can I do to raise the CO2?
>
> Bigger batch of yeast/sugar solution, or two bottles of it, running
staggered.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Frank Mamone]

Leigh,

Are you saying the size of the canister? I have the same system and I'm
getting about 10 bubbles per second.

Let's say I change the supplied canister with a soda bottle allowing a
greater quantity of yeast /sugar, would that increase the CO2?

Thanks

"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> >I tested this morning KH of 12 and PH of 7.8 (was KH 11 ph 8.2 CO2 2.1
> >eleven hours into the light) which works out to CO2 of 5.7 ppm. So the
CO2
> >injection is working.
>
> Not very well. In the morning, your CO2 levels should be at their
highest.
> 5.7 ppm is barely above the levels normally found in water. That's why
your
> CO2 levels are so low later in the day, after your plants have been
> photosynthesizing while. They actually drive CO2 levels down below
normal, by
> using it all up.
>
> You have to increase your CO2 levels. Either reduce surface agitation, or
> increase the size of your yeast-sugar batch. You want your pH down around
7.2.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Scott Rogahn]

I have a 5lb CO2 bottle for a beer taper in my basement. It is full but its
5 year safety inspection is expired. Since my days of drinking by the keg
ended about to kids ago, I think I will get it tested and by a needle valve.


"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> >I tested this morning KH of 12 and PH of 7.8 (was KH 11 ph 8.2 CO2 2.1
> >eleven hours into the light) which works out to CO2 of 5.7 ppm. So the
CO2
> >injection is working.
>
> Not very well. In the morning, your CO2 levels should be at their
highest.
> 5.7 ppm is barely above the levels normally found in water. That's why
your
> CO2 levels are so low later in the day, after your plants have been
> photosynthesizing while. They actually drive CO2 levels down below
normal, by
> using it all up.
>
> You have to increase your CO2 levels. Either reduce surface agitation, or
> increase the size of your yeast-sugar batch. You want your pH down around
7.2.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/