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  #31   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
LeighMo
 
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Default 75 or 90 for planted?

Possibly a bigger issue with the Dave Gomberg high pressure system, if
it's the same as when I bought mine several years ago, is that the
tiny little Eheim diffusor isn't very effective in large tanks.


It's fine in my 75 gallon. I believe Chuck uses a wet-dry filter, which tends
to lose a lot of CO2. The Eheim will probably be fine with any "normal"
filter.

I am considering switching to some kind of reactor, or injecting directly into
the filter intake, in hopes of lowering the maintenance required. You do have
to rinse the Eheim diffusor's ceramic disk every week or two, to keep the CO2
bubble size small.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/
  #32   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
LeighMo
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

I purchased one of these systems in July (inc. needle valve), and have
been more than pleased with it on my 29 gallon tank. I was willing to
spend a few extra bucks for someone else to figure out all of the
various fitting sizes etc. and save a day of driving from welding shop
to welding shop.


Yes, that's how it was for me, too. I did a lot of research, and found several
Web pages describing how to do it, but I still wasn't sure what kind of
regulator to get, what kind of fittings were needed, etc. The people who sell
CO2 refills have no clue about using CO2 for fishtanks, so they weren't much
help. I probably wouldn't be using compressed CO2 today, if Dave didn't offer
complete kits meant for planted tanks.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/
  #33   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
LeighMo
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

How much should I expect to spend on "real" CO2 equipment for my 180 gallon?

See this page:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2637/

With a lot of scrounging and some DIY, he made a complete compressed CO2 system
for $100.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/
  #34   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
Jim Miller
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

i've found that the little rena 2" diffusers do a good job of maintaining a
small bubble size over an extended period. i've tried several other
"airstones" as well as limewood diffusers and they all seem to generate
large bubbles from the start or soon thereafter.

when i say small i mean bubbles small enough that 70% (approximately)
disappear within 8" of water column. with a 75G i don't think anything would
make it to the top if the diffuser was at the bottom.

if you use the rena make sure to trim the lip of the rubber at the top
otherwise it will collect the fine bubbles into larger ones.

jtm

--
Remove NOSPAM for email replies
"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
Possibly a bigger issue with the Dave Gomberg high pressure system, if
it's the same as when I bought mine several years ago, is that the
tiny little Eheim diffusor isn't very effective in large tanks.


It's fine in my 75 gallon. I believe Chuck uses a wet-dry filter, which
tends
to lose a lot of CO2. The Eheim will probably be fine with any "normal"
filter.

I am considering switching to some kind of reactor, or injecting directly
into
the filter intake, in hopes of lowering the maintenance required. You do
have
to rinse the Eheim diffusor's ceramic disk every week or two, to keep the
CO2
bubble size small.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/


  #35   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
Dustin
 
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Default 75 or 90 for planted?

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Alright,

By a tank dump then, you are talking about alot of co2 *gas form* comming
out all at once and sufficating the fish?

I thought you meant liquid comming through and contaminating the water. I
called the welding shop, where I bought the co2 tank, and they said the
liquid could only come out if there was a tub inside the tank, which is
normally only used for large tanks *50gal+* or Paint Ball Tanks.

Which needle valve do you prefer, or is there such a thing?

Thanks!

Dustin
"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 02:58:26 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

THanks for the input Cannibul, that I did buy that system. Wish I hadnt
know, maybe I can get a refund.... I dont like the idea of loosing all

the
fish...... was it because he didnt have a needle valve, or because the
product is junk?


The product is perfectly fine. The problem is that the system doesn't
use a needle valve.

But even without a needle valve, the system is SAFE, and works fine.
The issue is what is known as an "end of tank dump". Co2 regulators
are intended to operate with a tank pressure of 800-2000 psi (CO2
pressure will never get that high, it's usually around 800-1000psi).
On the regulator, the high pressure gauge is marked in red from
0-600psi. This is because, when the CO2 runs out, the tank pressure
drops down. The regulator is unable to properly regulate when the
tank pressure is very low. In theory, anything below 600psi is a
problem. In practice, I've run my regulator (from Dave Gomberg) down
to 300-400psi with no "dump". But in any case, once the pressure
drops below the regulators minimum, the regulator looses the ability
to regulate the output properly, and the output pressure will rise.

Since with the "high pressure system" the pressure directly controls
the bubble rate, this rising output pressure results in a CO2
overdose.

At the extreme end, the regulator can completely loose control when
the tank pressure drops very far. At that point, it would vent all
the remaining CO2 in a sudden burst.

For all of these cases, simply adding a needle valve will provide a
safety net.

But, if you keep an eye on the tank pressure, it's easy to notice
BEFORE the tank pressure drops very far. Unlike watching your car's
gas gauge, the CO2 pressure will remain constant (around 800-1000psi
depending on the temp) until the tank is 99% empty. When the CO2 tank
is filled, the CO2 is under pressure, and is in a liquid form. As
long as ANY liquid CO2 remains in the tank, the pressure stays at that
800-1000psi. Once all the liquid is gone, the pressure will start to
drop.

On my tank, with a fairly high CO2 flow rate, I would get about a week
from the time the pressure first started to drop, till it reached the
600psi mark. So even without a needle-valve, if you glance at the
CO2 pressure once every few days, you will see it in time to prevent a
problem.

On my system, with a needle-valve, I intentionally let the pressure
drop all the way down. I run the regulator pressure at about 6psi
normally, and then control the bubble rate with the needle-valve. I
usually have a bubble rate around 2-3 bubble per second. As the tank
pressure dropped below 300psi, the output pressure rose up slowly to
about 15-20psi. I never saw a true "end of tank dump" with a big
spike in output pressure. And the bubble rate (because of the needle
valve) didn't increase much, less than 1 extra bubble per second.

Possibly a bigger issue with the Dave Gomberg high pressure system, if
it's the same as when I bought mine several years ago, is that the
tiny little Eheim diffusor isn't very effective in large tanks. In my
75g, I was unable to get acceptable CO2 levels using it. I ditched
the eheim diffusor, added a needle-valve, and built my DIY reactor,
and I've been very happy ever since.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua




  #36   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
Chuck Gadd
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 17:31:51 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

By a tank dump then, you are talking about alot of co2 *gas form* comming
out all at once and sufficating the fish?


Yes. It doesn't actually sufficate the fish, but the end result can
be the same...

I thought you meant liquid comming through and contaminating the water. I


No. Any liquid CO2 that did come out would quickly expand into gas,
so it wouldn't really "contaminate" the water. But liquid CO2 can't
come out of the system unless the tank was a "syphon" tank with a tube
specifically built into the tank to draw up liquid, or maybe if you
inverted the CO2 tank. The liquid CO2 would probably be stopped by
the regulator anyway. And the regulator might be damaged by the
liquid CO2. (it freezes the seals, etc)

Which needle valve do you prefer, or is there such a thing?


I just bought one sold for planted tank use. I don't know anything
special about them. Buy one from Dave Gomberg, or Aquabotanic, M3.
You might be able to find one somewhere else for a few bucks cheaper,
but I wouldn't know what specs to look for.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua
  #37   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
Dustin
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

Thanks Chuck!

I got a needle Valve and Check Valve from Robert at Aquabotanic. He was a
great help and friendly too

I called the local welding supply and they said they had fitting for the
regulator, so I guess im gonna be set haha.

Thanks Everyone!
"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 17:31:51 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

By a tank dump then, you are talking about alot of co2 *gas form* comming
out all at once and sufficating the fish?


Yes. It doesn't actually sufficate the fish, but the end result can
be the same...

I thought you meant liquid comming through and contaminating the water.

I

No. Any liquid CO2 that did come out would quickly expand into gas,
so it wouldn't really "contaminate" the water. But liquid CO2 can't
come out of the system unless the tank was a "syphon" tank with a tube
specifically built into the tank to draw up liquid, or maybe if you
inverted the CO2 tank. The liquid CO2 would probably be stopped by
the regulator anyway. And the regulator might be damaged by the
liquid CO2. (it freezes the seals, etc)

Which needle valve do you prefer, or is there such a thing?


I just bought one sold for planted tank use. I don't know anything
special about them. Buy one from Dave Gomberg, or Aquabotanic, M3.
You might be able to find one somewhere else for a few bucks cheaper,
but I wouldn't know what specs to look for.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua



  #38   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
Chuck Gadd
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 20:37:23 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

I got a needle Valve and Check Valve from Robert at Aquabotanic. He was a
great help and friendly too


Definitely a class act.

I called the local welding supply and they said they had fitting for the
regulator, so I guess im gonna be set haha.


Sounds great. There's always someone helpful around here if you hit
any questions. One good suggestion I heard regarding setting up a
new CO2 system: When you first set it up, be sure you will be
available to monitor things for the first 24 hours. Start out with a
low bubble rate, don't try to drop the pH too far too fast. Adjust it
a little at a time, until you get the pH where you want it.



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua
  #39   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:16 AM
Dustin
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

Ok Great, Ill keep that in mind

As Always, Thanks for the help!


Dustin

"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 20:37:23 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

I got a needle Valve and Check Valve from Robert at Aquabotanic. He was

a
great help and friendly too


Definitely a class act.

I called the local welding supply and they said they had fitting for the
regulator, so I guess im gonna be set haha.


Sounds great. There's always someone helpful around here if you hit
any questions. One good suggestion I heard regarding setting up a
new CO2 system: When you first set it up, be sure you will be
available to monitor things for the first 24 hours. Start out with a
low bubble rate, don't try to drop the pH too far too fast. Adjust it
a little at a time, until you get the pH where you want it.



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua



  #40   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:17 AM
Joe Ferenchik
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

On 30 Dec 2002 03:16:17 GMT, tose (LeighMo) wrote:

Im planning on doing a Co2 setup, yes. If so, what types of lighting would
I need. I would like 3 watts per gallon - or close to it.


That's quite a bit of light output. Here's my setup and story.

I've had tanks off and on since I was a teenager (now 46). Presently
I've got a 75G AGA tank (48L X 18D X 20H). I started the planted tank
expedition with just the 2 T12 tubes that fit in the AGA dual tube
hood, and no type of co2 injection whatsoever. The plants didn't do
well at all. I figured that they needed a little co2 so I sprung for a
carbo-plus. While this device might work well in a smaller tank I
noticed that there wasn't much of a co2/ppm increase even with it
running full bore (ph and hardness didn't change at all) with it's
use. The replacement cost of the carbon blocks isn't cheap either. So
I figured that it was time to bite the bullet, and go for broke, if I
was going to do the "live plant thing". I got the retro 2x55w kit from
ahsupply. I followed the directions to the letter for the
installation. I made the mistake of turning it on while it was "bulbs
up" to see just how bright it actually was. My eyes haven't been the
same since. Ya need a welding hood to look at this setup!!!!! I also
sprung for all the necessary items needed for compressed co2
injection. I got a 5G tank from a local welding supplier, and the
regulator, hoses, needle valve, and diffuser from Dave Gomberg
(wcf.com). I got a bunch of different plants from one of the various
sources on the net and set up my tank with the real plants. They did
well for the first month, and as their natural reserves were depleted
they started to decdline in growth and looks. I got a horrendous algae
outbreak, and figured that I wasn't adding fertilizer in enough
quantity, and frequency to keep the plants out competing the algae. I
upped the dose rate, with reservation that I might actually give the
algae more food to dine on. To my amazement the algae almost
disappeared in a matter of days, and of course the plants took off and
look much better now that they are getting the nourishment they need.
So I guess in closing I'm stating that with my 75G I'm having good
luck with 110 watts of light. The plants pearl nicely and if there is
a broken leaf vein there is usually a steady stream of o2 bubbles
rising to the surface. Even with all of the info available on the net
from seasoned aquascapers your setup is going to be a trial and error
process. For those that care, here are the tank particulars...

ph 7.4-7.6

hardness about 7-8

ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates all measure 0.0

2 big boxes of laterite intermixed in gravel substrate

filtration is a Magnum 350 pro with marbles in the charcoal canister
to keep it from collapsing, as the filter sleeve loads up.

water changes are about 25% every other week with a complete filter
cleaning (bio wheels are NEVER cleaned) and about a tablespoon of salt
added per gallon (4tbs per change). No ill effects with the added
salt.

fertilization is liquid via water column, as well as root tabs.

Mobile inhabitants.
3 wild angels
tetras, 6 head and tail light, 5 cardinal, 1 blue
4 silver hatchets
2 pineapple swordtails
2 black sailfin mollies
4 yo-yo (pakastani) loaches
2 do-jo (weather) loaches
6 zebra danios
3 glass cats
2 guppies
2 leopard corys
probably something else I'm forgetting since the tank lights are
presently off.

I also had a pair of kuhli loach juvies but they were so small that I
think they were harassed to death.

I also tried a pair of apple snails but the yo-yo's made a meal out of
them

had fiddler crabs with a biosphere for quite awhile. They did well
except for the one that managed to get out of the tank. The beagle had
a ball with it for awhile!!!



Planted inhabitants
2 amazon swords
2 dwarf hairgrass
1 java fern on driftwood
2 crypt wendtii
1 anubias nana round leaf
1 madagascar lace
5 anacharis
15 ambulia
15 green cabomba
5 hornwort floating (since removed) messy real messy
5 corkscrew vals
5 microswords

all inhabitants appear healthy and happy since I upped the fertilizer

joe


  #41   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:17 AM
Joe Ferenchik
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?


Hi Dustin,

A lot of this reiterates what Chuck states...

You're actually talking about 2 different things here. What happens in
a tank dump is that the regulator tries to equalize the pressure on
both sides of itself, thereby continuously adding co2 to the aquarium
at a rate faster than it can be used. The easiest way to avoid this is
to use a needle valve between the regulator and tank. I got the one
from Dave Gomberg (wcf.com) and I'm very pleased with it. Now with a
tank dump here's what happens. Co2 is added to the tank so fast that
most of it escapes to the atmosphere. With a tight fitting aquarium
cover the co2 will blanket the waters surface, and prohibit an oxygen
exchange. This is what kills the fish. There is no oxygen available at
the waters surface since it's all co2. I don't know for certain if
this phenomena will happen with a tank that doesn't have a cover on
it. The easiest way to avoid a tank dump is to use a needle valve and
watch the regulator pressure on the tank side (high gauge) of the
regulator. As long as there is co2 liquid in the pressurized tank your
pressure will remain constant at somewhere near 800 psi. When all of
the liquid is depleted the pressure will start to drop on the high
side of the regulator. It's going to take some time for it to get from
800 psi or so to 200-500 psi, where you're getting near the "failure"
point of the regulator. I've also read that if this "tank dump"
happens damage to the regulator is likely. IME with the "dose rate"
I'm using it takes about 2 weeks for the tank to get to 500 psi. At
that point I disconnect the regulator and the tank and I take a short
ride to the welding shop. The only way to get liquid from the
pressurized tank to your aquarium is if the pressurized tank has
liquid in it and it falls over. The way I prohibit this is to tie it
to the center brace in the tank stand.

I think the reference you're speaking of with liquid getting into the
aquarium has to do with the sugar/yeast method of generating carbon
dioxide. I'm completely green on that subject, and I'll leave that to
someone that knows what they're talking about.


On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 17:31:51 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

Alright,

By a tank dump then, you are talking about alot of co2 *gas form* comming
out all at once and sufficating the fish?

I thought you meant liquid comming through and contaminating the water. I
called the welding shop, where I bought the co2 tank, and they said the
liquid could only come out if there was a tub inside the tank, which is
normally only used for large tanks *50gal+* or Paint Ball Tanks.

Which needle valve do you prefer, or is there such a thing?

Thanks!

Dustin
"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 2 Jan 2003 02:58:26 -0800, "Dustin"
wrote:

THanks for the input Cannibul, that I did buy that system. Wish I hadnt
know, maybe I can get a refund.... I dont like the idea of loosing all

the
fish...... was it because he didnt have a needle valve, or because the
product is junk?


The product is perfectly fine. The problem is that the system doesn't
use a needle valve.

But even without a needle valve, the system is SAFE, and works fine.
The issue is what is known as an "end of tank dump". Co2 regulators
are intended to operate with a tank pressure of 800-2000 psi (CO2
pressure will never get that high, it's usually around 800-1000psi).
On the regulator, the high pressure gauge is marked in red from
0-600psi. This is because, when the CO2 runs out, the tank pressure
drops down. The regulator is unable to properly regulate when the
tank pressure is very low. In theory, anything below 600psi is a
problem. In practice, I've run my regulator (from Dave Gomberg) down
to 300-400psi with no "dump". But in any case, once the pressure
drops below the regulators minimum, the regulator looses the ability
to regulate the output properly, and the output pressure will rise.

Since with the "high pressure system" the pressure directly controls
the bubble rate, this rising output pressure results in a CO2
overdose.

At the extreme end, the regulator can completely loose control when
the tank pressure drops very far. At that point, it would vent all
the remaining CO2 in a sudden burst.

For all of these cases, simply adding a needle valve will provide a
safety net.

But, if you keep an eye on the tank pressure, it's easy to notice
BEFORE the tank pressure drops very far. Unlike watching your car's
gas gauge, the CO2 pressure will remain constant (around 800-1000psi
depending on the temp) until the tank is 99% empty. When the CO2 tank
is filled, the CO2 is under pressure, and is in a liquid form. As
long as ANY liquid CO2 remains in the tank, the pressure stays at that
800-1000psi. Once all the liquid is gone, the pressure will start to
drop.

On my tank, with a fairly high CO2 flow rate, I would get about a week
from the time the pressure first started to drop, till it reached the
600psi mark. So even without a needle-valve, if you glance at the
CO2 pressure once every few days, you will see it in time to prevent a
problem.

On my system, with a needle-valve, I intentionally let the pressure
drop all the way down. I run the regulator pressure at about 6psi
normally, and then control the bubble rate with the needle-valve. I
usually have a bubble rate around 2-3 bubble per second. As the tank
pressure dropped below 300psi, the output pressure rose up slowly to
about 15-20psi. I never saw a true "end of tank dump" with a big
spike in output pressure. And the bubble rate (because of the needle
valve) didn't increase much, less than 1 extra bubble per second.

Possibly a bigger issue with the Dave Gomberg high pressure system, if
it's the same as when I bought mine several years ago, is that the
tiny little Eheim diffusor isn't very effective in large tanks. In my
75g, I was unable to get acceptable CO2 levels using it. I ditched
the eheim diffusor, added a needle-valve, and built my DIY reactor,
and I've been very happy ever since.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua



  #42   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:17 AM
Chuck Gadd
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

On Sun, 05 Jan 2003 12:49:08 -0600, Joe Ferenchik
wrote:

exchange. This is what kills the fish. There is no oxygen available at
the waters surface since it's all co2. I don't know for certain if
this phenomena will happen with a tank that doesn't have a cover on


I've seen a CO2 overdose (not caused by end-of-tank dump, but rather
due to a faulty pH probe/controller), which killed a bunch of fish in
an open-top tank. The deaths were caused not by lack of O2, but
rather by the massive amount of CO2.

ride to the welding shop. The only way to get liquid from the
pressurized tank to your aquarium is if the pressurized tank has
liquid in it and it falls over.


Even then you probably wouldn't get liquid CO2 out. It would be
stopped by the regulator, but it might damage the regulator.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua
  #43   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:17 AM
Bruce Geist
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

Chuck,

Is your CO2 flowing at the same rate all the time? I seem to recall
sometime ago, you mentioned that you leave your CO2 going even at night. If
this is the case, how much PH fluctuation do you normally see during any
given 24 hour period?

I saw an article on your site regarding constructing a wet/dry filter. I
assume you use a wet/dry filter, right? Does this sort of filtration allow
you to more easily stabilize input and outgo of CO2 in the water? I wonder
if this makes CO2 injection without a controller easier.. what is your
feeling on this? If you were to use a different filter, like a canister
filter that is enclosed and therefore not amenable to CO2 dissipation, do
you think it would be more difficult to regulate CO2 (without a controller)?
Just curious.

I personally would have a much harder time maintaining conditions in my tank
without a controller, since I am not near my tank much during the week. A
controller has worked well for me for the past couple of years.

-Bruce Geist


"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 05 Jan 2003 12:49:08 -0600, Joe Ferenchik
wrote:

exchange. This is what kills the fish. There is no oxygen available at
the waters surface since it's all co2. I don't know for certain if
this phenomena will happen with a tank that doesn't have a cover on


I've seen a CO2 overdose (not caused by end-of-tank dump, but rather
due to a faulty pH probe/controller), which killed a bunch of fish in
an open-top tank. The deaths were caused not by lack of O2, but
rather by the massive amount of CO2.

ride to the welding shop. The only way to get liquid from the
pressurized tank to your aquarium is if the pressurized tank has
liquid in it and it falls over.


Even then you probably wouldn't get liquid CO2 out. It would be
stopped by the regulator, but it might damage the regulator.


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua



  #44   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:17 AM
Chuck Gadd
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

On Wed, 8 Jan 2003 19:27:01 -0500, "Bruce Geist"
wrote:
Is your CO2 flowing at the same rate all the time?


yes

sometime ago, you mentioned that you leave your CO2 going even at night. If
this is the case, how much PH fluctuation do you normally see during any
given 24 hour period?


6.8 during the day, 6.6 in the AM before the lights come on..

I saw an article on your site regarding constructing a wet/dry filter. I
assume you use a wet/dry filter, right? Does this sort of filtration allow
you to more easily stabilize input and outgo of CO2 in the water? I wonder
if this makes CO2 injection without a controller easier.. what is your


Possibly. In a tank with the absolute minimum CO2 loss, it's
reasonable to expect slightly higher CO2 accumulation during the
night.

I don't know that it's really necessary to maintain extremely stable
CO2 levels. In nature, it's common for nighttime CO2 levels to be
higher than daytime levels. This is a natural swing. In fact, this
natural CO2 swing might even be beneficial to plant growth. Here's a
study that found improved growth when CO2 levels were allowed to drift
higher at night:

http://www.co2science.org/journal/2002/v5n4b1.htm



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua
  #45   Report Post  
Old 20-04-2003, 07:17 AM
Bruce Geist
 
Posts: n/a
Default 75 or 90 for planted?

6.8 during the day, 6.6 in the AM before the lights come on..

My PH fluctuates from 6.65 to 6.75 with the controler-- which is really not
that much less variance than what you have been able to achieve without a
controler. Are you able to set your flow rate and let it go for a while
without fear, or do your really need to check it often during a day? How
long does it take you to get re-set after swapping out your CO2 cylinder?

Possibly. In a tank with the absolute minimum CO2 loss, it's
reasonable to expect slightly higher CO2 accumulation during the
night.

I don't know that it's really necessary to maintain extremely stable
CO2 levels. In nature, it's common for nighttime CO2 levels to be
higher than daytime levels. This is a natural swing. In fact, this
natural CO2 swing might even be beneficial to plant growth. Here's a
study that found improved growth when CO2 levels were allowed to drift
higher at night:

http://www.co2science.org/journal/2002/v5n4b1.htm

Interesting article. Thanks. (I am amazed there is journal called "CO2
Science", glad to know about it.)

A .2 variation is nothing! I don't know that I ever succeeded in getting
that little bit of a swing without a controller. I think the best I ever
did was about .5 swing, which I thought might start killing fish (especially
since that is the BEST I ever did).

Well if I ever re-do my CO2 system, I may try getting a wet/dry filter and
(probably more importantly) a better CO2 regulator/needle valve. I have
trouble at times getting a consistent flow through my regulator/needle valve
combination, particularly after I change the CO2 tank -Bruce Geist



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