|
No PH change with DIY CO2
i use a rena but on a much smaller tank, 3G.
are the bubbles a fine stream coming from the side of the rena or from the top or bottom gaskets as leaks? make sure the rena is at the bottom of the tank for maximum effect. also you could try a 2" since the 4" just puts the point of potential emission higher in the tank with no benefit. i actually cut mine down to under an inch and reassembled it. good luck jtm -- Remove NOSPAM for email replies "Rick" wrote in message ... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? Thx. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
Dude, your pH will drop in time, some people say it goes down quite a bit,
or, respectively goes up quite a bit if you remove the co2... I have never experienced this happening quickly... Basically i noticed a total of a .4 ph drop in about 2 months time. (my ph is currently at 6.9-7.0)... Give it time and ph will drop (I also use the powerhead method to ditribute the co2) -Jason "Rick" wrote in message ... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? Thx. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Jim Miller" wrote in message ... i use a rena but on a much smaller tank, 3G. are the bubbles a fine stream coming from the side of the rena or from the top or bottom gaskets as leaks? make sure the rena is at the bottom of the tank for maximum effect. also you could try a 2" since the 4" just puts the point of potential emission higher in the tank with no benefit. i actually cut mine down to under an inch and reassembled it. good luck jtm -- I ran a thin bead of aquarium safe silicon around the top and bottom gaskets as they were leaking however I see that although some of the bubbles come out quite fine from the middle of the bubbler then appears to still be most coming from the top and bottom. I bought a 6" for my 77g, 2 x 4" for my 20's and a 2 inch for good luck :-). I'll give the 2 incher a try, thx. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of
sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? Thx. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Rick" wrote in message ... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? Thx. Rick The amount the pH will change depends on the kH of the water in the tank. The more dissolved carbonates, the less the pH will change. What is your kH? Jamie ~ |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Jamie D" wrote in message news:VX91a.30988$2H6.684@sccrnsc04... "Rick" wrote in message ... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? Thx. Rick The amount the pH will change depends on the kH of the water in the tank. The more dissolved carbonates, the less the pH will change. What is your kH? Jamie ~ 50 PPM Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Rick" wrote in message ... "Jamie D" wrote in message news:VX91a.30988$2H6.684@sccrnsc04... "Rick" wrote in message ... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? Thx. Rick The amount the pH will change depends on the kH of the water in the tank. The more dissolved carbonates, the less the pH will change. What is your kH? Jamie ~ 50 PPM Rick 50 ppm is around 2.8dKh. At a pH of 7.6 that's around 2 ppm of CO2, which is low even for a non-CO2 injected tank. With DIY I would expect at least 18 ppm of CO2, which would give you a pH of around 6.6. Either the CO2 isn't getting into the tank for some reason, or there is something wrong with your test kits. I personally think 1/4tsp yeast is not enough, I would go with half to 1 tsp - but even so, you should see at least some drop in pH with your set-up as described. My vote is for inaccurate test kits. Jamie ~ |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Jamie D" wrote in message news:RKd1a.37308$be.24572@rwcrnsc53... "Rick" wrote in message ... 50 PPM Rick 50 ppm is around 2.8dKh. At a pH of 7.6 that's around 2 ppm of CO2, which is low even for a non-CO2 injected tank. With DIY I would expect at least 18 ppm of CO2, which would give you a pH of around 6.6. Either the CO2 isn't getting into the tank for some reason, or there is something wrong with your test kits. I personally think 1/4tsp yeast is not enough, I would go with half to 1 tsp - but even so, you should see at least some drop in pH with your set-up as described. My vote is for inaccurate test kits. Jamie ~ I use the same test kit on my Mbuna tank where I buffer the water with baking soda and a bit of salt and it tests normally between 140 to 170 . I'm getting a steady stream of fine bubbles from the micro bubbler so it appears that co2 is definitely being dispensed, so I;m not sure what is going on. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Rick" wrote in message ... "Jamie D" wrote in message news:RKd1a.37308$be.24572@rwcrnsc53... "Rick" wrote in message ... 50 PPM Rick 50 ppm is around 2.8dKh. At a pH of 7.6 that's around 2 ppm of CO2, which is low even for a non-CO2 injected tank. With DIY I would expect at least 18 ppm of CO2, which would give you a pH of around 6.6. Either the CO2 isn't getting into the tank for some reason, or there is something wrong with your test kits. I personally think 1/4tsp yeast is not enough, I would go with half to 1 tsp - but even so, you should see at least some drop in pH with your set-up as described. My vote is for inaccurate test kits. Jamie ~ I use the same test kit on my Mbuna tank where I buffer the water with baking soda and a bit of salt and it tests normally between 140 to 170 . I'm getting a steady stream of fine bubbles from the micro bubbler so it appears that co2 is definitely being dispensed, so I;m not sure what is going on. Rick Wish I could be more help. I use DIY CO2 in a 20 gallon and everything works just fine - only difference for me is I have the bubbles feed straight into the intake of my HOB filter. My CO2 level ranges between 18 - 28 ppm. Jamie ~ |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message ... I wouldn't buffer the water with baking soda (unless you have acidic water already---but 7.6 should drop to about 6.8 or so which is fine for most fish)--if you do that, you cannot accurately measure C02 with KH and PH readings without strictly letting your water be carbonate buffered (natural buffering capacity of the water). Also, some natural water supplies have high phosphate content, which invalidates any calculations for C02 readings including C02 test kits. Just a thought, Dave. I only buffer the water in my Cichlid tank where there is no CO2. In my 20g tank I checked again this morning and the co2 is happily bubbling away via the Rena bubbler and my PH might have dropped from 7.6 to 7.5, hard to tell with those test kits unless you get a larger swing. I'm not going to worry about it but I would have liked to have seen something constructive happen like some pearling. I also have a 1 gallon jug hooked up into my 77G tank. I hooked it up two days ago and have yet to see a bubble. I have added another 1/4 teaspoon of yeast yesterday, nada, added another 1/4 today from a fresh package. I hooked up another one gallon jug and added fresh yeast to it, both jugs are hooked up via a t connection. On the first jug if I removed the line from the anti siphon valve and held it under water while I vigorously shook the jug I would get a few bubbles and then nothing so it appears to me that maybe the yeast is no good. This is wine making yeast I am using. The package was opened about 10 days ago for the 20 g tank and then stored in the fridge, does this stuff go bad?? I checked all the fitting by immersing them underwater and found no leaks. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
AGree probably the yeast. Also, it is possible to kill the yeast - I am
told - by using too hot of water. I am told you need to use slightly warm water but definitely NOT HOT. Also, cold water is supposed to work, just take longer for the yeast to wake up. Before you buy more yeast, try cooler water. Bob "Rick" wrote in message a... "Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message ... I wouldn't buffer the water with baking soda (unless you have acidic water already---but 7.6 should drop to about 6.8 or so which is fine for most fish)--if you do that, you cannot accurately measure C02 with KH and PH readings without strictly letting your water be carbonate buffered (natural buffering capacity of the water). Also, some natural water supplies have high phosphate content, which invalidates any calculations for C02 readings including C02 test kits. Just a thought, Dave. I only buffer the water in my Cichlid tank where there is no CO2. In my 20g tank I checked again this morning and the co2 is happily bubbling away via the Rena bubbler and my PH might have dropped from 7.6 to 7.5, hard to tell with those test kits unless you get a larger swing. I'm not going to worry about it but I would have liked to have seen something constructive happen like some pearling. I also have a 1 gallon jug hooked up into my 77G tank. I hooked it up two days ago and have yet to see a bubble. I have added another 1/4 teaspoon of yeast yesterday, nada, added another 1/4 today from a fresh package. I hooked up another one gallon jug and added fresh yeast to it, both jugs are hooked up via a t connection. On the first jug if I removed the line from the anti siphon valve and held it under water while I vigorously shook the jug I would get a few bubbles and then nothing so it appears to me that maybe the yeast is no good. This is wine making yeast I am using. The package was opened about 10 days ago for the 20 g tank and then stored in the fridge, does this stuff go bad?? I checked all the fitting by immersing them underwater and found no leaks. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Bob Alston" wrote in message ... AGree probably the yeast. Also, it is possible to kill the yeast - I am told - by using too hot of water. I am told you need to use slightly warm water but definitely NOT HOT. Also, cold water is supposed to work, just take longer for the yeast to wake up. Before you buy more yeast, try cooler water. Bob I thought that perhaps the water was too hot when mixing up the first batch. I did use a thermometer and tried to get the water temp about 80 degrees however it was a bit warmer and the temp may have risen higher,however that would not have been the case the next day when I added more yeast and certainly not the case this morning when I again added. The fresh batch in jug two was mixed with water at a temp less than 80 so we will see what happens. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Rick" wrote in message
... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? If the pH is not changing, that means there's no extra CO2 being dissolved from your generator. And it's obvious why. You're using an airstone to diffuse your CO2 gas. DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. A powerhead would work much better in your case because it would act as a reactor. Or you can inject it directly into your power or canister filter. That's what most people do, I believe. Your CO2 level should increase overnight as much as it will ever increase. __ Alex |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Jason Judkins" wrote in message
... Dude, your pH will drop in time, some people say it goes down quite a bit, or, respectively goes up quite a bit if you remove the co2... I have never experienced this happening quickly... Basically i noticed a total of a .4 ph drop in about 2 months time. (my ph is currently at 6.9-7.0)... Give it time and ph will drop (I also use the powerhead method to ditribute the co2) -Jason A pH drop in 2 months?! The CO2 will lower the pH as low as it will go in at most 24 hours. If not, then there is not enough CO2 or it's not being dissolved properly. The CO2 level will always build up to its highest overnight. __ Alex pcalex (at) hotpop.com |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Jamie D" wrote in message
news:VX91a.30988$2H6.684@sccrnsc04... The amount the pH will change depends on the kH of the water in the tank. The more dissolved carbonates, the less the pH will change. What is your kH? Jamie That's absolutely NOT true. The amount the pH will drop is independent of the KH. The KH only determines the starting and ending values of the pH. But the difference will be the same, regardless of the KH. If you're starting with a pH of 7.6, then you should aim for a pH of 6.8-6.9. __ Alex pcalex (at) hotpop.com |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Alex R" wrote in message news:vAz1a.48790$tq4.3287@sccrnsc01... "Rick" wrote in message ... I set up 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 about 10 days ago, mixed up 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp of yeast and a pinch of baking soda and filled the bottle about 3/4 full. I initially had this hooked into a powerhead. It was dispensing as I could see the puffs of gas coming out of the output. I recently bought some Rena Micro bubblers to use rather than the power head and now have the bottle with a fresh mix (last night) hooked into a 4" bubbler in a 20g planted tank. My Ph in the tank remains at about 7.6. I can see bubbles coming out of the bubbler but should the PH not change ?. Is the tank not getting enough CO2, one would think in a 20g that one two liter bottle would be enough, yes, no?? If the pH is not changing, that means there's no extra CO2 being dissolved from your generator. And it's obvious why. You're using an airstone to diffuse your CO2 gas. DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. A powerhead would work much better in your case because it would act as a reactor. Or you can inject it directly into your power or canister filter. That's what most people do, I believe. Your CO2 level should increase overnight as much as it will ever increase. __ Alex I had a power head hooked up to the CO2 line for a week and the results were exactly the same, no ph change even though I could clearly see the puffs of gas coming out of the powerhead. I'm using the Rena micro bubble that has a ceramic insert and is specifically recommended for dispensing CO2. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message
... I wouldn't buffer the water with baking soda (unless you have acidic water already---but 7.6 should drop to about 6.8 or so which is fine for most fish)--if you do that, you cannot accurately measure C02 with KH and PH readings without strictly letting your water be carbonate buffered (natural buffering capacity of the water). Also, some natural water supplies have high phosphate content, which invalidates any calculations for C02 readings including C02 test kits. Just a thought, Dave. Actually, you can buffer your water with baking soda all you want and still be able to accurately gauge CO2 with pH and KH measurements. Sodium Bicarbonate would not violate the condition of the water being carbonate-buffered. __ Alex |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"SLEngst" wrote in message ... Rena micro bubblers. I suggested that Rick try these as I am getting better results with them than I did running CO2 through the filter intake, and I'm getting close to 35 ppm CO2 into my tank; a drop from 8.1 to 7.2 in water with a KH of 16. They work great for me. Rick, you might try mixing some cheap bakers yeast with the wine yeast. I found the wine yeast takes longer to get going and never gets as high a ppm but does last longer. I'm mixing a highly recommended wine yeast with my Fleishman's. BUT, to get that 35 ppm or so, I'm heating my yeast bottles to about 85 degrees. Even with the added heat, the individual bottle will last 2 weeks and I just change one of the pair a week. the bubbler is working fine, steady stream of fine bubbles coming out, just nothing doing on the PH scale. I'll give the bakers yeast a try on my double bottle glass set up on my large tank where I have yet to see a bubble in 2 days. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Alex R" wrote in message news:BKz1a.47589$iG3.6416@sccrnsc02... "Jamie D" wrote in message news:VX91a.30988$2H6.684@sccrnsc04... The amount the pH will change depends on the kH of the water in the tank. The more dissolved carbonates, the less the pH will change. What is your kH? Jamie That's absolutely NOT true. The amount the pH will drop is independent of the KH. The KH only determines the starting and ending values of the pH. But the difference will be the same, regardless of the KH. If you're starting with a pH of 7.6, then you should aim for a pH of 6.8-6.9. __ Alex pcalex (at) hotpop.com Oops .. sorry, you're absolutely right. I stand corrected. Brain freeze perhaps. Jamie ~ |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Rick" wrote in message
a... like some pearling. I also have a 1 gallon jug hooked up into my 77G tank. I hooked it up two days ago and have yet to see a bubble. I have added another 1/4 teaspoon of yeast yesterday, nada, added another 1/4 today from a fresh package. I hooked up another one gallon jug and added fresh yeast to it, both jugs are hooked up via a t connection. On the first jug if I removed the line from the anti siphon valve and held it under water while I vigorously shook the jug I would get a few bubbles and then nothing so it It sounds like there might be a leak in the system somewhere. I think you should see at least some bubbles being produced. Use a spray bottle to spray soapy water on all the connections, and if there is CO2 leaking somewhere, you would see the bubbles being produced by the soapy water. Remember, don't diffuse DIY CO2. It will just let the bubbles escape to the surface without the CO2 having much chance to dissolve. Inject it into your filter, or use one of those spiral reactors that comes with the Hagen CO2 system. __ Alex |
No PH change with DIY CO2
Rena micro bubblers. I suggested that Rick try these as I am getting
better results with them than I did running CO2 through the filter intake, and I'm getting close to 35 ppm CO2 into my tank; a drop from 8.1 to 7.2 in water with a KH of 16. They work great for me. Rick, you might try mixing some cheap bakers yeast with the wine yeast. I found the wine yeast takes longer to get going and never gets as high a ppm but does last longer. I'm mixing a highly recommended wine yeast with my Fleishman's. BUT, to get that 35 ppm or so, I'm heating my yeast bottles to about 85 degrees. Even with the added heat, the individual bottle will last 2 weeks and I just change one of the pair a week. |
No PH change with DIY CO2
DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the
pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. Alex First thing to say is that I'm new to the whole Aquarium thing (2 months) so please be gentle when replying as I could be talking through my Arse (Irish for Bum). Alex, are you saying that a DIY CO2 setup cannot produce enought pressure to blow through an airstone? From my home brewing experience I know that not only can CO2 do this easily, but it can also shatter glass bottles or blow corks out of well sealed bottles (hence the wire around Champangue corks). If the CO2 was not able to force its way through the airstone then Rick would not see any bubbles. I must admit Rick, that I am in a similar position to yourself. I have a DIY CO2 which is connected to an airstone positioned in my (in tank) filter, just at the up take for my powerhead (Juewl Rekord 120 tank). My tank looks like the inside of a shaken pop bottle, with lots of tiny CO2 bubbles diffused around it. The smaller the bubbles are, the longer it takes them to rise to the surface, hence the longer I presume it gives the CO2 to disolve. check out my tank at http://www.mcconnellhousehold.com/Main.htm Please bear in mind that this is my first website & my first tank. I too have seen no real change in my PH. I hade taken this to be, that the acid generated by the desolving CO2 was being neutralised by the KH buffer in the water. I expected to see my KH drop and then my PH drop. My KH is dropping slowly, but this is probably not helped by me doing 25% water changes 1/week. My tap water is PH 7.2 KH 6 I think the advise regarding starting with a small amount of yeast is that you get a slow build up of CO2, rather than one big bang as it were. The yeast is multiplying so eventually you will probably end up with the same saturation of yeast in the mixture. I don't know if any of this makes sence All the best Dave Mc |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Dave Mc" wrote in message ... DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. Alex First thing to say is that I'm new to the whole Aquarium thing (2 months) so please be gentle when replying as I could be talking through my Arse (Irish for Bum). Alex, are you saying that a DIY CO2 setup cannot produce enought pressure to blow through an airstone? From my home brewing experience I know that not only can CO2 do this easily, but it can also shatter glass bottles or blow corks out of well sealed bottles (hence the wire around Champangue corks). If the CO2 was not able to force its way through the airstone then Rick would not see any bubbles. I must admit Rick, that I am in a similar position to yourself. I have a DIY CO2 which is connected to an airstone positioned in my (in tank) filter, just at the up take for my powerhead (Juewl Rekord 120 tank). My tank looks like the inside of a shaken pop bottle, with lots of tiny CO2 bubbles diffused around it. The smaller the bubbles are, the longer it takes them to rise to the surface, hence the longer I presume it gives the CO2 to disolve. check out my tank at http://www.mcconnellhousehold.com/Main.htm Please bear in mind that this is my first website & my first tank. I too have seen no real change in my PH. I hade taken this to be, that the acid generated by the desolving CO2 was being neutralised by the KH buffer in the water. I expected to see my KH drop and then my PH drop. My KH is dropping slowly, but this is probably not helped by me doing 25% water changes 1/week. My tap water is PH 7.2 KH 6 I think the advise regarding starting with a small amount of yeast is that you get a slow build up of CO2, rather than one big bang as it were. The yeast is multiplying so eventually you will probably end up with the same saturation of yeast in the mixture. I don't know if any of this makes sence All the best Dave Mc Nice looking tank Dave, and great family pictures. In regards to the CO2 stuff we are both beginners in that area but I did do research and talked to a lot of people. Lots run their co2 through an airstone with the main negative that I found was that the pressure of the co2 tends to eventually break apart the normal airstones, thus the reason I bought the ceramic Rena bubblers which are expensive in relation to a normal stone. I might hook up another bottle to my 20 g tank and see if doubling the co2 makes a difference. Right now I'm tearing my hair out trying to figure out why I get nothing out of my two glass jugs joined with a T fitting. I have checked and rechecked all the fittings, used some duct tape around all the joints at the T and the anti siphon value, silconed around where the tubes enter via the rubber stopper and little if anything. If I remove the line and put it in a pail of water and then vigorously shake the bottle I get a few bubbles but they quickly fade out so obviously there is very little pressure being built up in that mixture. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
the only sure way to find a leak is to put the whole apparatus (bottles,
tubing, etc.) underwater with the output at the same depth or greater as it would be in the tank. you'll see your leak(s) right away. i went crazy trying to find mine and it turned out to be a crack in the body of a check valve. i would have never found it otherwise. it will only take the length of time to fill the bathtub to do it and you'll be a happy guy! jtm -- Remove NOSPAM for email replies "Rick" wrote in message a... "Dave Mc" wrote in message ... DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. Alex First thing to say is that I'm new to the whole Aquarium thing (2 months) so please be gentle when replying as I could be talking through my Arse (Irish for Bum). Alex, are you saying that a DIY CO2 setup cannot produce enought pressure to blow through an airstone? From my home brewing experience I know that not only can CO2 do this easily, but it can also shatter glass bottles or blow corks out of well sealed bottles (hence the wire around Champangue corks). If the CO2 was not able to force its way through the airstone then Rick would not see any bubbles. I must admit Rick, that I am in a similar position to yourself. I have a DIY CO2 which is connected to an airstone positioned in my (in tank) filter, just at the up take for my powerhead (Juewl Rekord 120 tank). My tank looks like the inside of a shaken pop bottle, with lots of tiny CO2 bubbles diffused around it. The smaller the bubbles are, the longer it takes them to rise to the surface, hence the longer I presume it gives the CO2 to disolve. check out my tank at http://www.mcconnellhousehold.com/Main.htm Please bear in mind that this is my first website & my first tank. I too have seen no real change in my PH. I hade taken this to be, that the acid generated by the desolving CO2 was being neutralised by the KH buffer in the water. I expected to see my KH drop and then my PH drop. My KH is dropping slowly, but this is probably not helped by me doing 25% water changes 1/week. My tap water is PH 7.2 KH 6 I think the advise regarding starting with a small amount of yeast is that you get a slow build up of CO2, rather than one big bang as it were. The yeast is multiplying so eventually you will probably end up with the same saturation of yeast in the mixture. I don't know if any of this makes sence All the best Dave Mc Nice looking tank Dave, and great family pictures. In regards to the CO2 stuff we are both beginners in that area but I did do research and talked to a lot of people. Lots run their co2 through an airstone with the main negative that I found was that the pressure of the co2 tends to eventually break apart the normal airstones, thus the reason I bought the ceramic Rena bubblers which are expensive in relation to a normal stone. I might hook up another bottle to my 20 g tank and see if doubling the co2 makes a difference. Right now I'm tearing my hair out trying to figure out why I get nothing out of my two glass jugs joined with a T fitting. I have checked and rechecked all the fittings, used some duct tape around all the joints at the T and the anti siphon value, silconed around where the tubes enter via the rubber stopper and little if anything. If I remove the line and put it in a pail of water and then vigorously shake the bottle I get a few bubbles but they quickly fade out so obviously there is very little pressure being built up in that mixture. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Jim Miller" wrote in message ... the only sure way to find a leak is to put the whole apparatus (bottles, tubing, etc.) underwater with the output at the same depth or greater as it would be in the tank. you'll see your leak(s) right away. i went crazy trying to find mine and it turned out to be a crack in the body of a check valve. i would have never found it otherwise. it will only take the length of time to fill the bathtub to do it and you'll be a happy guy! jtm -- the only thing that I have not completely immersed in water is the top portion of the jug and with that I sprayed soapy water around it and saw nothing. Here is what has happened since. I removed both one gallon jugs. I poured the contents of one jug in two liter pop bottle and hooked that up to a micro bubbler and installed it in my 20 g tank and it was happily bubbling away so it was not the yeast mixture. I then took the 2nd jug and hooked it directly to another bubbler in my 77g tank bypassing the t connector and it is bubbling way so it would appear that something in that connector is amiss however as I mentioned I had that thing completely under water and nothing was seen. The only other thing that comes to mind is could there be a considerable loss of pressure if you lines are too long. I simply hooked this up on a trial basis with an existing piece of line which was likely 6' too long. The jugs were on the floor so the line went up several feet to the tank and then down 2 feet to the bottom and in addition I had several feet of extra line. Since I removed that extra line and the T connector things seem to be working, and I was out checking on the cost of a pressurized system. About $250.00 for gauge and regulator and another $100 to rent a tank and $35.00 for a fill. The tank rental of course is a one time charge. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Dave Mc" wrote in message
... DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. Alex Alex, are you saying that a DIY CO2 setup cannot produce enought pressure to blow through an airstone? From my home brewing experience I know that not only can CO2 do this easily, but it can also shatter glass bottles or blow corks out of well sealed bottles (hence the wire around Champangue corks). If the CO2 was not able to force its way through the airstone then Rick would not see any bubbles. Actually, what I meant by an adequate diffuser was something like the Eheim diffuser used under high pressure in pressurized systems. And yes, the pressure from the yeast will eventually build up to that level, but you'll probably get leaks in the connections or the cork blowing out before you can force CO2 through that diffuser. So my reasoning was that the Rena bubbler wasn't producing small-enough bubbles if it was able to run under a low pressure. But I did look up this product in the Drs. Foster & Smith catalog, and they actually say that it can be used to diffuse CO2. So, I don't know, it might actually work with yeast systems. BTW, a DIY system can easily push CO2 through a regular airstone, but it wouldn't work well by itself as a diffuser. __ Alex R |
No PH change with DIY CO2
seem to be working, and I was out checking on the cost of a pressurized
system. About $250.00 for gauge and regulator and another $100 to rent a tank and $35.00 for a fill. The tank rental of course is a one time charge. http://www.dlink.org/aqua/CO2.html -- Thank You Dominic http://www.dlink.org/aqua |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Aqua" wrote in message ... seem to be working, and I was out checking on the cost of a pressurized system. About $250.00 for gauge and regulator and another $100 to rent a tank and $35.00 for a fill. The tank rental of course is a one time charge. http://www.dlink.org/aqua/CO2.html -- Thank You Dominic http://www.dlink.org/aqua that was great info., thx. After reading the dangers of using CO2 I'm having 2nd thoughts about it. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
Alex, are you saying that a DIY CO2 setup cannot produce enought pressure to blow through an airstone? Actually, what I meant by an adequate diffuser was something like the Eheim diffuser used under high pressure in pressurized systems. Thanks for the heads up Alex. As I say I'm new to this lark. I've gone and read some articles on thekrib about CO2, KH & PH. From these I would have to assume that my CO2 may not be desolving well, even though I'm getting a lot of bubbles in my tank (see my close up photos at http://www.mcconnellhousehold.com/Main.htm) I might try building a reactor like thoes detailed at the krib, but if my readings are accurate my CO2 should be between 10 and 18 ppm, (KH 6ish PH 7-7.2) and this is probably sufficient for my needs. After all I am keeping this primarily as a fish tank. Dave Mc |
No PH change with DIY CO2
"Dave Mc" wrote in message ... Alex, are you saying that a DIY CO2 setup cannot produce enought pressure to blow through an airstone? Actually, what I meant by an adequate diffuser was something like the Eheim diffuser used under high pressure in pressurized systems. Thanks for the heads up Alex. As I say I'm new to this lark. I've gone and read some articles on thekrib about CO2, KH & PH. From these I would have to assume that my CO2 may not be desolving well, even though I'm getting a lot of bubbles in my tank (see my close up photos at http://www.mcconnellhousehold.com/Main.htm) I might try building a reactor like thoes detailed at the krib, but if my readings are accurate my CO2 should be between 10 and 18 ppm, (KH 6ish PH 7-7.2) and this is probably sufficient for my needs. After all I am keeping this primarily as a fish tank. Dave Mc after adding another pop bottle to my 20 g tank my ph dropped overnight from the 7.5 or so that is was to about 6.5 this morning. Obviously one bottle is not enough in a 20g tank. Fish all seem fine and as most are Tetras they prefer soft water anyway. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
No need to be too concerned. Lots of people use the pressurized tanks
without problems other than occasional leaks. Also, I tried the "Home Depo cheapo" multiple ways and could not get it to stop leaking like a sieve. I think the $20 for a real needle valve is well worth it. But if you can get the cheapo one to work, great. Clearly others have. Bob "Rick" wrote in message ... "Aqua" wrote in message ... seem to be working, and I was out checking on the cost of a pressurized system. About $250.00 for gauge and regulator and another $100 to rent a tank and $35.00 for a fill. The tank rental of course is a one time charge. http://www.dlink.org/aqua/CO2.html -- Thank You Dominic http://www.dlink.org/aqua that was great info., thx. After reading the dangers of using CO2 I'm having 2nd thoughts about it. Rick |
No PH change with DIY CO2
I know I'm getting into this late. But, this thread has caught my attention.
Alex R wrote: If the pH is not changing, that means there's no extra CO2 being dissolved from your generator. Not necessarily true. My first tank that I injected DIY CO2 was a little 10 gallon moderately planted tank. This tank never did register any pH drop for the first few weeks I was adding CO2. BUT.....from the next day and ever afterwards my plants were pearling like mad as they had never done before. That would seem to mean that the plants were taking in all of the added CO2 that was being injected. Enough such that there was never any excess CO2 to cause the pH to drop. Judge by the plants response as well as the pH to determine if the CO2 is getting into the water. And it's obvious why. You're using an airstone to diffuse your CO2 gas. DIY CO2 cannot be diffused successfully because the pressure needed to run an adequate diffuser must be much higher than the yeast generator can produce. Different stones perform differently. I've run DIY CO2 into several different stones and have others on hand that I haven't tried yet. I have yet to find a stone that has so much resistance that the CO2 couldn't make its way out. Some stones will put your CO2 hardware to the test as far as being leak-proof, though. Seems the better stones, read that stones that make very fine bubbles, need more pressure and a solid leak-proof setup. The wood 'air-stone' is my favorite at the moment. A powerhead would work much better in your case because it would act as a reactor. Or you can inject it directly into your power or canister filter. That's what most people do, I believe. Your CO2 level should increase overnight as much as it will ever increase. Personally, I'm going into the canister intake. As you say, it doesn't take long at all to see what the CO2 level is going to be. One thing I see all the time about adding CO2 and extra lighting that just makes me nuts. ......or would that be more nuts? It seems most people do this bass akwards. Everyone wants to add extra lights and then get around to adding the CO2 'if I need it'. Seems to me, there would be way less grief if the CO2 were added first, THEN add the extra lighting. There would probably be way less complaining about algae. My first tank with 1 wpg and too much direct sunlight contained tons of algae when I started adding the CO2. The algae just went away of its own accord. I've never had much algae (just a couple of spots on the glass at the filter outlet) in my second tank with the CO2 and about 1.5 wpg and the plants grow very well. -- Scott Lewis |
No PH change with DIY CO2
The Ph will not drop if your kh is high (or less).
Also, don't put too much light with diy co2 because you will probably become co2 limited. It happened to me and the plants suffered from it until i added a co2 bottle. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:55 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter