Injecting Diy Co2 Into Nexx Filter Intake

[slowcountry]

I have been using two Nutrafin yeast CO2 systems in my 55gal planted tank. This utilizes a ladder type diffuser that appears to waste a great deal of the CO2 that is generated. I started using my own yeast / sugar mix and decided to inject it directly in the pump of my API NEXX canister filter. The CO2 appears to mix into the water and very little bubbles come out of the filter outlet. Is there a down side to doing this? Is the CO2 properly mixing in the water with this method and am I doing anything detrimental to the filter bacteria?

I am having difficulty maintaining a balance with my plants. I get strong growth for a couple of weeks and then algae starts to line plant leaves on my sword plants and other fine leaved plants. At this time, the sword leaves start to curl over, stop growing and start to yellow. I have corkscrew vals and some short sword type plants that send shoots all over the open gravel. When the swords start to have problems, the shorter plants send out more shoots but the main part of the plants develop the same algae lining and start to show color change as well.

My water is well water that is hard with a pH of about 8.5. Using the API test kit, ammonia and nitrite are zero, nitrate is 40 to 60. I'm using a GLO T5 HO 48" light with a 6700K bulb and a 10K bulb standing about 3 inches off the top of the water. The tank is fairly heavily planted. I dose twice a week with flourish trace and comprehensive suppliment. Once a month I use Sera Florenette A tabs in the substrate, about half the recommended amount. The substrate is medium size brown aquarium gravel with a couple pounds of layerite scattered in.

I'm looking for suggestions on balancing the aquarium so the plants continue to grow, don't get stiffled with algae growing on the edges (black algae along the edges, not the hairy type). In addition, I want to make sure the CO2 going into the filter intake is not going to have an adverse effect on the system.

Thanks,

Doug Coffman

 

[ian]

hey Doug, i'm afraid to tell you but 2 Nutrafin kits arn't going to cut it on a 55g tank. If you're going to carry on with yeast on a tank this size you're going to be looking at 6-8, 2 litre bottle to get good diffusion into the water column. Whilst using this amount you are also going to have to try and keep the C02 stable as yeast again on a tank this size will create fluctuating C02 levels, this in turn can aid the growth of algae. The algae you're describing is akin to unstable C02.

What wattgae is the lighting over the tank?

 

[slowcountry]

hey Doug, i'm afraid to tell you but 2 Nutrafin kits arn't going to cut it on a 55g tank. If you're going to carry on with yeast on a tank this size you're going to be looking at 6-8, 2 litre bottle to get good diffusion into the water column. Whilst using this amount you are also going to have to try and keep the C02 stable as yeast again on a tank this size will create fluctuating C02 levels, this in turn can aid the growth of algae. The algae you're describing is akin to unstable C02.

What wattgae is the lighting over the tank?

Thank you for the reply. I'm a little confused with the line 6-8, 2 litre.... Are you saying that it would take 6-8 nutrafin kits or 6-8 2 litre bottles of DIY?

I have a GLO T5 HO light about 3" above the tank. There are 1 - 6700K 54 watt and 1 - 10K 54 watt bulbs in the unit for a total of 108 watts.

Do you see any issue diffusing the CO2 into the filter intake?

Thanks,

Doug