Introduction Of Co2

[Mike Steed]

Hi,
I am hoping someone could help me with a problem with my recently installed CO2 pressurised system. The plants seem to be responding quite well but the problem is with the length of time the system is putting CO2 into the tank. My lights are set to come on at 14.00 every day and go off at 22.00. The KH is 3.0 and whilst the lights are off at 07.30 in the morning, my pH meter is reading 6.7. It stays around 6.7 until the lights have been on for around 2 hours, when at 16.00 the pH rises enough for the solenoid to open and start injecting CO2. The controller is set at 7.0 and the pH slowly rises during the lighting period to around 7.5. The lights switch off at 22.00 and the pH starts to slowly fall. The CO2 is still being pumped into the tank till the early hours of the morning, and the whole cycle starts again. Is this normal or should I connect the system to come on and off with the lights?? The local aquarist store has a planted tank set up as a display and his plants look brilliant. He is pruning the plants regularly but his system seems to be switching on and off many times during the day with very little fluctuation above the set pH of 6.8. In all I would eastimate that my system is pumping CO2 for about 10 hours at a time.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[Themuleous]

To be honest this is why I wouldn't use a pH controller, why complicate things? I would think its either a case of you have quite a bit of surface water movement that stops the CO2 building and/or the reg is set quite low so even when the co2 comes on its not being added very quickly, and therefore it takes a while to get to the right level.

If it were me I would ditch the pH controller and just have the CO2 to come on an hr or so before the lights then off with the lights. Thats what most people do with solenoids. Actually if it were me I'd remove the solenoid and run the CO2 24/7, but thats just me.

Sam

 

[Mike Steed]

To be honest this is why I wouldn't use a pH controller, why complicate things? I would think its either a case of you have quite a bit of surface water movement that stops the CO2 building and/or the reg is set quite low so even when the co2 comes on its not being added very quickly, and therefore it takes a while to get to the right level.

If it were me I would ditch the pH controller and just have the CO2 to come on an hr or so before the lights then off with the lights. Thats what most people do with solenoids. Actually if it were me I'd remove the solenoid and run the CO2 24/7, but thats just me.

Sam

Thanks Sam,
Since I posted this query I have tried experimenting by increasing the amount of CO2 entering the tank and this has helped, so you were spot on. I have now also cut down on the surface movement to see if this helps.

Cheers.

Mike.

 

[Themuleous]

 

[George Farmer]

Hi Mike and welcome to TFF.

Have a read of this -

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/....php?blogid=116