Pressurized Co2, Equipment, Flow And Fertilization

[SLIM]

Really good photos jaeger!
Silly question maybe..... Was the lampeye still alive?
I've had them before but didn't realise what jumpers they are!

What are your thoughts on Ph controllers slim? Forgetting cost of course!
I cannot get my Ph to stabilize no matter what I do. My Drop checker goes green for maybe 3 hours of the day at best.
I'm sure this is normal but it certainly doesn't seem like an efficient use of CO2!
My plan is to have the Ph controller attatched to a timer so it switches on in the morning and regulates the Ph throughout the day until lights out.
Sound like a good idea?

In theory yes this sounds like a great idea. In all honestly iv never used a PH controller so have 0 experience with them.
From what i read, the trouble with them is IF they go wrong or faulter, you could end up gassing your fish.
The fact that your co2 rises through out the day to me suggests inconsistant co2.
This could be your reg? Diffuser perhaps, ceramics are not the best tbh. Plus how much surface agitation do you have also?
I assume your co2 is set to come on 2 hours before lights on also?

You assume correct. I think the regulator is sound, the bps are always consistent throughout the day. The diffuser produces lots of even sized bubbles across the entire ceramic surface, not just one part of it so I'd say its working correctly. Moderate surface agitation, I get small tornado like funnels appearing at the surface, its kinda cool to watch and the fish seem to like it! Its not as bad as it sounds, all the plants are gently swaying and the fish aren't having to swim for their lives either. Its almost as though my CO2 doesn't escape from the water fast enough, if it did, I might be able to balance things easier... Kh is 10 which isn't all that high... I think I'm just going to buy one, I had one a couple of years ago but didn't use it properly. So you have 30ppm when your lights come on but then your drop checker slowly gets lighter throughout the day? Does it actually turn yellow or just a very light green. If you do use a PH controller, let us know how you get on in your journal as il be interested to follow your progress with it

 

[jaeger5]

 

Really good photos jaeger!
Silly question maybe..... Was the lampeye still alive?
I've had them before but didn't realise what jumpers they are!

 


What are your thoughts on Ph controllers slim? Forgetting cost of course!
I cannot get my Ph to stabilize no matter what I do. My Drop checker goes green for maybe 3 hours of the day at best.
I'm sure this is normal but it certainly doesn't seem like an efficient use of CO2!
My plan is to have the Ph controller attatched to a timer so it switches on in the morning and regulates the Ph throughout the day until lights out.
Sound like a good idea?

In theory yes this sounds like a great idea. In all honestly iv never used a PH controller so have 0 experience with them.
From what i read, the trouble with them is IF they go wrong or faulter, you could end up gassing your fish.
The fact that your co2 rises through out the day to me suggests inconsistant co2.
This could be your reg? Diffuser perhaps, ceramics are not the best tbh. Plus how much surface agitation do you have also?
I assume your co2 is set to come on 2 hours before lights on also?

You assume correct. I think the regulator is sound, the bps are always consistent throughout the day. The diffuser produces lots of even sized bubbles across the entire ceramic surface, not just one part of it so I'd say its working correctly. Moderate surface agitation, I get small tornado like funnels appearing at the surface, its kinda cool to watch and the fish seem to like it! Its not as bad as it sounds, all the plants are gently swaying and the fish aren't having to swim for their lives either. Its almost as though my CO2 doesn't escape from the water fast enough, if it did, I might be able to balance things easier... Kh is 10 which isn't all that high... I think I'm just going to buy one, I had one a couple of years ago but didn't use it properly.
So you have 30ppm when your lights come on but then your drop checker slowly gets lighter throughout the day? Does it actually turn yellow or just a very light green. If you do use a PH controller, let us know how you get on in your journal as il be interested to follow your progress with it
 

Thats pretty much what happens. It definitely turns yellow. I've even checked my Ph constantly throughout the day with test kits, I only hit 30ppm for about 3 or 4 hours before Ph drops way too low and the fish start changing behavior. I think as long as I re-calibrate the probe on the Ph sensor every couple of weeks, it should be fine. The probes only have a life span of about a year before they start giving out dodgy readings, so as long as you maintain them and change them there's not a lot that can go wrong.

I have back up alert system should it fail. I've taught the Mrs what it means when "the glass thingy inside the tank turns yellow" and even shown her how to turn off the solenoid valve!

 

[levahe]

@jaeger5, all you need to do is set your timer for co2 to go off when the co2 is too high. As long as the co2 is at 30 ppm at lights on and then run for 3 or 4 hours. I assume your lighting period is between 6 and 8 hours?

It could be that you need to run a slower injection rate but start earlier to reach 30ppm at lights on. This would mean that it would take longer to become too high because the injection rate is slower.

 

[SLIM]

 


Really good photos jaeger!
Silly question maybe..... Was the lampeye still alive?
I've had them before but didn't realise what jumpers they are!

 



What are your thoughts on Ph controllers slim? Forgetting cost of course!
I cannot get my Ph to stabilize no matter what I do. My Drop checker goes green for maybe 3 hours of the day at best.
I'm sure this is normal but it certainly doesn't seem like an efficient use of CO2!
My plan is to have the Ph controller attatched to a timer so it switches on in the morning and regulates the Ph throughout the day until lights out.
Sound like a good idea?

In theory yes this sounds like a great idea. In all honestly iv never used a PH controller so have 0 experience with them.
From what i read, the trouble with them is IF they go wrong or faulter, you could end up gassing your fish.
The fact that your co2 rises through out the day to me suggests inconsistant co2.
This could be your reg? Diffuser perhaps, ceramics are not the best tbh. Plus how much surface agitation do you have also?
I assume your co2 is set to come on 2 hours before lights on also?

You assume correct. I think the regulator is sound, the bps are always consistent throughout the day. The diffuser produces lots of even sized bubbles across the entire ceramic surface, not just one part of it so I'd say its working correctly. Moderate surface agitation, I get small tornado like funnels appearing at the surface, its kinda cool to watch and the fish seem to like it! Its not as bad as it sounds, all the plants are gently swaying and the fish aren't having to swim for their lives either. Its almost as though my CO2 doesn't escape from the water fast enough, if it did, I might be able to balance things easier... Kh is 10 which isn't all that high... I think I'm just going to buy one, I had one a couple of years ago but didn't use it properly.
So you have 30ppm when your lights come on but then your drop checker slowly gets lighter throughout the day? Does it actually turn yellow or just a very light green. If you do use a PH controller, let us know how you get on in your journal as il be interested to follow your progress with it
 

Thats pretty much what happens. It definitely turns yellow. I've even checked my Ph constantly throughout the day with test kits, I only hit 30ppm for about 3 or 4 hours before Ph drops way too low and the fish start changing behavior. I think as long as I re-calibrate the probe on the Ph sensor every couple of weeks, it should be fine. The probes only have a life span of about a year before they start giving out dodgy readings, so as long as you maintain them and change them there's not a lot that can go wrong.
I have back up alert system should it fail. I've taught the Mrs what it means when "the glass thingy inside the tank turns yellow" and even shown her how to turn off the solenoid valve!
Lol i like your back up alert lol wish my missus could be taught new tricks like that lmao! You will have to let us know how you get on with your PH controller

@levahe, remember drop checkers take two hours to react to a PH difference in the waters column. So if you switch of the gas off too early, the drop checker may be telling you that you have 30ppm at lights off but the actual co2 level in your water by this point could be way lower. Fluctuating co2 is the one thing you dont want as this will trigger all kinds of nasty algae.

 

[levahe]

The most important thing to get right when using co2 is to make sure your co2 is spot on for when your lights turn on, this is the most crucial time for the plants. That's when they need co2 the most. Towards the end of the photoperiod is not so important.

Trust me turning off co2 3 or 4 hours before lights off does not cause fluctuating co2 levels lol, you are just assuming thats what happens.

 

[SLIM]

OK

 

[DrRob]

Edit sorted. Thanks for this SLIM, nice write up.

 

[SLIM]

Edit sorted. Thanks for this SLIM, nice write up.

Thank you DrRob for letting me edit it and for pinning it
I hope this will some real help for newbies with their co2 set up

 

[stanleo]

This is great and will be extremely helpful when I can finally start my discus tank.
 
But I have a few questions if you don't mind.
 
1. I don't do pressurized but I have always put liquid carbon in after the weekly water change. Flourish Excel by Seachem to be exact. Now I put it in every day (when I remember) cause I want more lush growth and I want my grasses up front to start growing taller. Am I doing the right thing? Is this considered CO2 injection? (that's prolly a stupid question so I'm sorry lol)
 
2. I also put Flourish Iron by Seachem after my weekly water change. Is that right?
 
3. These are the only supplements I use. I have good growth but not GREAT growth. I have never put in micro ferts as far as I am aware. Should I be? Your article said they are essential but since I have had good growth I never considered changing my routine. Also I don't do the macro ferts either but I assume that I am getting that from the fish. Right?
 
Here is a list of plants I have if that is helpful. Also the lights on this 29gl tank are one T5 Full spectrum and one T5 grow bulb. Photoperiod is 8hrs.  
 
Anubais: grows well
Amazon flame sword: is taking over my whole tank it grows so well
Some rosette growing light green plant that has long oval leaves and stays short. I don't know the name of that one but I think it could grow a little better.
Grasses that when I bought them were really tall and after a few weeks melted down to the short stalks you see up front in my sig. They propagated through there roots which is why I have so many. The funny thing about that is I put some in my 10gl shrimp tank with just a T8 full spectrum bulb and in 3 months they have grown tall and one of them now is all the way to the top.
 

 

 

[SLIM]

Hi stanleo
Of course you can ask questions, thats the whole point of this thread
And their are no stupid questions here

1. Yes Carbon should be dosed daily (everyday without fail if poss and possibly before lights on)
I add mine every morning. And No, dosing carbon is not co2 injection.
Co2 injection is when pressurised gas is involved.
Well get to your grasses

2. Dosing iron is fine, it wont effect anything. However iron is normally only dosed seperately like this when people with high light and pressurised systems are trying to keep red plants red. Red plants tend to turn green without sufficient iron and light. With your set up i doubt very much that you will be benefiting from iron to be honest. I personally would replace the iron with a Micro fert and dose that daily instead as micros contain traces of iron. Seachem Florish is a good micro fert seems your already using their products. So not to confuse you, you would be dosing seachem Florish and Florish excel daily.

3. Yes as stated above, if i was you i would dose micros daily and ditch the iron.

Macros are also normally recommended with high tech carbon tanks but if your not getting any deficiencies and you have no algae then its obvious that your fish waste is providing enough of these elements, so you shouldnt have to add them
If your plants start showing deficiencies (pale leaves, holes in leaves, melting, leaves turning yellow-brown) OR if you get algae break outs, you may want to consider macros.

As for your grasses, it looks like Dwarf Sag??
Dwarf sag tends to stay short in good lighting and grow tall in poor lighting. With that said, even in good lighting dwarf sag will occasionally send the odd tall shoot to the surface. It can behave very differently in different set ups

SLIM

 

[stanleo]

Awesome! Thanks so much! I always wondered if the iron was worth it. Good cause that bottle is almost empty. lolI will get Seachem micro fert tomorrow.
 
Just to clarify. The pic at the bottom is my 10gl. The tall grass to the right that is almost to the water line is the same grass that I have in the 29gl. That is what it looked like when I bought it. Is that Dwarf Sag? Sorry I am terrible with plant id and remembering which ones I bought.
 

 

[SLIM]

Awesome! Thanks so much! I always wondered if the iron was worth it. Good cause that bottle is almost empty. lolI will get Seachem micro fert tomorrow.
 
Just to clarify. The pic at the bottom is my 10gl. The tall grass to the right that is almost to the water line is the same grass that I have in the 29gl. That is what it looked like when I bought it. Is that Dwarf Sag? Sorry I am terrible with plant id and remembering which ones I bought.
 

Yes i believe it is. You can trim it if you like it wont kill it. Anyway happy to help give me a shout if you need me again

 

[TaurineLittle]

Awesome thread SLIM! just one question, does the grade of the ferts affect anything? I can get potassium nitrate and phosphate in grades A, B, C and D. If I get grade 'C' will that affect anything?

 

[SLIM]

Hi

As long as it is KNO3 or KH2PO4 and nothing else your be fine I would recommend grade A if poss
The analysis will be a bit different from say grade A to grade D but tbh is shouldnt effect much.
Worse case scenario is you may see a slight Nitrate, Phosphate or Potassium deficiency to begin with if you use grade D in which case you just add say another 1/2 a teaspoon more to your mix to counter act this

Glad you like the thread. Happy to help.

 

[SLIM]

.