# Effect of co2 mist on fish



## Burnleygaz (28 Aug 2011)

I purchased an AM100 reactor and installed it yesterday in my trigon 190 , prior to this i was using a needle wheel modded PH to distribute the co2 in the tank via mist. With the mist i could allow the dropchecker to turn yellow 2-3 hours into the photoperiod without any ill effects to the fish , any earlier than this and they would start to exhibit signs of co2 toxicity via genral sluggishnss and a reluctance to feed , with the tetras the only fish who would start heading for the surface.

This morning as the lights turned on drop checker was as yellow as i have ever seen it , but all the tank inhabitants seemed to be fine , and as i was home all day i left things be whilts keeping a very close eye on the tank , lights have just gone off with no signs of distress from the fish.  

Everything in the tank is the same, apart from i`ve done my monthly maintenance routine of soaking all my ph`s+ spray bar and inlet for the cannister in bleach , rinsed all media , and changed the floss out for new , i did have to tweak my needle valve down slighlty yesterday after installing the AM as it was at about 20 BPs (too fast to count anyway) which i guess is down to the change in pressure required (vs a ceramic disc).I also have a large amount of surface movement, but again its the same as before the change. 

My question is , does CO2 in mist form make it harder for fish in anyway , as a stab in the dark , maybe the mist gets up in their gills perhaps ?


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## Matt Warner (29 Aug 2011)

Hi. A few questions, are you using 4dkh solution in your drop checker with bromo blue? Why do you want the
Drop checker to be yellow? I always thought green was the colour you needed it to be? 
I don't think co2 bubbles affect the fish, my fish swin straight through the mist coming from the diffuser without a problem. The problem if your drop checker is yellow is probably too much co2.
20 bps seems very excessive for 190l tank. I am only using about 1bps on a 125l which is heavily planted and drop checker is lime green? What kind of diffuser are you using? I would of thought 3 or 4bps would be about right for your size tank.
Cheers


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## Burnleygaz (29 Aug 2011)

Drop checker is 4dkh water and bromo blue ofc, and as my tank is light limited more co2 = faster growth , via a long process of trial and error over the last year or so i`ve managed to run the tank with much higer levels of c02 than is genrally reccomended via a combination of lowering the temperture by a couple of degrees and adding a lot of surface agitation (c02 and o2 levels in water are not mutally exclusive), this may mean i`m wasting a lot of gas but at £10 for a 6kg refill it`s not really a concern with the growth rates i`m getting under my rather weak lighting.

Comparing bps between tanks is genrally not reccomended due to the large amount of variables, 3-4 bps in my tank would net me around 10ppm of co2.


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## Johno2090 (29 Aug 2011)

The drop checker is always just a guide, its not accurate. If your fish and Plants are healthy then it doesn't matter what colour your drop checker is....As you've already got the best working BPS for yourself and the tank I'd be inclined to stick to what's working for you, since there is never a correct BPS its always situational.

The only time I have ever noticed an effect on my Fish is when the CO2 is off the scale altho, I do notice the fish are a lot more active when the bubbles turn off however this could be due to less mist in the water and the increase in clarity.


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## Matt Warner (29 Aug 2011)

Sorry. Was trying to help!


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## Burnleygaz (29 Aug 2011)

Matty1983 said:
			
		

> Why bother asking the question then in the first place you obviously know best! I was only trying to help you!
> Cheers



Sorry ? My question was about co2 in mist form vs co2 that has been totally dissolved into the water coloum and the effects (if any) on fauna , which is still unanswered.


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## Matt Warner (29 Aug 2011)

Ok sorry! I would say no the mist won't affect the fish!


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## Matt Warner (29 Aug 2011)

I'm sorry for not answering your question and going off on a tangent. I wasn't being funny with you, I just didn't think that a yellow drop checker was normal and I didn't think you could make up for a lack of light by adding shed loads of co2. I hope no offence was caused and I apologise again.


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## Burnleygaz (29 Aug 2011)

No worries


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## spyder (30 Aug 2011)

Burnleygaz said:
			
		

> and as my tank is light limited more co2 = faster growth



I am failing to get my head around this conclusion. Your plants appetite for Co2 is driven by light levels therefore supplying more Co2 than their uptake rate wouldn't give any more growth.


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## Matt Warner (30 Aug 2011)

That makes two of us! If your tank is lower light, then surely the plants aren't going to grow any quicker with higher levels than 30ppm of co2. I didn't think you could make up for a lack of light by adding way too much co2!


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## Burnleygaz (30 Aug 2011)

I don't know the science behind it but it has something to do with how the plant uses the available energy using less to uptake co 2 means it can devote more to other activities

There was a thread on barr report last year about it

As always the proof is on the pudding and a near doubling of growth rates on my tank isn't something too be sniffed at


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## Johno2090 (30 Aug 2011)

I remember that thread too something about the more CO2 that's available the more chance of making food over converting O2 or something like that...

Look for Plantbrain's posts that's Mr. Barr.


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## plantbrain (31 Aug 2011)

I have not found any difference with CO2 mist vs dissolved.
ADA's tanks all use mist from disc anyhoo.........

And.....my fish breed........at 29C and at 6-70ppm CO2.


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## Burnleygaz (31 Aug 2011)

I'm starting to think that there is something else going on in my tank , just changed over the dropchecker to my spare with fresh 4 dkh water in so I shall see what this looks like in the morning.


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## Burnleygaz (31 Aug 2011)

fault lies with the dropchecker, must not of rinsed it enough when i bleached it , the fresh one is still blue this morning at lights on. Kinda funny tho as i was thinking my growth rates had slowed a bit.


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