# Using Carbonated water



## paulsouthuk (31 Dec 2012)

Hi just seen on the featured scapes section that worlds apart makes use of carbonated water. This tank has Riccia Fluitans in it. Is carbonated water really a good solution for adding CO2? What side effects are there and what brand is the best? I have a 150l set up. Is it cost effective to use carbonated water?


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## jack-rythm (31 Dec 2012)

Check out my triptych nano journal.

I wanted a tank that I could grow medium tech plants that required slightly more attention than low tech but without the co2 faff.. I use carbonated water for each of my 300mm cubes and have been doing so for about 2 months. I buy 2x 65p 2l bottles from the shop and does 6ml per day in each tank. good thing is its cheap.. bad thing is you have to replace the bottle when its about half way as the fizz goes! Its once again (as everything is) all down to personal results and preference.. In my case it works wonders, I base this on the size of my tank though.. My tanks are5 times smaller than yours so I would be unsure if it would have an impact, if any at all.. you could try liquid carbon as a substitute, but of course this does not match co2 quality. 

Jack


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## jack-rythm (31 Dec 2012)

I grow cuba and pogostemon helferi which others would class as medium to high growth needs..


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## ceg4048 (31 Dec 2012)

Hello,
	   Carbonated water is water that has had lots of CO2 gas injected into it, so it's exactly the same as what we do. You can then add secret syrup and then call it cola. Unless you have access to cheap sources of this I don't think it would be very cost effective.


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## jack-rythm (31 Dec 2012)

HAHAHa! 

Ceg I was saying its not as affective because its life pan in the tank is less.. as aposed to a very constant and balanced flow of injected co2 into the tank


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (31 Dec 2012)

Jack? Ever thought about buying a 'fizz-keeper'. I know the bottles are cheap, but if you can make the whole bottle last, you'll be saving 30p a time. Plus maybe maintaining a good level of co2 within the water throughout.


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## jack-rythm (31 Dec 2012)

haha amazing image Nath  It would be a good idea.. but it really doesn't cost me that much, although I do hate to just throw away half a bottle every time... Ill see if I can find any on Ebay or something


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## AverageWhiteBloke (31 Dec 2012)

Or alternatively drink it and no waste


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## Manrock (31 Dec 2012)

jack-rythm said:


> bad thing is you have to replace the bottle when its about half way as the fizz goes!


 
Or - collapse the bottle as you use the water. Just slowly squeeze the bottle until the water reaches the top and then screw the cap on tightly. If there is no 'air' in the bottle then the fizz has nowhere to go! It stays fizzy.


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## paulsouthuk (31 Dec 2012)

Thanks for the replies I just think I'll have a go with it and see how I go. I don't have magic syrup so I'll stick to plain carbonated water. However if I was to do an amazonian biotope I may try cola to get the authentic colour. Thankyou for all your replies.


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## jack-rythm (31 Dec 2012)

I think the coke suggestion was a joke?! I assume it was anyway! 

I have ordered a fizz keeper Nath


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## foxfish (31 Dec 2012)

These are even better

 Fizz Soda Saver Dispenser Bottle Drinking Water Dispense Machine Gadget Party | eBay


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## jojouk (31 Dec 2012)

How would this affect the livestock in the tank? I can get plenty of soda water from where I work, which is just carbonated water...hmmmmm ???


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## jack-rythm (1 Jan 2013)

It doesn't and won't affected your fish  

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## jojouk (1 Jan 2013)

So how do you do it? Have you tested to see how much you add and what co2 saturation it gives? or is it a kind of hit and miss and see how it goes kinda thing?


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## jack-rythm (1 Jan 2013)

Check out my triptych journal, I explain what I use. I use roughly 6ml a day   I use it on 3x 27l tanks so it works wonders, I doubt I would use it on anything bigger that 60l as the distribution would be too poor   

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Mortis (2 Jan 2013)

But wouldnt you have pH swings and unstable CO2 levels which would lead to algae ?


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## LondonDragon (2 Jan 2013)

Wouldn't it be more effective and cheaper just to use EasyCarbo in the end?


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## jack-rythm (2 Jan 2013)

Mortis said:


> But wouldnt you have pH swings and unstable CO2 levels which would lead to algae ?


 
nearly 4 months down the line and no signs of algae so i guess not  maybe this is just my tank set up though.. My cuba is doing great and thats with carbonated water every day. 




LondonDragon said:


> Wouldn't it be more effective and cheaper just to use EasyCarbo in the end?


 
well i buy a bottle of fizzy water for about 65p and it lasts me 1-2 weeks before it looses fiz so its pretty cheap  I do also use LC but only when I feel it is needed


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## dean (14 Jan 2013)

Get to Aldi only 29p for 2 litres


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## dean (28 Jan 2013)

Could you drill the lid of a bottle and put airline through it, (make a good seal so gas doesn't escape) enough to reach the bottom, then start it siphoning into the tank but control the drip with an airline valve or clamp?


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## Tim Harrison (28 Jan 2013)

25p Clearview Sparkling Spring Water 2 Litre - Groceries - Tesco Groceries


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## dean (29 Jan 2013)

are we saying that adding carbonated water is more or less efficient as adding co2?


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## jack-rythm (29 Jan 2013)

dean said:


> are we saying that adding carbonated water is more or less efficient as adding co2?


Definitely not Mate no. But it does contribute for sure.

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## Iain Sutherland (30 Jan 2013)

Surely this must off gas in no time at all, as paulo said liquid carbon would likely be a far more effective and easier way to dose a tank.


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## jack-rythm (30 Jan 2013)

easerthegeezer said:


> Surely this must off gas in no time at all, as paulo said liquid carbon would likely be a far more effective and easier way to dose a tank.


Sure mate I understand where your coming from, I'm only speaking from my point of view. My tanks are only 27 litre so I wouldn't think it would help in anything larger than a nano. But I can definitely vouch for carbonated water. Its kept my Cuba running well. I think its one of those cases where it may or it may not work. I replace my bottles every week and dose every day. But it is important to stress that if not replaces it does gas off, it also works because of such a small tank mass.

Cheers! Jack


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## dw1305 (30 Jan 2013)

Hi all,


jack-rythm said:


> But I can definitely vouch for carbonated water. Its kept my Cuba running well. I think its one of those cases where it may or it may not work. I replace my bottles every week and dose every day.


Takashi Amano wrote:


> "I decided to make a real effort to raise water plants and design beautiful waterscapes in 1977. At that time there were no power filters and such devices like there are today, and figuring out my first set-up was difficult. I placed about 7cm of fine coral sand on the bottom and intensely aerated the water with a bottom filter. I thought that putting fishes in would cause problems, si I limited myself to plants. For lighting the 60cm tank I used two 20watt bulbs: in a week they were transparent. There were no books to help me out. All I could do was grope on in the dark. Next I realized that while I could raise plants fairly successfully in old aquaria, the newer ones were just no good. While pondering the reason for this, I figured out that it wasn't just air but CO2 that they needed, so I asked my mentor, Professor Nagashima of Niigata Seiryo Women's Junior College, about methods for carbonation of aquarium water. He told me that 0,03% CO2 in the air should be enough, and that it was naturally absorbed into the water so that I didn't have to add it artificially. But he introduced me to a friend in the medical equipament field anyway, who discussed possible carbonation methods with me and gave me a cost estimate. It's too bad it couldn't have been done more inexpensively or I would have successfully set up an aquatic plant aquariom much sooner. Carbon dioxide was something I never needed in my work and it was too expensive a material for me, anyway. Dry ice was economical, but it was too hard to handle and disappeared too quickly to be practical. Frustrated, I went on struggling and tried to forget about CO2. The aquatic plant aquarium work inched along to the point where the plants weren't dying as much but they wouldn't form new buds. Then one night I went to a bar with a friend and a clear bottle of carbonated water caught my eye. The label said, "water, carbon dioxide, sodium chloride (NaCl) 1%." I wasn't sure about the NaCl but it was the perfect material for testing whether the plants needed CO2. I took five bottles home with me. The tank for the experiment was big: 240x60x60cm. Flushed with drink and excitement, I poured the five bottles in. Within five minutes air bubbles had formed on the leaves: they did need the CO2. Every tank I added the soda water to did well, but I had to be careful not to add too much because of the 1% NaCl, and so I changed the water faithfully every week. There were piles of empty soda water bottles all over my room. If I hadn't discovered that carbonated water when I did, I surely would have given up on the whole idea of aquatic plant aquaria


cheers Darrel


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (30 Jan 2013)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Takashi Amano wrote:
> 
> cheers Darrel



Wow, great story. Thanks D!


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## LondonDragon (30 Jan 2013)

Whitey89 said:


> Wow, great story. Thanks D!


That's in the first book, everyone should have a copy of that


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (30 Jan 2013)

LondonDragon said:


> That's in the first book, everyone should have a copy of that



Im always skint


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## jack-rythm (30 Jan 2013)

LondonDragon said:


> That's in the first book, everyone should have a copy of that


Do indeed! Nice one. Thanks for clarifying

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## LondonDragon (30 Jan 2013)

Whitey89 said:


> Im always skint


I got all 3 for £27 inc postage so can't complain


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (30 Jan 2013)

LondonDragon said:


> I got all 3 for £27 inc postage so can't complain



Alright condition mate?


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## LondonDragon (30 Jan 2013)

Whitey89 said:


> Alright condition mate?


Like new


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (30 Jan 2013)

Decent. Are you wanting rid


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## dean (31 Jan 2013)

cheers darrel
i had first book lent it to someone and it never returned


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