# What do you think of this Co2 method?



## julioarca (13 May 2008)

I am retrying my Co2 system after having many failures due to overloading my fish tank..Discus were not too happy.

I have a Red Sea dIY Co2 system and have it connected to a double valve outlet. One pipe goes to my venturi on the filter outlet, the other goes to a 750ml plastic bottle which I have fitted a pipe connector to. I know the bottle is water tight and I also know that when it reaches a certain pressure it hisses a little to release it. I also have a bubble counter on the side too.

Soo I have adjusted the outlet to show approx 1 bubble per sec going into the tank andhave the valve fully open going into the extra bottle so it is acting as an over spill but I know it will seep the Co2 once it gets too much in it. Might this work?

Lets see


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## Ed Seeley (13 May 2008)

I think you might find it easier to adjust your CO2 output by adding less yeast to your mix; what mixture are you using?  Generally a DIY set up should be pretty hard to get a CO2 overdose.  I managed it after messing about with yeast and sugar mixtures in a Nutrafin kit on a 5 gallon tank, but on a large tank I'm surprised.  If you want to make totally sure you don't OD then simply adding an air pump to come on at lights out and this should gas off excess CO2 to keep your discus happy.


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## LondonDragon (14 May 2008)

I agree with Ed, I had two nutrafin kits on my Rio 125 and I did notice the fish overnight strugelling, so I added a air pump during lights out and never had any problem again.


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## julioarca (14 May 2008)

Its strange. I use 1 teaspoon yeast, 12 tablespoons sugar, a little bicarb of soda, this mixture was overloading the tank, 180L and makig the fish poorly. Once I aerated the water they were fine, even during the day. So I have been running this new method for 24 hours with any side effects.

Got approx 1 bubble per sec or slightly less...

David


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## Wolfenrook (18 May 2008)

You are overloading with that?     Ok I have to ask, just how many plants do you have, how much lighting and are you dosing ferts?  Levels getting high with that kind of infusion in that size of tank suggests that the plants you have aren't using as much CO2, which suggests to me either lower lighting, or a lack of nutrients for the plants to use during photosynthesis.

On my 180 litre I have to run 2x 2 litre pop bottles on my DIY system just to get to around the 30ppm mark, that's with 1 /12 teaspoons of yeast to about 800g of sugar with no bicarb (hard water area).  I did admitedly stop using the venturi method (my little CO2 pump kept getting blocked, and running the venturi on my filter reduce flow too much) and switched to using a lime wood diffuser, but even with venturi smaller bottles couldn't produce enough.

Ade


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## julioarca (19 May 2008)

I probably have 1/3 planted at mo, more to come..I do a PMDD dosing system and have 3x30 w T8 tubes on for approx 10 hours per day.

Currently I have my diy at 1 bubble per secondish, or as close as I can get, fish feeding and swimming ok...However the past day they have become skitish when I approach the tank to feed them, run it different directions and hide till I have gone. But apart from that their behaviour is normal. I have the red sea diy unit, I will monitor performance and perhaps increase to 2 per sec after a week if all is still fine.

Thanx


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## beeky (20 May 2008)

What livestock have you got?

Just wondering if it's heavy stocking thats pushing the CO2 up/oxygen down.


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## julioarca (20 May 2008)

but its only 1/3-  1/2 stocked


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## Wolfenrook (20 May 2008)

I'd say that was medium lighting, and quite low planting, which could be why so much CO2 is going unused.  I would consider using a little less yeast in your system and perhaps increasing the amount of bicarb you are using in order to slow down production a little until you have slightly heavier (50% or over) planting.

Alternatively try mounting your venturi pump a little higher in the tank so that the bubbles are in contact with the water column for less time.

Ade


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## julioarca (20 May 2008)

So bicarb speeds up the co2 production...I just added 10 giant vallis plants to the tank rear tonight


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## Wolfenrook (21 May 2008)

No, bicarb slows it down but makes it go for longer, it's pretty much the same thing as Hagen label stabiliser in the nutrafin kits.  In areas with hard water though it's not really needed.

Ade


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## julioarca (21 May 2008)

my water is very soft


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## Wolfenrook (22 May 2008)

Then adding bicarb will definitely help to stabilise yeast production for you, making your culture last a little longer and produce less CO2 in one go.

Ade


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