EI and Carbon dosing

[MikeG747]

Hi,

I was having an interesting thought the other day.I currently do EI dosing on my 300L tank and struggle getting CO2 circulated around the whole thing using an inline reactor. It occurred to me that couldn't I simply supplement the water column with a liquid carbon product as well as C02 gas. That way I would be providing the plants with all of the available carbon they could ever require.

Then I thought that maybe whatever chemicals they use to make TNC Carbon (or similar products) could be included into my EI dosing.

So I really have two questions:

1. What is the chemical(s) that they put in products like TNC carbon and where can one acquire such chemicals?
2. If said chemicals could be acquired could they be added to standard EI solutions without causing side effects such as sedimentation of the solids?

Does anyone have any answers to these or is what I am thinking of in any way a poorly conceived idea?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Ady34]

Hi,
this was discussed a little in this thread:
Can liquid carbon be mixed with EI solutions? | UK Aquatic Plant Society
and also there is an in depth thread here which details diy liquid carbon:
Glutaraldehyde | UK Aquatic Plant Society
its also worth considering however that if your struggling to distribute the pressurised gas c02, then you will suffer the same in distributing the liquid form as you still need to get it to the plants You may be better trying to improve your overall distribution.
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi Mike
Read this first..Glutaraldehyde | UK Aquatic Plant Society
Its not a new idea... I'm currently doing that.
I add 10 ml of liquid carbon to approx a litre of De ionsed water i add fertilizer salts.
I use Tobis recipe minus the Urea......For Dan ... Spezial N - Nitrogen Fertilizer | UK Aquatic Plant Society
I also made up Potassium Phosphate/Magnesium Sulphate Mix....250 ml.
The Carbon/Ferts are dosed in both Co2 and Non Co2 injected tanks.
Dont see any problems yet as Ive been only dosing for a few weeks.
No Fungus in the fertilzer bottles....which is a bonus.
Cheers
hoggie

 

[MikeG747]

Hi,
this was discussed a little in this thread:
Can liquid carbon be mixed with EI solutions? | UK Aquatic Plant Society
and also there is an in depth thread here which details diy liquid carbon:
Glutaraldehyde | UK Aquatic Plant Society
its also worth considering however that if your struggling to distribute the pressurised gas c02, then you will suffer the same in distributing the liquid form as you still need to get it to the plants You may be better trying to improve your overall distribution.
Cheerio,
Ady.

Ady,

Thanks for putting the thread in the right place, wasn't sure where was best.
My problem is that I have two filters with outlets at either end of the tank (the tank is four feet long). The C02 is being distributed through one of the filters and the drop checker at the other end of the tank from that filter is showing a healthy green. However some of the plants under the second filter outlet are showing signs of algae due to C02 lack. So my thinking was that if I put the carbon product into the tank by the second filter outlet then I should have ample carbon at both ends of the tank.

However when I re-scape the tank in a month or so I think I shall endeavor to make it so that both filter outlets are at the same end of the tank, thus avoiding conflicting water flow dynamics. Hopefully I should also get better C02 distribution as well!

Mike

 

[MikeG747]

Hi Mike
Read this first..Glutaraldehyde | UK Aquatic Plant Society
Its not a new idea... I'm currently doing that.
I add 10 ml of liquid carbon to approx a litre of De ionsed water i add fertilizer salts.
I use Tobis recipe minus the Urea......For Dan ... Spezial N - Nitrogen Fertilizer | UK Aquatic Plant Society
I also made up Potassium Phosphate/Magnesium Sulphate Mix....250 ml.
The Carbon/Ferts are dosed in both Co2 and Non Co2 injected tanks.
Dont see any problems yet as Ive been only dosing for a few weeks.
No Fungus in the fertilzer bottles....which is a bonus.
Cheers
hoggie

Hi Hoggie,

It appears that Gluteraldehyde is scary stuff, reminds me of my A-Level chemistry days and fume cupboards. Think I may just use TNC stuff at £12 a litre, that way I won't manage to wipe myself out. I don't actually get fungus in my dosing bottles, not sure why, may be because I boil the water I use to make the solution beforehand.

I may have a little test with usingthe TNC stuff to see if results improve.

Thanks
Mike