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First time “High Tech” 200L

A

andy198712

Member
Joined
14 Feb 2021
Messages
184
Location
Cornwall
Hi,

Thought I should make a thread to keep track of the tank and get some advise.

It’s a Aqueal 200L
Fluval 307 with spray bar
1800L Tunze circulation pump
Ehiem 300w heater
Chihiros WRGB 2 Slim
Fire extinguisher
CO2 art reg
Bazooka under the circulation pump
EI dosing
Liquid “CO2”

I’ve had the tank just over a year running no CO2 just Glut, and 30ml a day of EI dosing from the now closed APF bags.
Mainly have Java ferns and crypts growing okay, got the light fairly low as I was getting BBA.
Wanted to make the jump to CO2 for a long time now. Collected the parts and set it up yesterday.

Current photoperiod is 7 hours at these settings

617E3442-B3CF-4491-A2EF-FECC27604D94.png


Basically a roughly copied but lower Bruce setting. Looking to creep this up as and when the CO2 will allow me (unsure on this side of things)

Here’s a quick pic (air stone was just a temp thing)

DD292AD1-8728-4BAD-B45B-4E57DFE23460.jpeg
A19313AD-94DB-49D7-83F8-059266E4421D.jpeg



So,
Setup the CO2 very safely, coming on 1 hour before the lights, at 1 bubble per second
This is the checker just as CO2 went off

1318BF5E-E709-41B2-BFB3-23E7A986336B.jpeg


Probably leave it there and monitor it again today, then adjust to see if I can do about 1.5 BPS and see how that goes. Looking to slowly creep up on it, or leave it like that for the week to let the tank get used to it maybe?


Also just brought and tested a DP-3 auto doser and will up my EI dose to 40mls a day (currently at 30)

That’s it for the start! Wish me luck
 
Your tank looks lovely. I’m intrigued, given the low light, undemanding plants, why you’ve chosen to go high tech?

Is your drop checker Green when lights go on? Given your BBA issues, you may find that this increases if you have unsteady CO2.
 
Well that is an interesting way to introduce C02, going slow and waiting to see what happens seems like a sensible method and it may work for you!
I dont think many people have the patience to go that way, one bubble probally wont have any effect whatsoever as you would more likely require five plus to see any noticeable changes.
Your method is a worthy experiment, there may be some negative aspects but every tank is different so please lets us know what happens.
 
In my opinion its quite difficult to tune in CO2 with just a drop checker because the important thing is to get the CO2 constant throughout the photoperiod and the time delay for the colour change in the dropchecker doesnt allow you to tell this.
If you use a pH pen and track the pH drop it gives a much more accurate picture. Lots of threads on this.
I have a similar size tank but use a reactor. Approx 2 bps starting 3 hours before lights on. pH drop is 1.2 from my degassed tank water but my tap water is very soft and I only add small amounts of MgSo4 and Ca.
I would suggest starting your CO2 sooner before increasing the bubble count.
Cheers
John
 
hypnogogia said:
Your tank looks lovely. I’m intrigued, given the low light, undemanding plants, why you’ve chosen to go high tech?

Is your drop checker Green when lights go on? Given your BBA issues, you may find that this increases if you have unsteady CO2.
Click to expand...
Thanks, it's not exactly "perfectly scaped" but more just natural I guess. (I wish I had the eye to pull off a good scape!)
Good question, I guess the plants were dictated by the lack of my CO2, basically what would grow. I always wanted to go injected CO2 but been holding off for one reason or another.
I'd now like to evolve the tank a bit more and try some different plants or enhance growth, my Reopens for example just seem to stay the same and not grow then fade off over a few months.
I saw a picture comparing CO2 to non CO2 and reopens was in the pictures and it looked exactly like mine, bit strung out and skinny.

No its not green, I think I need to both start it earlier and turn it up to get it green to be honest.

I do wonder if this slow and steady increase may be a bit of a mistake? and just get it right quicker, short sweet and sharp?
 
foxfish said:
Well that is an interesting way to introduce C02, going slow and waiting to see what happens seems like a sensible method and it may work for you!
I dont think many people have the patience to go that way, one bubble probally wont have any effect whatsoever as you would more likely require five plus to see any noticeable changes.
Your method is a worthy experiment, there may be some negative aspects but every tank is different so please lets us know what happens.
Click to expand...
Hi,

Hmmmmm maybe I'll increase it a bit sooner rather then wait the week at this level and see.... doesn't seem to be the most common method maybe for a reason. less change it probably good :)
 
jolt100 said:
In my opinion its quite difficult to tune in CO2 with just a drop checker because the important thing is to get the CO2 constant throughout the photoperiod and the time delay for the colour change in the dropchecker doesnt allow you to tell this.
If you use a pH pen and track the pH drop it gives a much more accurate picture. Lots of threads on this.
I have a similar size tank but use a reactor. Approx 2 bps starting 3 hours before lights on. pH drop is 1.2 from my degassed tank water but my tap water is very soft and I only add small amounts of MgSo4 and Ca.
I would suggest starting your CO2 sooner before increasing the bubble count.
Cheers
John
Click to expand...
Hi,

I was looking at those pens on amazon, are they all roughly the same? I guess so long as there repeatable its more important then actual numbers, meaning, so long as it reads the drop correctly its better then getting the number exactly (within reason) ?

there's a delay of about circa 15 mis before the bubbles start coming out the bazooka too after the solenoid open, building pressure I guess or purging water maybe (I do have a nice glass inline check valve installed correctly )

I'll start to earlier tomorrow and see what happens.
 
I dont have any experience with the cheap pH pens, I know others on the forum use them so perhaps they can share their experiences.
I use a Voltcraft 100ATC which I have had for about 10 years and while more costly is reliable. Its not "lab grade" but is as good as ones I have used in the lab.

The length of your CO2 tubing and the position of the non-return valve and the working pressure will affect the time taken for the bubbles to make it through the bazooka. It will take longer if there is water in the tubing.
cheers
John
 
EEB523C0-C946-43EE-BE18-13A84EB078D4.jpeg
Currently at this level, maybe a tad more to get a more “lime” green?

It seems pretty steady at this from lights on but need to move the checker to view it better when the lighting isn’t as good at 2pm

Starting 2 hours before lights come on at the min, an hour didn’t seem to cut it
 
I put the reopens and the 53b in this weekend. Is it me or do the leaves kinda seem to point up instead of out?

Wondering how long to leave the tank before I can increase the light
 

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Lauris said:
Tune it up. Go lime 👍
Click to expand...
Will do
foxfish said:
One of the issues with a drop checker is deciphering the colour, to me that is nearer blue and no where near lime green.
As has been mentioned a a PH pen can be very helpful at this stage.
Click to expand...
Yeah I think I’m being over careful, see a hint of green and think it’s there. But it’s a good bit off. That’s 1.5-2 bubbles per sec.

Yeah trouble comes when you read the reviews. But I guess I just need to measure change not actual value so maybe there okay…
 
andy198712 said:
Wondering how long to leave the tank before I can increase the light
Click to expand...
Hiya mate, raising the light intensity whilst trying to tune in the co2 is going to be a recipe for disaster imo, leaving the light as is for now should give you a buffer whilst you get to grips with the gas and would be the safest option.

Once you have achieved stable levels (again a ph pen will help) and ensured the co2 is being distributed evenly around the tank, then, and only then would I consider upping the lights.

**As the light intensity increases you may well find you have to fine tune the co2 again.

Slowly, slowly catchy monkey..
 
John q said:
Hiya mate, raising the light intensity whilst trying to tune in the co2 is going to be a recipe for disaster imo, leaving the light as is for now should give you a buffer whilst you get to grips with the gas and would be the safest option.

Once you have achieved stable levels (again a ph pen will help) and ensured the co2 is being distributed evenly around the tank, then, and only then would I consider upping the lights.

**As the light intensity increases you may well find you have to fine tune the co2 again.

Slowly, slowly catchy monkey..
Click to expand...
Good advice thank you, will keep as many variables a constant as I can
 
Just been to go and turn the adjuster up, and noticed the needle valve wasn’t as sensitive as it was before. Then noticed the working pressure was 30psi not the 40 I set it at. Then realised the bottle pressure was basically nothing……

Ordered another and emailed the seller.

When I first attached it it read 500psi which I thought may be due to cold weather and transport but it never changed….
Hey ho, moving on!
 
John q said:
That's about normal for a cold bottle but should read 750 ~ 800ish psi once it gets to room temperature assuming its full.
Click to expand...
Yeah it never went above 500, just sat there.
And we heat the house to about 20* in the eves and it’s about 18 in the day time so should have raised.

Ordered another off eBay, but the seller said check the reg for leaks.

I did this when I fitted it with soapy water and did it again tonight but will try again with the new cyclinder with more fairy liquid! Or some leak detector fluid if I can get my hands on some
 
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