In addition to carbon dioxide that is in aqueous solution, there is also a buffering reaction that exists in a state of equilibrium, below:
How well your tank buffers depends upon your water chemistry.
Do additional bubbles from the air pumps really degass much CO2 beyond disrupting surface tension?
Yes. I think you might enjoy reading <
this thread>. It is amongst the best experimental research I have seen presented to UKAPS, many thanks to
@hax47.
The higher I turn the air pump, the more flow goes into the tank. The longer my co2 bubbles from the atomizer stays in solution.
Nano bubbles are <
certainly invisible>. It is likely that the <
pores present in plant leaves> are capturing carbon dioxide bubbles before they have even dissolved fully. Whatsmore, I would suggest that drop checkers do not function in the way that may people think, as <
depending upon the design> they too can capture bubbles. So basically there are three big factors at play: buffering, dissolving, and the function of bubbles by themselves... so there's less for you to worry about.
I know there's a sweet spot but I can't quite figure out where it's at.
Make observations with a <
drop checker> and consider measuring your pH drop. Understand your water chemistry and how your water buffers. Try not to worry. Most of us have quite high rates of flow or surface agitation. We just inject a bit more - turning CO2 up or down (a.k.a. '
dialling it in') is fairly standard practice with high tech planted tanks.
P.S. I have that diffuser. My recommendation is to consider one of the acrylic ceramic disk ones from <
here> the next time you upgrade because they have very tiny bubbles and could possibly do a better job. Also, I think a lot of bubbles will adhere or get trapped in your sponge filter, which is ideal in my opinion to give you a good rate of diffusion. Many members might recommend your set-up because they believe oxygenation is as if not more significant to aquarium plants, so you have the best of both worlds. Let us know how you get on.
