How do you properly set a pressurized co2 regulator/bubble counter?

[jeebus]

I just got a pressurized co2 setup and I'm confused on how to properly set the bubble counter to equal a certain ppm of co2.

Everything I read is that you take your ph readings and kh readings before and then after 24 hours of co2 injection then can use a formula to figure out where you're at.

My question is where do you start? Too little and it won't register, too much and you might choke out the fish. What rate do most of you have your bubble counter set at and what ways do you calculate your co2 saturation?

[myjohnson]

4-6 bps

drop checker

http://www.njagc.net/articles/co2dropchecker.htm

[jeebus]

Thai, is that what you run? 4-6bps? What ppm does that give your tank, and what size tank is it?

[tnguyen]

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

It is best to do 1 bubble per second and wait 24hr and bump if necessary. Every tank is different.

[tnguyen]

another link from back in the days.

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/kh-ph-co2-chart.html

[myjohnson]

Yes, that is what I use to run on my old 10g planted tank. But Thanh is right. No two tanks are the same.

The ppm would change from time to time cause I ran the C02 system with a diffuser and a HOB for a filter. The water movement (determined by how much water I had in the tank) would change due to water evaporation. This inturn change the ppm. I still got it to be around 20-30ppm (which was my target).

If I did it again, I would run a cansiter with an inline diffsuer. From what I read it a better way to get C02 into the water and keeping it there to give the plants a chance to suck it up.

[jeebus]

I agree and have been told by many to go inline with a reactor, but I'm running a lone 2262 and just don't want to hassle with the plumbing.

I'm going to go 1bps starting tonight and then will re-test tomorrow night and just increase it by 1 each night until I'm where I need to be. I have to imagine that the heavier the plant load the higher your bps will be too, to over come the plant's intake. Right now I have a pretty low plant load.

I also have to factor in ferts, no? Without completely changing the subject, what are some basic recommendation for fert/co2 combination? I've got flourish, excel, and will be adding potassium. I've also go some root tabs buried in the PFS.

[tnguyen]

Let me add when I say every tank is different. Yes, you want to keep the co2 level at a certain range like MJ have suggested. The bubble per second "rule?" is not a good way to use as a suggestion to everyone as mention that every tank is different due to what plants are being use. Some tank will consume more than other but it is best to keep co2 level at an optimum level at all time.

[myjohnson]

I dosed Gregg Watson's dry ferts, excel, and iron. I had a lot success with this combination. I also had 72W CF on my 10g.

[kwc1974]

+1 on myjohnson, I did the whole checking my ph and kh and lost interest. Also if you water changes and you do not check your water source every time you do a water change you run the risk of a CO2 overdose. Get a drop checker, it gives you a visual, live interface about what is going on. So long as you change the fluid out on a regular basis it is really hard to mess up.

[danielp]

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

It is best to do 1 bubble per second and wait 24hr and bump if necessary. Every tank is different.

This is the chart I use.

It's a testy balancing act.

I measure pH with a YSI pH10 ecosense meter and KH with a test kit. Interpetation of the kH color reading is where it get's trick. I get the pH down to .01 accuracy. I'm trypically running around 6.80 on my tank.

Lights are on about 8.5 hours per day. And i run the Co2 on the same cycle as the lights. Some people on the box run Co2 24/7 some run as i do.

Milwaukee does make a pin point control system that constantly monitors and adjust for you if you want to spend the $$.

I'm running a co2 diffuser in line with my eheim for total water column saturation. Right now I'm runnnig about 3 BPS.

[wesleydnunder]

Some good info here, Jeebus.

Here's what I did with the last co2-injected tank:
It was a 125 gallon with almost 5 wpg on an 8 hr photoperiod.

I started trying to use Chuck Gadd's co2/ph/kh chart and couldn't make it work. His chart assumes the only buffer in the water is carbonate. My water apparently has more. After frustrating trial and error I consulted Robert T. Ricketts and he suggested dropping the ph a full log, from 7.6 to 6.6 and thought it would give me 30 ppm.

The plants loved it...my discus didn't, so I backed off .2 to 6.8 ph. The plants still loved it and the discus seemed comfortable. I dosed PMDD pre mix fertilizer from Aquariumfertilizer.com.

I'd do like suggested, start with a baseline ph, write it down, then add 1 bps. Check the ph again after 24 hrs. Add another bubble if needed and test again after 24 hrs. I tried drop checkers and wasn't good with reading minute color differences.

You don't have to run a reactor, you can run the co2 into the intake of any top-impeller canister and it will mix the co2 well enough. I guess I kept mine at 23 to 25 ppm.

You shouldn't need excel as the co2 will give you the carbon you need.

Mark

[jeebus]

Sorry, I somehow missed this. Do you only dose the PMDD and nothing else? Potassium, Iron, etc?