CO2 for 1 foot cube

[FishSoup]

As the title states, i'm thinking of doing co2 injection for my one foot cube tank..

would just like to ask the gurus here if its possible to use a co2 tank? What would be a good rate of co2 release (i.e. how many bubbles per sec)? Given that most people seem to advise one bubble per 3 sec for 2 feet tanks, does it mean that i need to set the bubble rate to one bubble per 9 sec?! Will the fine-tuning of the co2 be very hard to manage?

Sorry for the many questions but i am ITCHING for better plant growth.

And, of course, to say goodbye to the small algae problem the tank is having

[torque6]

Hi soup,

Am glad you have decided to go ahead with a pressurised co2 tank for your aquarium. Its not a matter of bps, but PPM. Invest in a good drop checker and you will know by color indication if co2 levels in your tank is at optimal.

Fine tunning the co2 will be easy provided you have a 2 gauge regulator with needle valve. With this you can adjust bps to as low as 1 bubble per 2 seconds

[tcy81]

I think the Co2 injection rate would depends on what kind of plants you intending to keep and whether its a high light or low light setup.
maybe you can provide more details of your tank so that better advice can be given .

[FishSoup]

Wow quick response!

Tank size: 1 foot cube
Lighting: 1 foot PL light, 36 watts. Lights are on for about 10-12 hours a day
Fert regime: Nonexistent for now, just root monster tabs
CO2: none (as is obvious), using seachem excel for now

Flora: Vallisneria sp., java moss, anubias barteri var. nana, nymphaea zenkeri, hygrophila difformis. After adding co2 injection, hope to add willow moss on dw, pogostemon helferi, and maybe an eriocaulon or two.

Fauna: One pair apistogramma agassizii, 2 x oto, 1 SAE, 6 microrasboras

Filtration: 1 sponge filter, 1 overhang filter (small)

[torque6]

Well, most of us are still awake, no need to work tomorrow, so trying to stay online and see who needs help.

I am not familiar to nymph/hygro/pogo/helferi/erio, but the rest will do nicely with co2 injection. Not to worry too much, the droper will indicate if your co2 levels is good to sustain all these plants. Can adjust if its not.

[FishSoup]

i just got a co2 tank for my one foot cube... what i'm wondering about now is in-tank circulation and surface agitation.

I'm presently using a sponge filter which is situated at the back right corner of the tank. The co2 diffuser is at the back left hand corner of the tank.

i have read that current is required to properly distribute the co2 around the tank. is the co2 in my setup being distributed around the tank? actually i suspect not..

Also, surface agitation is supposedly not good for co2.. is the surface bubbling caused by the sponge filter resulting in low co2, despite the injection? Is the placement of airstones in co2 setups bad, then?

None of my plants are bubbling.. i really wish they would

[torque6]

I have a OHF and have placed the co2 atomizer at the inlet, this way the bubbles get mixed with the co2 real well, so i do not need to worry too much about surface agitation. My ph drop checker reads dark green most of the time with exception to a water change or a water top up.