Dissolving Co2

[ranmasatome]

i've been trying to get my Co2 level in my tank to go up but it never goes up!! i don't know why...i increased the number of bubbles per sec in the counter so more co2 would go into the water but its seems like the water just won't absorb anymore...why is this happening?? my pH is constantly at 6.8-6.9 and won't go down any furhter anymore even if i turn the Co2 injection rate up...

[budak]

Eliminate all possible answers: water surface turbulence causing high gas escape? Is your DIY or cylinder? Losses from leaking regulator/tubing/valves/CO2 counter? Stuff in your tank/filter that contributes to hardness/alkalinity?

[rijac]

[quote:2a728ec935="ranmasatome"]i've been trying to get my Co2 level in my tank to go up but it never goes up!! i don't know why...i increased the number of bubbles per sec in the counter so more co2 would go into the water but its seems like the water just won't absorb anymore...why is this happening?? my pH is constantly at 6.8-6.9 and won't go down any furhter anymore even if i turn the Co2 injection rate up...[/quote:2a728ec935]

how are you diffusing the co2?

[ranmasatome]

Well..i'm using that green cylinder type diffuser with the "ceramic stone in the middle and some black balls that rotate due to the water coming from the fliter" dissolving thing...do you know what i'm talking about?? I am using Mr. Aqua filter medium and i know this will probably increase my Kh by like 2...but Ph should still be able to go futher down because now its only currently at 6.8~6.9

There are no leaks cos i totally retaped everything with the white water tape b4 screwing it on again and i can see a faster rate of co2 coming from the ceramic stone when i increase bubbel rate...however it just seems not to be dissolving into the water...

i'm looking at water movement and i do have some surface movement...Currently the water coming out from the diffusing thing goes into an underwater rain bar that shoots water upward..the water doesn't splash...but it creates some top current...i didn't want to create too much under current cos then i can't see my plants bubbling...or even make my fish swim too much...

[|squee|]

But your water suface still has some ripples?

[ranmasatome]

Yes but it is quite slight...something like running a hose underwater and you point it upwards towards the surface...you see the surface rise slightly a little then fall back down..that creates the small reverberations at the water surface...should this be stopped?? how then should i redirect the flow?

[vinz]

Are any CO2 mini-bubbles escaping from the reactor along with the water flow?

Try this... change the orientation of the rain bar just for a day to see if the pH is affected.

When do you measure the pH, in relation to the lighting hours?

Have you actually measured your KH?

Is your pH tester working properly?

BTW, that device is called an internal CO2 reactor.

[vinz]

[quote:a058ee2b86="ranmasatome"]Yes but it is quite slight...something like running a hose underwater and you point it upwards towards the surface...you see the surface rise slightly a little then fall back down..that creates the small reverberations at the water surface...should this be stopped?? how then should i redirect the flow?[/quote:a058ee2b86]

Point it 45 degrees towards the back wall. Better if you can turn it vertical and make it push water horizontally across the back wall.

[PeterGwee]

The way you return the CO2 enriched water is the main cause of the entire issue. Work on that...get the rainbar down to the bottom-back of the tank and direct the flow straight forward to the front of the tank (you would want the CO2 enriched water to flow through the plants from the bottom to the top where it will gas off as the stomata is located under the plant leaves. This is where the CO2 would be absorbed by the plant.). You can install a splitter before the CO2 reactor such that one operates at the top water level to get some slight surface movement (good for critters in case your plants stop producing O2 for some reason..) and the other straight to the reactor inlet.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[ranmasatome]

Thanks Guys...i'll try to do that...but i was thinking that if i redirect the flow of the water from bottom rear to the bottom front of the tank...then i probably wont be able to see the plants bubbling will i?? because the flow of current will carry the oxygen bubble away as well...but right now to get more CO2 to dissolve is really more important...
i have another question...will the fishes get to tired from swimming because of this constant current at the bottom of the tank?? as in no rest space??
i'm thinking of bringing the rain bar down to the bottom of the tank but let the water run from left to right of tank...this is because since the rain bar is so short and its only a 2 feet, CO2 bubbles should be able to run all the way to the right of the tank and the current there should be less...also i have one of those styrofaomy things at the back wall and all my stem plants are real close to it so it will be really hard to mount the rain bar at the back glass of the tank...
Is this suitable...although i know this will eliminate any sight of bubbles anymore..

[PeterGwee]

[quote:0d7bb68b08="ranmasatome"]Thanks Guys...i'll try to do that...but i was thinking that if i redirect the flow of the water from bottom rear to the bottom front of the tank...then i probably wont be able to see the plants bubbling will i?? because the flow of current will carry the oxygen bubble away as well...but right now to get more CO2 to dissolve is really more important...[/quote:0d7bb68b08]

Your plants will pearl when your CO2 is indeed high along with good nutrients and adequate light. The current is only strong at the bottom and will not affect pearling that much. My tank pearl alot and have good current as well. Not a big issue in my opinion.

[quote:0d7bb68b08="ranmasatome"]i have another question...will the fishes get to tired from swimming because of this constant current at the bottom of the tank?? as in no rest space??[/quote:0d7bb68b08]

You have loads of plants or just a couple of stalks here and there? With heavy planting, the current is really nothing as it passes through the "forest".

[quote:0d7bb68b08="ranmasatome"]i'm thinking of bringing the rain bar down to the bottom of the tank but let the water run from left to right of tank...this is because since the rain bar is so short and its only a 2 feet, CO2 bubbles should be able to run all the way to the right of the tank and the current there should be less...also i have one of those styrofaomy things at the back wall and all my stem plants are real close to it so it will be really hard to mount the rain bar at the back glass of the tank...[/quote:0d7bb68b08]

Its fine but for aesthetic reasons the bottom back placement is much better.

Regards
Peter Gwee