Does this make any sense

[tcampbell]

We I have been noticing that the Co2 levels of my tank have been going lower and lower. At first I thought it might have been to do with the fact that I started EI method of Ferts where as before I had used premix solutions. Noticed plant growth slowed and algae forming (all the result of low CO2) so I upped the Bubble rate to 6 bubble pre sec or more (Moving so fast impossible to count - just looked like a steady stream). Even after 8 hours of constant Co2 the level was still low. There was no way the plants were using it that fast (as there was no pearling).

Well 3 days ago I decided to clean my fliter and it sure needed a cleaning (lots of brown gunk). Cleaned it out rinced off the filter pads and cleaned the media. Hooked it back up. My Co2 reactor is hooked on the return of the Canister filter by the way.

Well within 1 hour of running my CO2 levels were up to normal, within 3 hours plantswere pearling like crazy and continued to release O2 even hours after Co2 shut down. Since then the levels have been fine. Drop over night, go back up 1 hour after Co2 turned on by timer and plants pearl. Nowbubble ratek to the normal 1.5 BPS

How is it related? If the filter was being slowed by the gunk, the Co2 was still being disolved in the water and still released in the tank so wouldn't the amount of Co2 going inthe tank still be the same. Wen I upped the Co2 level wouldn't that mean that the concentration of Co2 in the volume of water being released by the reactor be higher notlower?/

[|squee|]

Well it does to me imho.

Because your CO2 reactor is run by the filter, its performance is affected by the filter's output.

Now if the filter's flowrate is stronger, the CO2 get dissolved faster and nutrients+CO2 are circulated quickly compared to the clogged up filter.

It is also possible that all that gunk was draining oxygen levels in your tank.

Or perhaps when you hooked everything back up, you solved the problem of a leak in the system where the CO2 was pumped into the reactor. Just thoughts, since imho 6bps will fill up the reactor with gas.

[tcampbell]

Ok. My reactor is a funny one though. See picture. More of a diffuser then a reactor I guess.

All is well now. Funny thing is the flow rate didn't seem any different after and before cleaning though the Co2 level and Co2 mist did.

[PeterGwee]

Tcampbell, try to think of the leaves as animals waiting to be fed but cannot move anywhere. The only to keep them healthy and alive is to move the food to them. How are you going to make that happen? Must it be consistent? Think about it.....

Regards,
Peter Gwee

[ahkarboy]

I used to use one of thems too! It cracked though. so you might wanna watch out for it

[tcampbell]

How did it crack? The think is almost breakproof!
Had mine for a year plug. Did you contact the company. They are very nice and will usually send a replacement to defective parts.
Thomas

[ahkarboy]

The plastic bit cracked. Mine was made in Taiwan, called Ista. I used it for bout slighty more than a year

[tcampbell]

Yes, Ista is teh original inventor of the device. The others were copies of it. I am in Taiwan now. I have had problems is Ista things before, but the company will usually replace it free of charge.

[GaspingGurami]

I'm using the same Stainless steel diffusor. Had mine since 2003. No problems. However, the intake spike is slightly smaller in Outer Diameter than normal aquarium airline's Internal Diameter. I encounter my leaks from there.

It is a small, unnoticeable leak, at low bubble count, but opens up when the bubblecount increases such that it doesn't make any sense to me why the higher I increase bubble count, the lower the dissolved CO2 level is in the tank.

In fact I didn't suspect a leak there at all, until I changed the CO2 tubing there to a black stiff hose, which I found lying in the workshop that fits the length better than my present airline.

Within half an hour of the CO2 coming on, all the fauna are at the surface gasping.