Is it safe to leave the co2 running overnite? ie. 24 hrs? esp if my kh is arnd 4-6? cuz I use DIY co2 and don't feel comfortable shutting it off and letting pressure build up inside everynite, I think leaks will occur after a while, nor do I want to release the co2 into the air. I know, very ma huan! heh.... anyone using co2 can share your practice?
I'm using a DIY CO2 in a 2ft tank with 18 neon tetras... leave them on everyday for 2hrs
I notice that initially, all the ricca's bubbles are all gone in the morning... but now with a lot more bubbles on the ricca, they are some bubbles still left in the morning...
Just experiment with your current setup.... since I have no idea that's your O2 level in the water...
Hope this helps...
i leave my diy co2 24/7.
initially, there is too much co2 in the morning and the fishes are near the surface gasping for air.
using an airstone during the night solves the issue.
now, i do not use an airstone and the fishes are okay.
think the plants are more established and are using more co2 during light on.
you can release co2 into the air.
it is a small amount from diy co2.
unless you have your bed next to your tank.
thomas liew
Normally DIY CO2 is quite safe to be used 24hrs. But I would keep a close eye on the fishes and ph level during the initial stages of installing the DIY CO2 where the pressure is the highest.
I leave my DIY CO2 on all the time in my 4ft and 2.5ft tanks. Some more I attach it to a reactor (3 bio-ball type).
Should be no problems if heavily planted tank. But best to observe carefully at first.
koah fong
Juggler's tanks
ya, let the co2 run thru the nite and see what happens.. shutoff a DIY co2 can resulted in a exploding bottle, if the bottle cant hold the pressure.. if u find yr fishes grasping for air then i suggest u add an air pump for the nite
Unactivated Member
I have been running my CO2 for more than a year w/o shut off and only recently
attached a solenoid.The only thing you need to lookout is weather your fish is on the surface gasping for air then you need to control the amount of CO2 to inject.Like most of them says add an air pump.Cheers
Thanx all for your help, really appreciate it!
stanley: what's your lighting like? how come so powerful effect on your riccia with only 2hr's worth of co2?
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On 2/26/2002 11:45:32 AM
stanley: what's your lighting like? how come so powerful effect on your riccia with only 2hr's worth of co2?
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Lighting is 2 X 36W, but only turn on 1 ... too much light for my java fern already...
Hahaha... I mean 24hrs la... sorry for the confusion.. [:0]
I've also removed 1 of the 3 bioballs in the reactor so that when the water level drops, the other 2 balls still spin round and round.. and my DIY CO2 last a long time too...
Hi,
Walk this path before. It should still be alright if your tank is large enough to buffer the CO2. I dun think you wanna have coke in your tank right...heh heh heh[]
BTW, be sure to have a one way valves between the tube, why? Because if the bottle runs out of CO2 production and the works of pressure may cause your fermented liquid going into your tank [:0] and with this instead of coke you have alcohol added results is drunken fishes
jellydot: hahaha... I like the coke comment, true true..... I was reading amano's book and about how he discovered co2 helps when he dumped soda water into his planted tank and they started bubbling. what they don't say is what happened AFTER that. don't think his plants would have survived! heh....
anyway where to get this one way valve from?
Hi,
you can get them in most LFS. There are the common transparent type (Taiwan made) cost a couple of dollars for usually a pair. What it actually do is to prevent liquid from flowing one end to the other. The coolest looking one is the ADA Ruby Cabochon[
jellydot: thanx! went and bought some from nature, the cheap plastic kind. tho I realised that I can only use one just b4 the diffusor inlet for co2. tried putting another before the bubble counter but found that the diy pressure simply isn't enuff to overcome both of the oneway valves and only a trickle of co2 was allowed thru.
HH,
That sounds very strange cos check valves shouldn't have any pressure. Can you confirm that you got the valves installed in the correct direction
Hi
ya...it should not have 'MUCH' pressure. But it does give some pressure to DIY bottles. maybe you can tighten the other connecting point, arr...like the bottle cap and instead of a diffuser just let it come out from the silicon hose.
And like Sherchoo said did you install the direction right?
the one way valve I have I bought from nature for $1.50, I rigged up in this way: 2 diy co2 bottles into one common tube, then tube into one valve, then into bubble counter, from bubble counter into another valve then into reactor in tank. the direction of the valve should be correct, pretty sure of it.
b4 I used the valves, when I shook my diy bottles, lots of co2 will rush into reactor. after I added 1 valve just before reactor, there was still a rush of co2 but not as "fiercely" as before, a bit more muted. then when I added the 2nd valve after my co2 bottles going into the bubble counter, no rush of co2 at all.
sigh....... why can't somebody make a ball valve for the aquarium?
Juz for information sake, can you confirm that the valve is working. Try swapping the 1st valve for the 2nd. Or try using 1 at a time. Sounds really weird......
BTW, what's a ball valve?
u can try a check valve?----------------
On 3/4/2002 3:18:19 PM
sigh....... why can't somebody make a ball valve for the aquarium?
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a ball valve is the kind that uses a ball inside, if pressure comes from the wrong direction it presses against the other end stoppering up that end.
i bought new valves from c328 and got better results. the ones from there are black and clear plastic colour, inside is rubber, better than the red ones from nature which is red but the inside is plastic. those who have the valve will understand!
thanx all for your help!!
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