10lb tank on 90g in 6 weeks?

[Gunz05Gunz]

Hello,

I was just wondering if this is normal.

I have gotten the CO2 down pretty well and usually get a light yellow bubble with a 4 kh solution. I use a Rhinox 5000 diffuser, and 2 Koralia 1 power heads above the diffuser. The filter is an Eheim 2080 with minimal water disturbance, and the overall water circulation is good.

The only thing I can think of is the tap water I am using on W/C days. It has a ph of about 7.7-7.9 on average and a GH of about 8-10. Is this why my bubble rate has to be higher to keep the drop checker a light yellow? Or is my logic wrong.

To get a light yellow my ph is about 6.5-6.6 and a kh of 4.

I just brought back my 10 and 5lb tanks and exchanged them for two 15 pound tanks.

And I do not have any leaks in the connections. Tested that with soapy water several times.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Philosophos]

Hello,

I was just wondering if this is normal.

I have gotten the CO2 down pretty well and usually get a light yellow bubble with a 4 kh solution. I use a Rhinox 5000 diffuser, and 2 Koralia 1 power heads above the diffuser. The filter is an Eheim 2080 with minimal water disturbance, and the overall water circulation is good.

The only thing I can think of is the tap water I am using on W/C days. It has a ph of about 7.7-7.9 on average and a GH of about 8-10. Is this why my bubble rate has to be higher to keep the drop checker a light yellow? Or is my logic wrong.

To get a light yellow my ph is about 6.5-6.6 and a kh of 4.

I just brought back my 10 and 5lb tanks and exchanged them for two 15 pound tanks.

And I do not have any leaks in the connections. Tested that with soapy water several times.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks.

6 weeks is VERY fast for 10lb's on a 60. My 20g runs on a 5lb and the CO2 is enough for a bright yellow drop checker with near uncountable BPS. It lasts months.

I can think of a couple possibilities. First, weigh your CO2 cylinders before and after you buy them to make sure that you're not getting shorted. It does happen, by accident or on purpose.

Next, check your plant growth and re-check surface agitation. If the plants are growing inches per day, and they aren't tall enough to trim, you may have a high CO2 demand. Pair this up with an underestimation of surface agitation, and you may be showing 50ppm where the output is enough to achieve far more. This one is a bit more of a long shot.

One last thought would be if you checked your solenoid and needle valve in that line test. Problems with one or both might do it. I would suspect the solenoid first based on conjunction. Both perform similar base rolls, one has more moving parts with less integrity.

-Philosophos

 

[Gunz05Gunz]

I never even though of them underfilling them at all. I have two 15's now, and one is 46lbs and the other is 39.5lbs. They are different steel cylinders mind you.

Is there any psi that they should be at? The one currently in use is 700psi. I thought it should be closer to 800-900 psi.

Thanks for the great advice.

 

[SuRje1976]

The Tare Weight (TW) is likely stamped on the cylinder. This weight is the weight of the cylinder itself, empty. Your filled weight should be just about 15lbs higher than the TW.

 

[Gunz05Gunz]

I'll have to take a look at that when I get a chance. Could be a possibility. Thanks surje.

So would it be possible that since I have a naturally high ph water and high general hardness, that I require alot more CO2 to bring it down to a required level?

 

[SuRje1976]

Nah, higher KH might buffer pH change a little better, but won't prevent your water from absorbing CO2.

 

[Philosophos]

Ya, around 800+ would be right for newly filled. A scale would be easier though, since it's more likely for a gauge to be wrong than a half decent scale. The sort of under filling required to burn out at the rate you're describing would be about 30% or more; a large margin of error.

If you're feeling obsessive, figure out your gauge accuracy from a good quality scale. You can use internal volume and weight to figure out what the PSI should be, then check that vs. the gauge.

-Philosophos