Co2 huge Problems...

[Kruxarn]

Hello.

Sorry for making my first post a question but i really need expert help!

This is what i have so u know.

My tank is 130 Gallons. (160 cm wide)
I have a dupla co2 armatur delta with a dupla co2 magnetic valve fitted.
Also have a dupla ph controller.
I use a dupla reactor S but it doesent do the job very good (it fills with gas and has leaked in some places. (temporary fixed tho))

Fluval fx 5 External filter.

What would you guys recommend me doing to get the co2 down very quick and stable, im so sick of my reaktor im about to throw it out of the window.

ph around 7.5 kh around 5.

please i need some expert help everything else works so good and this is making me nuts every day and im going to get huge algea problems if i cant get this stable.

Thank you!

 

[VaughnH]

I suggest you make an external CO2 reactor, http://www.barrreport.com/articles/3444-dual-venturi-diy-external-co2-reactor.html, which would go in the covered area under the tank, in the canister filter return line. This works very well to get CO2 in the water. Then, I would temporarily, at least, disconnect the pH controller. Use the needle valve to adjust the CO2 bubble rate to where you can get about 30 ppm of CO2 in the water. And, that means making or buying a drop checker, loading it with 4 dKH distilled or deionized water (not tank or tap water) with pH reagent, and adjusting the bubble rate a little bit at a time until the drop checker liquid is green during the middle of the lights-on period. After a couple or three days to see that the CO2 level is the same every day, you can then reconnect the pH controller, and set it to the tank water pH that you have when the drop checker is green in the middle of the lights-on time.

With that big a tank you will need another source of water circulation, such as a powerhead, to make sure you are getting CO2 rich water to all corners of the tank.

Last, and most important, make sure the tank is heavily planted with lots of fast growing stem plants, which can gradually be replaced with slower growing plants over the next few months. (heavily planted means, with stems planted about 2 cm apart over almost all of the substrate!)

 

[Kruxarn]

Ok so by this you mean attach between tank and the external filter at the returnside ? so co2 are going to go inside my fx5 and then back up to the tank ?
How good will the mist be if its added before the external filter?

And i thought my fx5 tossed out much air as it is

 

[Tom Barr]

You want to add it after the filter.

I suppose you could add it to this filter intake, that would work also, this filter burps out the excess gas anyway periodically.

You can add the DIY CO2 reactor.

The other simple method is to use a small 200GPH or so powerhead, modify the impeller(See "needle wheel" pumps) and feed the CO2 in there.

This will certainly add plenty of CO2, the Dupla is poor for larger tanks.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Kruxarn]

Hello again. been trying the needle pump mod today and yes it works but it also sends alot of small bubbles into the tank and makes the view into it limited.

I do get alot of bubbles under leafs etc so i guess its doing what its supposed to do. How would one do if you dont want so much bubbles? I want people to look into the tank without saying whats up with all the air in there ?

 

[VaughnH]

I don't like having my tank filled with tiny bubbles either. So, I use an external reactor, but I have a vent fitting on the top of it, which is now the source of CO2 for a "needle"pump. This uses the big bubble of CO2 that tends to accumulate at the top of the reactor, and it isn't a lot of CO2 so the tank doesn't get totally filled with bubbles, but it is enough to get some CO2 mist to supplement the dissolved CO2. And, it introduces CO2 at two places in the tank, an advantage with a big tank like yours.

 

[Kruxarn]

I don't like having my tank filled with tiny bubbles either. So, I use an external reactor, but I have a vent fitting on the top of it, which is now the source of CO2 for a "needle"pump. This uses the big bubble of CO2 that tends to accumulate at the top of the reactor, and it isn't a lot of CO2 so the tank doesn't get totally filled with bubbles, but it is enough to get some CO2 mist to supplement the dissolved CO2. And, it introduces CO2 at two places in the tank, an advantage with a big tank like yours.

and yet another thing to put inside the tank
Im going to build myself a new reaktor but im having problems finding the required materials here in sweden.
I wish companies would start optimize their product pages with a search engine feature so google finds them

 

[Kruxarn]

Ok its been a while and im having a much better experience with my co2.
Only problem i have now is that the dropchecker i have now is green between
ph 7.0 - 6.4 that must be more than 30ppm co2 difference..
i have about 4.0 dkh in the tub and im using a 4dkh solution in the checker.