CO2 Misting

Singtoh

Prolific Poster
Sep 12, 2009
88
0
6
Bangkok,Thailand
Hello All,

I have recently changed to CO2 misting with a modified impeller on an internal Ehiem filter, and I must say it really smashes the CO2 into micro bubbles, and the plants really seem to love it. My question is this: Now that I am misting CO2 in my tank, my drop checker is going from blue just after lights and CO2 on, to lime green/yellow within about 30 minutes. I am using standard 4dkh solution in the DC and a standard PH reagent. I realize these micro bubbles are getting into the DC air gap and making the color change quicker, so how do I work with the DC and misting. IF it goes yellow because micro bubbles are getting in there, how do I gauge the reading of the DC. The DC by the way is on the complete opposite side of the tank and is not in direct flow output of the EHEIM CO2 smasher. Hope this isn't too stupid a question. Just a side note. I went and got some DI water and mixed my own 4dkh solution, with proper scales and checked it with calibrated tests and went about mixing, checked my solution and it was 8dkh instead of 4, checked it again with another test kit, same reading, then checked the DI water straight out of the bottle and low and behold it has a 4dkh reading. WTF.:confused: This is Thailand(TIT),:) so all the measuring and mixing was for naught i guess. Although I always assumed DI water should have a dkh of zero. Any thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated. Mainly about the misting and drop checker thing, I'll go to the chemist tomorrow and get a 4dkh solution to eliminate bogus DI water I guess, since I would not know what else could be in the DI water. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Cheers,

Singtoh
 

nipat

Guru Class Expert
May 23, 2009
665
0
16
...
My question is this: Now that I am misting CO2 in my tank, my drop checker is going from blue just after lights and CO2 on, to lime green/yellow within about 30 minutes. I am using standard 4dkh solution in the DC and a standard PH reagent. I realize these micro bubbles are getting into the DC air gap and making the color change quicker, so how do I work with the DC and misting. IF it goes yellow because micro bubbles are getting in there, how do I gauge the reading of the DC.
...

I think a solution may be to change to a membrane based DC.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/52991-membrane-drop-checker-1-1-minute.html

Don't know if anyone has tried making one with umbrella cloth?
 

Biollante

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jun 21, 2009
3,210
3
36
Surprise, AZ
Tyvek Magic

Hi Singtoh, Nipat,

I have made them from tyvek from in US Postal Service mailers available in mailboxes all over the place, never from umbrella material, but if the umbrella material is tyvek it will work. :)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/diy-aquarium-projects/32100-diy-drop-checker-12.html

Tevek is a selective barrier material used in all kinds of stuff. ;)

The advantages are much quicker reading/response time, no worrying about reference solution being compromised. :cool:

Biollante
 
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Singtoh

Prolific Poster
Sep 12, 2009
88
0
6
Bangkok,Thailand
Hi bsmith,

I had it running on an internal filter, which was working pretty good, but decided to do it to a powerhead and it's even better now, a bit more powerful. I just heated up a needle and put small holes in the impellar, in pairs, one obove the other and in sets of 3, 6 holes to each impellar blade, then ran small gauge fishing line into one hole, tied a knot in it and pulled it back against the first hole, then did like a zig zag pattern from one impellar blade to the next forming as nice a mesh as I could, going thru all the holes in each impellar blade, some of them twice, then when I came back to the tie off point when I had a nice mesh, I tied it of and put a spot of superglue on the knot just to be sure it didn't come loose. It works pretty good, then I just feed the co2 line to the bottom of the strainer on the powerhead, and inside the strainer is a limewood airstone, if you get what I mean, smaller bubbles going in, smaller bubbles coming out I guess, and I can hardly hear the powerhead breaking bubbles. Micro bubbles everywhere, it's really good.

Cheers,

Singtoh
 
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