EI & Pressure Co2 issues?

[I Love Aqautic Weeds!]

Hey Tom and friends,

I need some assistance. I finally got a Pressure Co2 system; it’s a GLA one with a 10lb tank feeding into a large 2 1/2in rexx style reactor,

Info,

46 bowfront

Two filters 2217 and 2215

2 coralife strip lights with 2, 21 watt bulbs each (2X10,000k and 2X7,600k) for 1.8 watts sitting right on top of the tank.

½ EI dosing (after water change I still have 15-20ppm Nitrate, 2-5ppm Phosphate)

Substrate, 2 bags fluorite (6 years old) and one bag Ecocomplete (1 year one) under fluorite.

Dropchecker with 4.5ish dkh solution, the limiest color I’ve had. Much more yellow then when I ran 4 bottle DIY. Co2 and lights on timer for 10 hours. The Co2 comes on one hour before lights.

Picture of tank,

Although everything is growing, I’m getting some light leaf loss after every water change, white surface slime, and some light green dust algae on the glass and a bit of GSA. Could this just be the tank settling in? Do I have too much light? Co2 is at about 4bps and only the tiniest of bubbles are ejected into the tank and not very many.

Help,

Shawn

Before Pressure Co2 (just my DIY). After I got the GLA pressure I rescaped to the picture above, I wanted to try someting more interesting. I had just put the Repens in this tank a week before the above rescape. It has easily doubled in size in just 2 weeks. But I'm still getting the issues I mentioned above.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

You may want to reduce your light. 4 bulbs seems like overkill to me...

I would think 1 or 2 bulbs max to provide spread will provide more than enough light.

And go to 100% EI dosing. EI is to provide non limiting nutrients so doing 50% may not be enough and also cause plant growth issues.

Remember the law of minimum in that plants will be affected by that which is lacking and go from there....no sense providing good light and c02, but not enough macros and micros.

 

[I Love Aqautic Weeds!]

What if I took out the two 10,000K's and replaced with 7,600Ks

As of yesterday I have turned off one of the lights and today when I got home and had a chance to take a look. I noticed the surface slime buildup is much less. I guess .9 watts right at the waters surface is still a fair amount of light. I'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[shoggoth43]

Also, 10 hours may be a little excessive for your photoperiod. You may want to knock that down to 8 hours and then work your way back up.

-
S

 

[I Love Aqautic Weeds!]

Right, done!

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[scottward]

Working pressure CO2 gauge looks a little low - should be at least 1 bar typically? Below 1 bar I expect you might have some instability with CO2 output (unstable CO2 will cause all sorts of problems).

Maybe push CO2 working pressure to 1.5 bar?

If you change CO2 working pressure, make sure you check the bubble counter afterwards!

I think the Koralia will be really moving things around! Make sure the surface of the tank is moving, but not breaking, or you could be degassing a lot of CO2.

Personally I hate drop checkers.

Scott.

 

[I Love Aqautic Weeds!]

Working pressure CO2 gauge looks a little low - should be at least 1 bar typically? Below 1 bar I expect you might have some instability with CO2 output (unstable CO2 will cause all sorts of problems).

Maybe push CO2 working pressure to 1.5 bar?

If you change CO2 working pressure, make sure you check the bubble counter afterwards!

I think the Koralia will be really moving things around! Make sure the surface of the tank is moving, but not breaking, or you could be degassing a lot of CO2.

Personally I hate drop checkers.

Scott.

The pressure settings are exactly how GLA have instructed me. 10lbs working pressure should be plenty. I have counted 1 minute worth and I believe it to be very stable (about 240bpm).

Is it your opinion that I should maybe try turning up the Co2 more?

Can anyone tell me; is the cause of white surface scum, high organics? I do have some light leaf loss (about 4-6 tank wide every 2 days) mostly from the Glandulosa. The leaves get stuck to the Koralia, and I count them. I have been doing small by-daily water changes, in which I use a 2 liter plastic orange juice jug to “sort of” siphon off the surface. It usually only takes two bottles worth to completely clean the scum away.

I don’t know, maybe it’s that the tanks plant load is still very light since the rescape?


For anyone new to this thread,

EI dosing, GLA Co2 into a large rexx reactor. Plants growing very well (fast) and looking healthy, no hair algae of any kind.


Issues,

Light leaf loss
Very light GSA
Light GDA on glass

So far I’ve turned off one light fixture, putting the tank at .91 watts (T-5) right at the waters surface and cut the time to eight straight hours per day. Glandulosa is turning green but still growing nicely.

Thanks guys,

Shawn