I built a "Rex Reactor"- a design many of you are no doubt familiar with- and something is not right.
I am putting 3 bubbles per second into the reactor which is powered by my XP2 filter, all of which are on my 29 gallon tank.
My KH is about 18, and currently according to an AP pH test kit my pH is 6.8, but I don't believe that's correct since that would mean I have 85 ppm CO2, and my fish are all fine. The KH value is what is on my city water report and is confirmed by an AP KH test kit. Another reason to suspect the test kit is wrong is that my water's pH after being degassed should be around 8.2 (assuming 3 ppm CO2 for standing water). A test of this water's pH with the same kit shows a color only *slightly* darker than the highest value of 7.6. Still another reason to suspect the test kit is wrong is that I used a brand new Hanna 7.01 buffer calibration solution and tested it and the AP ph test kit said the pH was 6.4. In all cases the test looks to be about 0.6 units off.
I have seen Tom say that 1 bubble every 3 seconds is sufficient in a 20 gallon tank.
If I back off that far on my tank, or even just to 1 bubble per second, my pH according to the AP test is between 7.2 and 7.4.
This is really driving me nuts not being able to tell if I'm getting good CO2 concentration in the tank.
The plants look *okay* but nothing great and certainly no pearling. They do not pearl after water changes either. The tank has been up for just under 3 weeks, the first two of which I was using "softened" water with a GH of 2 to 3 and a KH of 18. Suffice it to say the plants did not appreciate it so I guess I shouldn't expect them to look great having only been in a tank with normal hard water (GH 22 KH 18) for four days.
Help!!
I am putting 3 bubbles per second into the reactor which is powered by my XP2 filter, all of which are on my 29 gallon tank.
My KH is about 18, and currently according to an AP pH test kit my pH is 6.8, but I don't believe that's correct since that would mean I have 85 ppm CO2, and my fish are all fine. The KH value is what is on my city water report and is confirmed by an AP KH test kit. Another reason to suspect the test kit is wrong is that my water's pH after being degassed should be around 8.2 (assuming 3 ppm CO2 for standing water). A test of this water's pH with the same kit shows a color only *slightly* darker than the highest value of 7.6. Still another reason to suspect the test kit is wrong is that I used a brand new Hanna 7.01 buffer calibration solution and tested it and the AP ph test kit said the pH was 6.4. In all cases the test looks to be about 0.6 units off.
I have seen Tom say that 1 bubble every 3 seconds is sufficient in a 20 gallon tank.
If I back off that far on my tank, or even just to 1 bubble per second, my pH according to the AP test is between 7.2 and 7.4.
This is really driving me nuts not being able to tell if I'm getting good CO2 concentration in the tank.
The plants look *okay* but nothing great and certainly no pearling. They do not pearl after water changes either. The tank has been up for just under 3 weeks, the first two of which I was using "softened" water with a GH of 2 to 3 and a KH of 18. Suffice it to say the plants did not appreciate it so I guess I shouldn't expect them to look great having only been in a tank with normal hard water (GH 22 KH 18) for four days.
Help!!