Lo light/lo CO2?????

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I'm winning the algae battle but losing the diy co2 battle. It is too nerve wracking to shoot for 30 ppm co2 with diy co2. The funny part is that I thought the problem would be getting enough co2, instead I'm constantly having to monitor the tanks to make sure I'm not overdosing and killing the fish. I've twice had them all at the surface gasping for air.
Anyway I'm not ready to invest in pressurized yet and I read Tom's non co2 article with great interest. I'm going to cut back my lighting to the 1.5 to 2 wpg range and I understand the fertilizer strategy.
My question has to do with Tom's closing comment about using Excel to supply some carbon to the plants. First question is whether there is a cheaper source of carbon? Second question is whether a low level of diy co2 say 5 to 15 ppm would have the same effect? Or does that open the door to algae growth again especially with the fluctuations diy co2 gives. I guess I was wondering if an inefficient system like a ceramic air stone might add a little co2 without the anxiety of killing the fish. I would enjoy doing the diy co2 if I could come up with a system that didn't need constant monitoring and didn't make me a nervous wreck.

Thanks for all the help,
Bill

 

[Greg Watson]

Re: Lo light/lo CO2?????

I'm winning the algae battle but losing the diy co2 battle. It is too nerve wracking to shoot for 30 ppm co2 with diy co2. The funny part is that I thought the problem would be getting enough co2, instead I'm constantly having to monitor the tanks to make sure I'm not overdosing and killing the fish. I've twice had them all at the surface gasping for air.
Anyway I'm not ready to invest in pressurized yet and I read Tom's non co2 article with great interest. I'm going to cut back my lighting to the 1.5 to 2 wpg range and I understand the fertilizer strategy.
My question has to do with Tom's closing comment about using Excel to supply some carbon to the plants. First question is whether there is a cheaper source of carbon? Second question is whether a low level of diy co2 say 5 to 15 ppm would have the same effect? Or does that open the door to algae growth again especially with the fluctuations diy co2 gives. I guess I was wondering if an inefficient system like a ceramic air stone might add a little co2 without the anxiety of killing the fish. I would enjoy doing the diy co2 if I could come up with a system that didn't need constant monitoring and didn't make me a nervous wreck.

Thanks for all the help,
Bill

I kind of doubt there is much experience out here with having too much DIY CO2 ...

DIY CO2 is for most the cheapest source of Carbon ... so in answer to your first question ... you have the best source from a cost perspective ...

I suspect that if you go into a greater description of your CO2 setup, that those of us that have done the 2 litre bottle CO2 route before, will probably see something that might be able to be tweaked to give you the more stable supply of CO2 to alleviate the nervous wreck problem ...

I'm usually the one that is trying to get people to move to a third bottle of DIY CO2 in order to stabilize the CO2 levels over time without the peaks and valleys that a single bottle or two bottle system usually experience ...

There may be a way for you to change your yeast/sugar receipe to slow the rate of your CO2 being created ...

Several ideas come to mind ... but without a little more detail, your (relatively unique to me) problem is tougher to answer than the typical add more CO2 problem ...

Thanks,
Greg

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Lo light/lo CO2?????

Try the DIY CO2 reactor to go with the DIY yeast.
That will improve things greatly for you!

Add some surface movement, not a lot, but some.

Add CO2 brew in two sets of bottles each charged every other week.

This will balance the rates out better.

Regards,
Tom Barr