Starting dosing and co2 tonight

[edacsac]

Plants are here, ferts are here and I have the cheasiest DIY bubble counter for now. I found the dosing schedule below, that I will divide by 2 for my 10gal:

Tank's (1)
20~40gal
50%H20 change-weekly
+/-1/4Tsp-KN03 3x a week
+/-1/16+Tsp-KH2P04 3x aweek
+/-1/16+Tsp K2S04 3x a week (don't believe I have this one)
+/-5ml Trace 3x a week (CSM+B?)
+/-1-2ml Fe/Iron 3x a week (don't have, but do have flourite)

Questions:

How many bubbles per minute to get co2 started with no fish? I'll likely do the test kit / chart thing until my drop checker arrives, but I'm looking for a round about idea to at least get the co2 rolling.

5ml trace? Is this a pinch or a smidgeon in dry form?

 

[Frolicsome_Flora]

Ive found that bubble sizes depend very much on the apature of the tube exit, but with no fish you dont have to worry about over doing it to start with. Better to be too much than not enough anyways, fish or no fish. When you have fish theyll soon tell you if your dosing too much, then just knock it back a bit.

Most people have suggested to me to do a trial and error approach and aim for your plants to start pearling after about 7 hours of full light.

Not sure on the dry trace powder yet, as Im still using up my horribly expensive liquid version. Im new to it too and only just discovered nice cheap dry ferts!

 

[Tom Barr]

About 1 bubble every 6 seconds to start.
Then up to 3 secs perhaps

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[edacsac]

Thanks for the replies frolicsome and Tom! I think I'm well on my way, except I didn't have time to do ferts tonight. Will have to wait until tomorrow. Thanks again!

 

[Sintei]

Most people have suggested to me to do a trial and error approach and aim for your plants to start pearling after about 7 hours of full light.

7hours? Shouldnt it be 2 hours with CO2 enriched water and 30 min with CO2 mist?

 

[Frolicsome_Flora]

7hours? Shouldnt it be 2 hours with CO2 enriched water and 30 min with CO2 mist?

Really Sintei? From the posts Ive read so far, everyones suggested that good pearling will happen towards the end of the lighting period. Ive only just started all this so maybe when my plants get into a rythm theyll pearl ealier.

 

[Tom Barr]

I think Sintei's target is a good one, it might not be a standard for every tank.........but it's a nice goal to aim for.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Frolicsome_Flora]

I think Sintei's target is a good one, it might not be a standard for every tank.........but it's a nice goal to aim for.

Regards,
Tom Barr

It would be lovely to see this kind of reaction. At the end of my photoperiod last night, the plants were pearling really well. Yesterday was the first day with proper pressurised CO2, so Im hoping thatll improve as times goes on. I remember you saying that most plants take a few days to get used to the amounts of CO2 available to them.

 

[Sintei]

Though this "time-factor" is really 'light and biomass-depending'.