Still a green horn

geediver

Junior Poster
Sep 10, 2007
3
0
1
55
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Greets to all, I'm still in my infancy with planted tanks. I've been trying in vain to gain a foothold on this new hobby. I have several questions I'd like to pose, but first a little background on my set up.

http://www.barrreport.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=133

The above is the current messy mix-of-every-concept-I-could-find setup. My tank configuration is as follows:

Size: 18" x 8" x 10"
Filtration: Resun "Cyclone" External Filter (CY-20)
Lighting: 1x36W PL 6500K
CO2: DIY CO2 (24/7), with a ceramic diffuser
Substrate: Aquasoil
Sand: Shirui #2
Fert: Seachem Flourish, Hexa Bio Ferro tabs (formulated activated bio-ferric complex nutrients, whatever that means)
Temp: 28 - 29°C, I'm having Equatorial temperatures, average temperature is around 33°C.
Flora: predominantly riccia fluitan (foreground), Juncus repens, Limnophila indica, Ceratophyllum demersum, Eleocharis montevidensis, Bacopa monnieri, Vesicularia dubyana
Fauna: 4 x Neocardina denticulata (cherry red shrimps), 1 x Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese Algae Eater)

My questions:
1. How do i regulate the flow of my CO2, the bubbles are coming out 24/7 at a rate of 1-2 bps into the diffuser. Do I need to use a bubble counter?

2. Any ideas where to relocate my rocks for a better scape. The huge DW behind the rocks is just temporary. Propagating my riccia. I'm enjoying really good growth with my riccia.

3. What is the maximum number of cherry shrimps I can have in my tank. (I know this is a planted tank forum :p )
 

Gbark

Guru Class Expert
Jun 15, 2009
266
1
18
I thought i would reply even though you posted this 3 years ago:eek:

geediver;19161 said:
1. How do i regulate the flow of my CO2, the bubbles are coming out 24/7 at a rate of 1-2 bps into the diffuser. Do I need to use a bubble counter?

You will need a needle valve, but as you have said you use DIY, you are obviously trying to keep costs down, so mabe a tube clamp would work to slow the flow rate down. Yes i would get a bubble counter to make life a bit easier.

geediver;19161 said:
2. Any ideas where to relocate my rocks for a better scape. The huge DW behind the rocks is just temporary. Propagating my riccia. I'm enjoying really good growth with my riccia.

I can't see the pic sorry no help here :rolleyes:

geediver;19161 said:
3. What is the maximum number of cherry shrimps I can have in my tank. (I know this is a planted tank forum :p )

I would say that they will breed quite well, the limit will be overcrowding and high Nitrates. You will need to re-home some eventually.
 

nipat

Guru Class Expert
May 23, 2009
665
0
16
Hi,

1. How do i regulate the flow of my CO2, the bubbles are coming out 24/7 at a rate of 1-2 bps into the diffuser. Do I need to use a bubble counter?

With CO2 from yeast bottle, you can't. Unless your bottle is very strong, made from aluminium
for example. Otherwise you're risking a stinky bomb.

I believe you will want a bubble counter, so that you know when the CO2 output is too much
(it happens) or drops.
 

shoggoth43

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jan 15, 2009
1,092
11
38
A bubble counter would be useful to monitor the output of your system. A simple regulation systems is to use one of those multiair valve units. You feed the CO2 in and out and then crack the valve open a bit to bleed off excess CO2. Do not restrict the flow directly and never cap off the CO2 as you then have the equivalent of a dry ice bomb. ( admittedly fun at times, but not so much indoors due to damage/injury and hearing loss )

I also am not able to see the picture and my typical methods of 'scaping are throw in the plants and let them root...

RCS will eventually breed like mad. Stocking limits are only what you can feed and deal with the waste from. 100/10gallons is not an uncommon number from what I've read. Stores will pay for them though, or you can sell online to people so it's all good. Lots of fish will eat them too, so you have a live food angle for your culls.

-
S
 

justin.sterling.scott

Prolific Poster
Mar 17, 2010
41
0
6
46
Port Orchard, WA
nipat;48004 said:
Hi,



With CO2 from yeast bottle, you can't. Unless your bottle is very strong, made from aluminium
for example. Otherwise you're risking a stinky bomb...

Say, has anyone made an aluminum DIY yeast reactor? That sounds like a fun project. Some half gallonish aluminum container with a screw type lid and gasket seal, drill and tap the top, thread in an aluminum or CRes nipple to connect an airline to with various configurations; maybe a second drill and tap for a simple bleed valve...

What do you think? Maybe a new project and/or thread potential. Unless its out there somewhere. I didn't look. T_T
 
Last edited by a moderator:

shoggoth43

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jan 15, 2009
1,092
11
38
I haven't seen one, but I suspect you could easily use those metal drinking bottles or similar which seem to be pretty common as of late.

-
S
 

Tug

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jan 5, 2009
1,150
9
38
Washington, DC
35psi

I like the idea of the 1 gallon gas can shown here http://www.aquatic-plants.org/articles/diyco2/diyco2_2.html :p

Pressures over 35 psi can be toxic to yeast.
nipat said:
I wonder how well yeast does in high pressure.
On the other hand, under 8.8 psi yeast seam to maintain a steady state of growth. They use more glucose under higher pressures because of increased maintenance energy requirements. A pressure around 4 psi will increase the fermentation rate.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Biollante

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jun 21, 2009
3,210
3
36
Surprise, AZ
Pressure cooker anyone?

justin.sterling.scott;48317 said:
Say, has anyone made an aluminum DIY yeast reactor? That sounds like a fun project. Some half gallonish aluminum container with a screw type lid and gasket seal, drill and tap the top, thread in an aluminum or CRes nipple to connect an airline to with various configurations; maybe a second drill and tap for a simple bleed valve...

What do you think? Maybe a new project and/or thread potential. Unless its out there somewhere. I didn't look. T_T

Hi,

Pressure cooker anyone? I am not sure about aluminum I think a non-reactive surface would be good anything from 4.5 to 10 psi. :cool:

Biollante