still having issues with my Drop Checker

[inkslinger]

I have a 110g tank {60x18x24}, 6 T5 HO 54w{4=6500k 8hr,2=10,000k 6hr}, On the right side of the tank i have a Eheim 2028 275gph with spray bar on the end of the tank 18inch pointing inward, I have 80lbs SoilMaster Select , on the other end is another Eheim intake and return system with the return on the end of tank pointing inward, setup is ball valve,1 elbow,Mag 2 Drive pump 250gph,ball valve,2 elbows,Aqua Medic 1000 CO2 Reactor,Turbo Twist 3x,Hydro Heater, I place my New Drop Checker 2inch below the water level on the right.
It's been 2 weeks now and my CO2 Controller reads at 6.8,KH5.5,KNO3 5,GH 0,PO4 0. It is very lightly planted and 3 Black Mollies 7 babies,1 Common Pleco. and my Drop Checker still reads Blue!!!
I did try running my CO2 with my light timer but the DC did not change and my PH drop down too 5.8. I was inform by others that my water movement was weak but some plants close to the spray bar do lean over a little, The water going into the reactor is solid there is no turbulence i can also see the co2 bubbles dancing around at the top before it is dissolves . DC setup 4dkh half full and 2 drops of Bromo Blue from my Jr PH Test Kit 4 months old, I don't know what else to do ether add a Mag 5 pump or drop down to smaller Pump bellow 200gph??

 

[Carissa]

I would put the drop checker lower in the tank. You could be reading low since co2 that close to the surface could be offgassing. You should see a difference in pH of approximately 0.8 - 1.2 when you go from not injecting co2 to injecting co2 to appropriate levels.

 

[inkslinger]

Thanks Carissa should i put the DC in the middle and how about putting it on the other end {my 2 spray bars or on the ends facing inward and down at 45* angle , Co2 on the left and Filter on the right there is no movement on the surface for off gassing the CO2 . } I'm going to try my Mag 5 pump this weekend also.
Funny thing is that i had this setup for 2 years on my 55g tank with a Ehiem Pump 158gph,Turbo Twist 3x,Hydro Heater and it work great!! with my PH Controller every thing was pearling and Growing like weeds, And i thought it would get easier with a 110g tank.

 

[Carissa]

I usually put mine about 2/3 of the way down the tank, as far away from the co2 input as I can (this ensures that I'm probably getting the lowest reading in the tank).

 

[inkslinger]

Right now i'm running a 250gph pump, should i go with a 500gph pump or with a 158gph pump for a 110g tank 60x18x24

 

[VaughnH]

You really should have at least 1000 gph of water flow in that size tank. If you use the propeller type powerhead, like a Koralia, for example, the flow velocity isn't great enough to blow everything down, but a lot of water gets moved.

I suspect you also don't have nearly enough CO2 in the water. I use several bubbles per second for my 45 gallon tank, so yours should take about twice what I use, which probably means two separate CO2 injection points, or a venturi device to inject large amounts from one location.

 

[inkslinger]

hey VaughnH wouldn't my Eheim2080 275gph and my mag 500 500gph be enough?

 

[VaughnH]

hey VaughnH wouldn't my Eheim2080 275gph and my mag 500 500gph be enough?

I don't believe that is enough. My 45 gallon tank has a Rena XP3, which should give about 350 gph and a Koralia 1, which should give about 400 gph and I don't have too much flow. Scaling that up to 100 gallons would suggest needing 1500 gph to have the same effect as I get. I looked at Tom's tanks last month, and he has much more flow in them than I do, so I'm basing my ideas on what is needed on that. Over the next year or so I'm betting that the consensus will be that most of us are way short on water circulation in the tank.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I think you are way underpowered myself

The Koralias are great at moving water. They are relatively cheap and easy to mount and direct the flow.

I would recommend you looking into either a model III or IV and place it on one end pointing towards the other. I think it will make a big difference.

Just for reference my 180 gal 72x24x24 has a Panworld 250PS (that runs 1950 gph @ 45' max head) that runs the filtration, sump, and c02 venturi , and a Koralia model II and IV inside the tank just for flow.

I have 6 loc-line outlets to direct flow from the filtration system.

I still think this could be improved!

Good luck.

 

[inkslinger]

Hey Gerryd do you think if i run ether 284 or 384 1/2 inch with the Mag 5 500gph would work and add a Koralias 3 850gph to add flow in the tank would work?? or should i just get a Koralias 4, remember i am all ready running my Ehiem 2080 on right end of my tank a Mag5 on the left side and both spray bars are facing in word at a 45`

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I find that the venturi works the best for my setup better than a reactor did.

You could probably run a small venturi with the 500, just plumb the output if possible into your filter return line for nice dispersion into the tank. Make sure the venturi is close to the pump to get as much pressure as possible as that is what makes the venturi work, not flow, which is what a mag drive provides.

The III model is nice and will be better certainly than if using nothing I would recommend you using either the III or IV model. Prices vary over the web and you can find them much cheaper than the LFS........

However, after learning and spending $ and time, I recommend you investigating a better high pressure pump such as an Iwaki or gen-x and power a venturi and your system with that instead.

Hope this helps.

 

[inkslinger]

Will my set up right now is on the right side of my tank i only have is my Eheim 2080 filter, The intake is in the center and the return spray bar takes up the 18inches on the end of the tank an is pointing inward.
The left side i have is an intake in the center of the tank , I have a Mag 5 pump,Aqua Medic 1000 CO2 Reactor,Turbo Twist 3x{I'm going to get a bigger one now too push more flow in} and before the the return i have is my Hydro 300w heater the return is a spray bar that takes up the 18inchs of the left side of my tank {60x18} pointing inward.
One Koralias 3or4 should be good enough and should it be wise to take the AM 1000 off line also and replace it with the Mazzie