Delima about low pH and CO2 Injector

[Orchid]

I am wanting to hook up my diy CO2 injector to my planted tanks but the dKH is between 1 and 2 and the pH is 6.0 or lower. How do I hook up the injector without causing a pH crash? I use RO water and 1/4 tsp. of Seachem's Acid Buffer per 5 gal. newly added RO water. I have read about using baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, in the yeast reactor, but I am not sure how to do this or what to watch out for. Is anyone familar with doing this? Does anyone know how to stabilize the pH at these low levels?

Also, the reason I disconnected my yeast reactor was because it put off way too much CO2 in the first week and then fizzled out after that when most of what I read about them said the yeast mixture should produce well for about a month. Does anyone know of any tricks to make the yeast do this? Does anyone have any ideas of how to hook up a regulator to the yeast reactor? I was thinking of adding a crushed 2L soda bottle and an airline regulator before the bubble counter, that way, the crushed bottle can fill up without exploding and I can control the CO2 entering the tank. Does anyone forsee a flaw with this plan?

 

[farm41]

The recipe is most important, try this one: 2 liter pop bottle filled 3" from top with warm water, 2 cups sugar, 1/8th tsp yeast, and 1/8th tsp baking soda. This recipe will last nearly 30 days. If you need more co2, start new bottles in intervals of 10 to 14 days apart, that way production will stay consistant. I used to use this method with 10 bottles on 4 tanks.

Don't use the valve, it won't slow the reaction so pressure will keep building and an explosion will result. I'm sure once you try the recipe I gave you the production will be more consistant, it will come on slower and have a more even output. Please don't use a regulating valve, but do use a check valve.

 

[aspen]

do NOT reguate flow, in any way. it will blow up. flow is based on how much yeast you use and temperature of the reactor. cut back on the amount of yeast you are using and it will last longer. decreasing surface agitation will keep the co2 in the tank. i have had good results, by putting the bottle into a 5 gal tank with a heater and regulating the temp of the reactor.

rick

 

[Orchid]

The 1/8 tsp. is gonna keep the pH from crashing? All this time I have been using the entire package of yeast, no wonder the CO2 injector overdid itself so soon! 8O

How did you approach the CO2 injection at night with the diy injector? I've read some people add surface aggitation at night and others just left it alone. What has worked out for you?

 

[farm41]

What size tank do you have? I don't do anything special at night to blow off co2.

If you have some surface agitation it should keep the oxygen levels ok in the evenings. You should begin monitoring your Ph regularly in the morning before lights on and in the evening before lights out, just until you get things stabilized.

Please post your Ph readings.

 

[farm41]

Take a look at these charts, using your Kh and Ph values you already have co2 in the 30-59 ppm range. I'm not certain the charts are accurate using acid buffers and RO though.

co2 chart

 

[Orchid]

Hey, thanks for the chart, Farm41, it is very handy. I think you may be on to something about the buffer and the RO water, though. According to the chart, if my CO2 levels were at 30, my fish would be resperatorily stressed, they do not seem like this at all, they seem like their fine, fishy selves and all of them are bright and flashy in coloration. Also, if the CO2 levels were this high, then the plant growth would be much faster than what it currently is. I would also see oxygen bubbles streaming from their leaves due to the increased photosynthesis as I did when I had the CO2 injector hooked up. I see no oxygen bubbles. Also, I use an AquaClear 300 which does aggitate the surface water because the 81 degree water evaporates faster than I get around to refilling the 55 gal. tank.

So now I am not sure if I should raise my carbonate hardness, or how to do this, Seachem's Neutral Regulator? Should I worry about such a low pH, or just leave everything alone and not hook up the CO2 injector.

Hmmm, I wish I had paid more attention in chemistry class. :?

 

[farm41]

Some more info here on co2 and Kh and how to raise it.

Aquatic Concepts