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 | | From: | NetMax | | Subject: | Re: Oxygen & CO2 Injection.... | | Date: | Wed, 5 Jan 2005 22:00:38 -0500 |
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 | "default" wrote in message
news:1104942013.133710.323920@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> NetMax offered:
> > > > > >
>
> Oh oh! Me too please! I've got the water, tank, fish, plants,
> lights.... In a few days I'm going to delve into the black art of C02.
> What does the forum suggest?
>
> 55g tank, 48" x 18" x 21" tall
> pH 7.4
> temp 79f
> gH 50ppm
> kH 30ppm
> nitrates stable at <10
Always happy to help new hobbyists, but I think your Borellii pictures
expose you as a more experienced hobbyist ;~) (nice pics BTW).
The specs you supplied are tap or tank? To do this properly, they should
be tap after aging for a day. Presuming that this is so, then your
buffer is about 1.6dkH which is very low. This makes your water both pH
unstable, but also very malleable if you wanted to change the pH.
Looking at your hardness 2.8dgH (very soft), your water source is
probably a river through municipal supply. Your 7.4pH might be natural,
or the effects of the treatment plant might be faded (you might be living
far from the plant, or in a old neighborhood with rusty pipes). Your NO3
level is perfectly normal, so tank is either properly maintained, or low
fish load, or lots of plants soaking up the nitrates.
For the purposes of plant growth, CO2 injection will be very effective
(possibly over-effective, watch your pH carefully, especially at night).
As it is a 55g (the more water you have, the slower it will react), this
will act in your favour to absorb pH peaks.
If the CO2 is to effect a lower pH, I wouldn't do it. A natural pH of
7.4 is not worth changing for anybody. If for plants, the danger is pH
crash due to low buffer. Prowl around the r.a.f.p. newsgroup to see what
they are recommending to counteract this. An electronic pH probe coupled
to a CO2 tank is one solution. I've heard that some tannins have a
buffering effect. Baking soda will boost kH to help maintain your pH
(but don't use it to increase pH). A small DIY setup will probably give
you the plant boost without driving your pH too low if you are up on your
maintenance and boost the kH a tiny bit (crushed coral in your filters?).
> 72 watts over one end of the tank (over the plants) 15 watts over the
> other
> 4 java fern
> java moss
> 1 big crypt, 2 small crypt, 2 tiny crypt
> 1 large amazon sword, 1 medium amazon sword
> http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/55adec20_04.JPG
> http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/55dec20_04.JPG
> (swords and crypts not shown)
For a 21" tall tank, you might want to boost your lighting setup a bit,
but it all depends on what your aspirations are. Leave it just the way
it is, and you can marvel at your plant's reactions to the CO2.
> 24 neon tetra
> 2 1" dia Angels
> 3 A. Borellii
> 5 otto
> 3 cory cats
That was my 2 cents *removing seeing eye glasses now*.
--
www.NetMax.tk
> thanks in advance,
> steve
>
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