# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Should I add Co2 right now?



## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I've just completed purchasing my CO2 equipment and now want to start adding co2 to the tank. Here's the tank stats:

66 gallon.
FE - 0,
PHO4 ~5 (A little high, black brush algae problem)
NO2, < 0.3
NO3 < 8
PH 6.2 ~ 6.5
Ammonia 0
KH 2
GH 0

160 watts on for 3 hours, off for 3 on for 6 to break algae cycle

Heavily planted, medium fish stock all tetras
Japonica, ottos & clown loaches.

Do I dare start adding CO2? If so, I was thinking rougly ~1 - 2 bubbles /min to see how well things take off.

Suggestions?

Later.

Doug.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I've just completed purchasing my CO2 equipment and now want to start adding co2 to the tank. Here's the tank stats:

66 gallon.
FE - 0,
PHO4 ~5 (A little high, black brush algae problem)
NO2, < 0.3
NO3 < 8
PH 6.2 ~ 6.5
Ammonia 0
KH 2
GH 0

160 watts on for 3 hours, off for 3 on for 6 to break algae cycle

Heavily planted, medium fish stock all tetras
Japonica, ottos & clown loaches.

Do I dare start adding CO2? If so, I was thinking rougly ~1 - 2 bubbles /min to see how well things take off.

Suggestions?

Later.

Doug.


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

I say start adding. Might want to raise the KH a little. When I started my CO2 I started with what I thought was a low bubble rate and then slowly raised it over a few days until I got the CO2 range I wanted.

If you have the lights and ferts then adding CO2 will make it a hell of a lot easier to deal with the algea. I had every which algae in my tank. Once I upped everything to the right levels the algae stopped propogating. All I am doing now is removing affected leaves as new leaves grow in. I expect to have all the affected leaves removed in a couple of weeks.

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## m.lemay (Jan 9, 2005)

Stop using that broken light cycle to stop algae. In effect your also breaking the photosyntesis cycle of the plants, not good. Keep your light cycle between 10-12 hours daily so that your plants have a chance to kick into gear, thats where you're gonna beat the algae.

75 gal,pressurized CO2 with controller, 3WPG PC lighting,gravel/flourite 50/50 substrate, Filstar XP3, GH=7,KH=5,PH=6.9,NO3=10ppm, PO4=1-2ppm,K=20ppm+/-, FE=.1ppm


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## Rex Grigg (Jan 22, 2004)

Get your kH up to around 4 and get your gH up around 7. You might try adding some crushed coral to your filter. Get the CO2 started and it will help with the BBA problem. And as has been stated stop using the funny light cycle.

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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I checked the bulbs on the tank. I replaced 2 that were past their prime.

I'm going to start doing biweekly 30% water changes to get that PhO4 down and start CO2 slowly. I'm also going to add some crushed coral to the cannister filter.

Where was that CO2 table on this site? I can't find it.

Later.

Doug.


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

CO2 Calculator

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

I'm assuming by biweekly you mean twice a week, rather than every other week. If you DID mean every other week and are doing less than that now, you definitely need to kick up your water changes. Be sure to test your tap water as well as your tank water, though, to make sure about exactly what you're adding. If your tap water is high in phosphates, you might want to try a phosphate absorbing resin to get them down in a reasonable range. Look to your feeding regimen also; if you're feeding your tetras a lot of flake food, much of it may be going uneaten, especially if the clowns are still small; you might look at cutting down there also. I also agree about the light cycle, you're helping the algae more than you're hurting it by doing that. Be sure and raise your KH to a reasonable level (at least 4) before you start CO2; you can do that with baking soda. Use 1/2 tsp. dissolved in water and add to the tank; wait an hour, and test to see what you've achieved. The baking soda will raise your ph, and depending on how much it goes up, you might want to wait several hours before you add more, or add it daily for a few days. When it's where you want it, start your CO2; that will bring the ph down again. Once your plants are getting everything they need and growing well, the algae will begin to retreat. Pruning off the most heavily affected leaves will help the process also. Good luck!


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## walpurgis999 (Feb 6, 2003)

I say go balls to the wall and start the CO2 to where you want it right away. Most fish can handle the PH swing, and your plants will start fighting that algae. Mainly algae grows on slow growing plants--and the CO2 will help those plants kick in gear.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

Started the CO2 Saturday & Sunday at 3-4 bubbles/min. Increased it to 6/min. So far so good. I did see a cardinal tetra start to act goofy. I added an airstone for a little while to monitor the situation. It could be coquincidental.

30% water changes 3 times weekly and triming away any leaves I can see. 

Feeding is not an issue. I feed properly. I think the tank being moved and having to partly recycle again had an effect on it.

No PO4 in the regular tap water.
I'm also trimming off the worst plants. Every water change will help.

Later.

Doug.


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

Several people have mentioned raising the KH, have you done that? I'd hate to hear that your fish are all belly up.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I'mm slowly adding Seachem ph stable to the tank to raise the KH & GH. I've noticed a couple of fish showing sings of sluggishness. Otherwise the others are doing well. 

I've also added a 1lb of crushed coral to the canister.

1 bubble every 10 sec for CO2.

Later.

Doug.


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## Rex Grigg (Jan 22, 2004)

Watch your pH, gH and kH very closely. I find that about 4 tablespoons of crushed coral in my cannister filter keeps my 55 gallon tank at a gH of around 8 and my kH around 5-6. It will rise slowly at first and then skyrocket you on. When I set the 55 gallon up I put in about a pound of crushed coral. Within 5 days the kH was over 17 and I did not even bother to check the gH.

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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

this is just my experience, but you'll want to pull most that coral out. In a 100g with PH of 6.8 I only keep 100-200mg of coral. Even then I exceed my targets without regular water changes.

The coral works well as soon as the PH turns acidic. A lot is not required.

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I've checked the ph. It's stable around 6.6 ~ 7

I have lost 3 fish. 2 rummny nose & 1 cardinal.

I turned the bubble count down to 2/min. The water here is so soft that I'm having a hard time getting the KH & GH up. KH is now 4, GH still 0. Still have to add the Seachem ph stable to get the KH & GH up. The water here is PH 5.8 on average and GH & KH of 0.

I also noticed that my seloniod isn't working. Last night the co2 was still going into the tank. Even with the selonoid off. I checked it a few times. 

I unplugged it and checked it when I got home from work today. It's still bubbling away.

It's getting replaced Friday.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong here? I've had to add an airstone to keep the fish happy.

Later.

Doug.


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Don't put any PH products into your tank!
Your CO2 is probally higher than you think!
The CO2 chart #'s won't mean anything if you are adding PH products into your tank!

I would do a few big water changes to remove the PH product from your tank.
Remove the seloniod as it is only causing more confusion!
Use baking soda to increase your KH to 4dKH!

This should help!

[This message was edited by ekim on Thu March 06 2003 at 07:25 AM.]


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

I agree with Ekim. Use baking soda to up your KH, and epsom salts will help with the GH (don't use more than a 1/2 tsp. at a time of either, dissolved in a cup of water, and don't do both at the same time!). Just do both slowly! And I would stop the CO2 altogether until you get your GH and KH where you want them and your ph stablized, which shouldn't take more than a few days.
http://www.wheelpost.com


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I'll stop adding the ph stable.
I need to use the seloniod as this is the only thing that will stop the co2 from being fed when the lights are off in the tank. I don't want co2 bubbling into the tank at night.

I've added a 1/2 kilo of crushed coral to the cannister filter. It's hopefully going to stablize the GH & KH on me.

I just found out today that the local city is going to start flushing the water lines and going to be dumping extra clorine into the water. Great! Just what I need when I have to triweekly water changes to get my PO4 down!

I guess I just need to start adding everything slowly and stablize the tank.

Later.

Doug.


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

How lucky that you found out in *advance*.


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## Rex Grigg (Jan 22, 2004)

A half kilo of crushed coral will not stabilize your pH, kH and gH. All three will rise as the coral dissolves until the pH gets to the point where it no longer reacts with the coral. Even then you will still see a slow rise in the kH and gH. I run just a couple of ounces in my cannister for a 55 gallon tank and it is almost too much.

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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

Well I replaced the defective selinoid value and started to add co2 again slowly at 1 bubble/min.

I lost 2 fish.

CO2 is now stopped. I need to get the tank stablized first before everything gets killed.

I'm going to add baking soda slowly to see how the GH & KH take off.

CO2 will have to wait.

Later.

Doug.


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Did you get the PO4 back down?


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

No. It's still around ~3.

Later.

Doug.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I did another 30% water change today.
PO4 is still up around 3, ph ~7.2 since adding baking soda (which has now stopped).

I added a few new plants to help get the PO4 down. SO far so good.

I removed a few more effected leaves from the plants today. I have some petrified wood that has some black brush algae on it. I'm going to give it the 19 parts water to 1 part bleech soak next weekend. I'll remove it then and rinse the hell out of it.

This PO4 problem is really stumping me. I haven't had a problem like this before in the 20+ years of having aquariums.

I'm literally thinking of completely stripping down the tank, tossing the substrate and rebulding from scratch.

Later.

Doug.


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

Why don't you just use a bag of phosphate absorbing resin (like SeaChem's Phosguard, for example)in your filter? It can eliminate your phosphate problem virtually overnight--although if your phosphates are that high you may find you have to add fresh resin after a day or so to complete the job. The resin will not affect your other water parameters. Have you checked your tap water to see what the phosphate levels are?

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

3 bags of green - X & a bag of SeaChem's Phosguard in the cannister filter.

I've noticed a little reduction in the PO4, but not as much as over night.

Later.

Doug.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

Did another water change today. PO4 is down around 2.0. Still a little ways to go.

I added a little tropica master grow today and started the CO2 again at 3 bubbles/min.

KH 3.4 GH ~1.
PH 7.0 - ~7.2

Later.

Doug.


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

humm.. that is not a lot of co2 to even kill a fish IMO.

I have about 40-60 bubble per min. My tank is not even decked out like a lot of pictures on this website. I can still see lots of gravel spot in mine.

the initial start of pressurize co2 injection on my tank was around 40-60 bubbles as well so I didn't back down on the dose from the start.

Never had a huge algae problem even when my tap water was 3+ po4 and my tank was 6+ po4 around the first week of co2 injection. I did have the case of the bad algae outbreak in certain area. But it wasnt a wide spread problem that cover every square inch of the tank. go figure







.

not sure what the po4 in the tap water is now. but should be around 3 ppm.

Those po4 absorber could backfire if they are left in too long.. the absorb po4 will be release back into the water after a few days if there was a heavy load of po4 in the water.

I would try to increase the co2, increase the fast growing plantload to take up nutrients. Then supplement the increase usage with adding K and NO3. Thats what I did to balance out the nutrients.

I know I wouldn't be able to get the po4 down to acceptable level because tap water has too much po4. Beefheart and other food would most likely add more po4 to the water as well.

Also, do some gravel cleaning in the spot that you can afford to disturb. That would also reduce po4 release into the water. I strip all my sag and vals to vacumn those area. Any area with plants that grows fast and easy.

This is a big step you will have to decide on. changing things slowly or do a drastic change.

Dosing 3 bubble per min is worse than using a DIY bottle co2 since it is supplying co2 at a slower rate compare to a DIY bottle.

If you don't feel comfortable for drastic change, take the fish out first. Plants can't die from a sudden drop in pH.

I was quite agressive with inital co2 injection because I have a controller to make sure the pH wouldn't fall below 6.8 and I had DIY bottle going with seachem carbon before pressurize co2.

Did you get your solenoid to work properly?

75 Gal, 4.6 WPG MH 10 hour, pressurize co2 /w controller, Fluval 404, ph 6.8
Mike's Canadian Aquatic Plant Page
A Canadian's Plant Traders website

[This message was edited by EDGE on Wed March 12 2003 at 11:14 PM.]


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## Spaceman Spiff (Feb 22, 2003)

I replaced the solenoid. It's working correctly now.

I'm going to slowly increase the CO2 in the tank. Last time as per this post, I lost fish. Nothing drastic this time.

Later.

Doug.


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