# CO2 in my planted tank



## rstampa (Mar 22, 2017)

Help please? I've am so confused about my CO2 and Ph levels in my 65 gal planted tank. The more I read the more confused I get.
My Ph is a natural 7.8 from the tap and in my tank. I have be injecting CO2 for about 2 yrs now and still can't get it right. I just purchased a CO2 regulator/reactor and thought my problem was over. However it's not.
Here's what I have. My Ph is 7.8 without CO2 I am trying to lower and keep it around 7.0 but in order to do that I have my Bubbles at around 10 bps just to keep it at 7.0. The regulator/reactor runs until it reaches 6.93 and turns on again when it gets to 7.05. It is takes only 15 mins. for it to turn on again. I think the amount of CO2 is too much. And it only takes a little while before the Ph rises again. If I stop the CO2 the Ph would go back up to 7.8 in less then 2 hrs. I have no rocks except *gravel substrate*on top and clay medium underneath.
Am I thing this all wrong? Should I not try to lower the Ph so much and just add just enough to lower the Ph slightly?

Stats: Ph 7.8 without CO2, KH is 5 degrees, GH is 18 degrees. I have 8 pieces of driftwood, a fist full of peat moss in a bag. Tetras of different verity, Ghost scrimp, snails, algae eaters and a few Barbs. Lighting medium to hight. Lot's of plants. And BBA which is most challenging. Weekly or ever two weeks I do a 25-30% what water change with aged water. Ph is 7.5-7.8. Which doesn't help my Ph problem. 
I stopped fertilizing but nothing seems to help or change. 
Any suggestion would be more the appreciated. Thanks


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

CO2 leaves the water as easily as it enters. When it enters water, some of it forms carbonic acid, lowering the pH. When it leaves the water, the pH rises again. If your fish aren't gasping and plants are healthy, you're adding adequate CO2.

As for the bba. It doesn't have to do with CO2 directly. CO2 doesn't kill it or anything. You'll just have to get used to it or burn the tank down. You can control it though. Lower your light intensity, weekly water changes to direct dosing of excel or peroxide. On hardscape that you can remove, take it out and spray the whole thing in peroxide, wait a few minutes, hose it down, and put it back in the tank. Clean out your filter once in a while too.

Your pH regulator will need monthly calibration btw. Sensors will drift and will give you inaccurate readings.


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## rstampa (Mar 22, 2017)

Thanks for your advise. You the first person that said live with it or burn the tank. LOL I fell like that sometimes but I think I'll just do what I've been doing. Water changes and H2O2 dip and spray.
Happy Halloween.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Amano shrimps eat BBA. You can try those if you don't have any fish that'll eat them.


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## rstampa (Mar 22, 2017)

mistergreen said:


> Amano shrimps eat BBA. You can try those if you don't have any fish that'll eat them.


Shrimp don't touch the stuff. Mollies nibble one in awhile but not enough to control any of it.
Thanks for you suggestion.


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## miles (Apr 26, 2006)

true SAE (siamese algae eaters) eat bba but you really need to address your co2 issues first. you say you have medium to high lighting. if so, you really need to drop your pH to at least 6.8. you also need to add ferts to the water column. you need to balance co2 injection rate with surface agitation. check out Dennis Wong's site https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/. read "co2 fine tuning" under "in depth topics". his site provides invaluable information for planted tank enthusiasts. he also has a number of videos on youtube.


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## rstampa (Mar 22, 2017)

Thanks miles, for the information. The web sight link you attached is great. The information is complete and easy to understand. Thanks again.


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## Beasts (Apr 14, 2006)

advancedplantedtank.com is an outstanding site. I plan on spending a lot of time there in the near future. A 40 minute look suggests that it has a lot to teach and I have a lot to learn. Thank you, thank you.


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## Etran006 (Mar 23, 2019)

I used to think my BBA infested tank was normal too. But doing alot of research help me get rid of it completely from my tank. I think the key is to keep the tank spotless and free of dead organic matter. These are the steps I took to rid of my algae.

1. Water changes don’t mean just change the water. Shake you plants up, lightly shake the. surface of your gravel up and suck all the debris, mulm out. Wipe your glass down, clean your filters. Tank needs to be spotless.

2. Remove all dead material, anything u think is contributing to high DOC.

3. 1-2 punch treatment and Cut, cut, and cut out all algae.

4. Run Seachem phosguard. (Limiting this for a week really weakens the algae. It also hurts the plants. So after algae is weakened, dose excel 1ml/g spot treat.

5. Use Seachem purigen to remove all remaining DOC. 

6. Fill up the tank with plants to outcompete algae.

7. Raise your light if it’s too bright.

8. Research how to create good flow in the tank. every tank is different.

9. Increasing phosphates after taking out phosguard to 3-4 ppm and dosing extra iron really helped grow healthy plants and made them pop.


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## barongan (Jul 31, 2018)

I don't have personal experience with them, but I was considering them when I was looking


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