[inkslinger]

I have a 110g tank {60x18x24} an i install a AM 1000 CO2 Reactor max flow rate is 250gph and a Turbo Twist 3x max flow rate 200gph so as to slow the flow rate down a little so that the UV light will kill any GWA, i install a Mag 2 250gph flow rate and a DIY co2 reactor that i built {2x12 w/small bio balls} years back.
I run my co2 with a PH Controller an like to keep my ph set at about 6.8 with a KH of 4.5 but i still don't see any pearling or bubbles in my tank??
I bought a Drop Checker also and set it up half with 4dkh and 2 drops of Bromo Blue and 2 days it i still at Blue reading never changing color, Am i doing something wrong? do i need more flow rate!
Hello djrichie the flow rate for the x3 i think is a max 200gph, I think of just buying a bigger one to take care of my flow problem.
It was fun using the chat last night RickM61, My lights for the photosynthesis is 6 T5 HO's 54w for 8 hr i run 4 for 8 and all 6 will run 6hr and i'm using 3 6500k and 3 10,000k , I'm thinking of just going with 2 10,000k and replace my old lights with 4 6700k, My setup is pairs are stagger on to 3 ballasts, The lights are one left side the other right side so to get some light on the ends and back and front comes on for 8hr and the center will come on for 6hr.

 

[djrichie]

what is the flow rate of the input into the UV?

Ieverything I was told and everything I read is if you want pearling is at 6.5 Ph with PH contollers. Very few palnts will pearl ... Riccie is the only one is seen pearl

 

[RickM61]

rotella's will pearl.riccia, glosso, HC, javafern,i have even had hair grass pearl before...pearling effect comes from a over abundance of oxygen in the water that fish and plants are not using at the time..ive had plants pearl when i have done a large water change with co2 not even running and my ph was7.9 at the time..basically pearling happens when plants have enough co2 in the water and the plants have had enough light for the photosyntesis to start kicking in and the plants release oxygen into the water..

Rick

 

[djrichie]

rick my understanding about pearling is caused by the plant oxygen production, not the staturation of oxygen in the water...If your just taking bubbles on the plants than I have pearling all the time.... LOL

 

[RickM61]

oxygen is oxygen..plants produce oxygen true..look at it this way..take a system without co2..add plants..plants survive.if water quality and lighting is good..and said plants will produce oxygen..but not enough to cause over abundance of oxygen because the co2 intake is not enough..add co2 ..plant take in co2 and release more oxygen..as oxygen saturates the water and the water cant hold any more it starts to store it in the form of bubbles on the plants as the plants create more oxygen..hope i explained that right..thats my weakness..cant get my point across very well..lol..now to his main problem..i spoke with in chat last night..he is driving this system witha mag 2 pump..alot of varibles have to be taken into account..reactor length(already know this 12 ") length of run from reactor to tank..diameter of the run..how many bio balls are in the reactor..already i'm 98% sure that he needs a bigger pump top get more flow to diffuse the co2..as the reactor can and will take 20% or more of the flow away. put your mag 5 on it..i bet your drop checker changes color..also set your regulator @ 2 bps

Rick

 

[djrichie]

The reason we injest CO2 into a tank is because in the wild plants rarely grow completely summerge in the water and therefor get CO2 from the air. We generally in a planted tank keep the plants trim and groomed to be complete submerge, ie no CO2. Plants require CO2 into the tank. Now I use in tank reactor and the these reactors use a rio 20 pump to hammer the gas. It not the how fast the Co2 bubbles are moving it is how long they are in contact with the water so it can be absorb. there is a transfer of CO2 with other gasies in the water so you will never get rid of a bubble completely, they just get smaller and smaller, until only the the ofther transfer gas is left. that is a 100% aborbtion rate. IMO it not the reactor flow rate it maybe the reactor design. You can a ladder to absorb the PH but it only about a 90% aborbtion or a powerhead and that rated for 95% aborbtion because it breaks the the larger bubbles into tiny bubble and beause that creates more surface area by making more buubbles.The problem may be the buffer he using.... In a planted tank that you are controll the PH with CO2 gas, you should not use any buffers that will effect the PH, just a dechlorinator. Been running tank use CO2 to control Ph for years now. Also there the lighting factor. How many WPH do you have and how many hours are you running them.

 

[RickM61]

you have to have a way to diffuse the co2 and you have to have the flow in the reactor to diffuse it..it might be reactor design but i doubt it..but we will see..and without co2 there is some co2 in the tank..just not enough for plants to thrive..i guess you and i have a difference of opinion on this..ive run co2 in my tanks for 15 years without a ph controller and have never had a problem..but to state that only riccia will pearl is not a correct statement..we can debate this forever but it still doesnt fix his problem..and thats what im here for..to help people

Re: Need Advise on Co2 Setup

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what is the flow rate of the input into the UV?

Ieverything I was told and everything I read is if you want pearling is at 6.5 Ph with PH contollers. Very few palnts will pearl ... Riccie is the only one is seen pearl

 

[djrichie]

I know what equipment I have I know what I'm talking about, I not a newbee I've been doing this for over 20years now, I didn't say that only riccia pearls I said I've only seen riccia pearl in person. In general when some ask about pearl plants they are thinking about the pictures they see in the mag's. Yes other plants pearl but not like riccia you will see a few bubble under the leafs. There a good article in Sept or Aug issue of TFH 2008. that covers the aborbtion rate of the different methods of injecting CO2 and ways to disfuse it into the water. It also give the design for a DIY reactor and using bio balls. His design maybe the problem, but we will never know unless we ask questions to answer his question. You do not have to have a disfuser, it best that you do yes... but the disfuser is not what make the gas absorb into the water but prolonging the CO2 bubble in contact with the water is what determines that. Also the amount of light and how long they are on effect if as will as the KH and Gh of the tank water the ferts that you need to add to the tank. As far your statement that the plants use the CO2 in the water even without Co2 that is a true statement but only to a certain degree. The design of most tanks do not allow enough contact with out air to get enough CO2 into the water to support extensive growth. IMO, I don't think your as informed as you want everyone to think, maybe in SW but I don't know anything about SW. There are tanks that are designed to be truly natural planted tanks using mother nature to provide everthing, the surface area are about 3 times the height of the tank. Almost like a shallow breeder tank but bigger.

Co2 Reactor 200 With Rio Pump (complete kit for "do it yourself"...make your own Co2)(no compressed tank needed)
This is the CO2 REACTOR I use in my tanks..... It clearly a reactor


On a personal Note being you opened the door.

I'm glad your here to help people, so am I. With everyone input this could be a great hobbist site. Your statemnt has implications that I'm not. maybe you should understand that what works for you and in your water supply will not work for me in my water supply. I'm not going to say your wrong just maybe not up today on products and the new understanding of how things work. This a life long hobby for me that I spend alot time and money on tring to keep abreast of new ideals. I give my opinons based on facts and expericence, that dosn't make me always correct. Yes I don't know everything never seid I did or even implied that but i do have alot of knowlegde and experience. If that was the case I wouldn't be always looking for new infomation. In the past 10 years many ideal that were thought to facts have change, things that we did 15years ago are now unexceptable. This is an open forum where people come to exchange ideals and experience to help others, one person opinons is no more valuable than the next. IMO you are not solving a problem you are expanding the problem.... Like with you SW night, you wanting only SW people to come into the forum and IMO be rude about it, by telling people that its SW night and if they have a FW question to leave and come back on FW night. I saw and I also seen how it made a member upset. Thats why I asked you to stop doing it, by explaining why in a polite manner, but you took offence to that, with the responce but SW night. WHo cares what night it is the ideal was to get people to start using the chatroom. I was a good ideal and is a good ideal, but not if it going to case away of offend other members.

 

[RickM61]

i never said dont come back on freshwater night..and im very knowlwdgeable in freshwater and i resent the fact that you implicated that im not.it was decided and not just by me that there would be a freshwater night and a saltwater night..but i never turned anyone away and that person you are talking about wasnt upset..he even came to freshwater night..and with that im done with this site after i explain to a few people here..

 

[MediaHound]

Come on you guys lets just agree to disagree and remain civil and calm. Thanks in advance.

 

[djrichie]

i never said dont come back on freshwater night..and im very knowlwdgeable in freshwater ....... Your right you don't not tell them to "don't come back on freshwater night" you seid to come back on freshwater night, that tonight is SW night and were very hardline about it.. I never implied that you don't know about FW tank either I seid that you might not be as knowledgable to new methods and ideals or up todate. The question was about gettting his plants to pearl..... he is injecting Co2 into the tank and wants to know why he not getting pearl on his plants. I asked about his UV flow rate because it looks from the info provided that it is more than what his UV is rated for... wanted to clear that up as will.
He says his Ph is 6.8 and I suggested lowering to 6.5 as all info and experience leads to that being the majic number for pearling. I can't see the disfuser he using but I don't feel that the problem but as I seid I can't see the design so I can't do the math. Increasing the flowrate will not increase the CO2 absorbtion and lower the PH but force the bubbles into the water more quickly were the gas can escape the the tank.... the longer you can keep the CO2 bubble in the water the more it will absorb. If his KH is lower that 2 it will be hard to get pearling as that effect the amount of O and Co2 the water can hold. I think the we are thinking about 2 different type of tanks... I think when you ask about aplanted tank which is more along the line in design as a SW than a tank with just a few plants in it as decorations. Planted tank term now refer to tank like the ones that Alamo designs and show. these can be very technical and alot of factors going into them.

Like I seid with everyone ideals and input this can and should be a great site. If you choose to not come back thats your choice but it would be a lose to site. Don't let one difference of opion or misunderstanding make you leave. It happens on these sites, and that what great about these sites the exchange of ideals. I would not want you not return.

 

[inkslinger]

Well guys my KH was Low {0-1ppm} so i started adding baking soda to bring it up to about 4-5, UV light is rated max flow rate of 200gph.
This is the reason why i added my DIY Co2 reactor and Mag 2 pump was to slow the flow rate down so that my UV light would be able to kill GWA when i need to and for my AM 1000 Co2 reactor to work to PAR,
But when i get too this weekend i will change my pump and add my Mag 5 pump an see if that will work better for me too defuse co2 better?

 

[djrichie]

Let me ask you a question.. just to see if you experience the same thing... Did your PH start to drop when It was close to do a WC,,,,,I experience this and it wasn't until I checked the KH and brought it up to 4 that is stoped.

 

[inkslinger]

Will i did change my pump to a MAG 5 500gph and been keeping the KH about 4-5dk on Sunday i've even bypass my CO2 from the controller and set it to the light timer again.
I been setting the bubble rate 1bps for couple of hours with no change and i then bump it up to 2bps nothing nether,
The next thing i might try is disk connect my DIY Reactor and go straight into my AM 1000 CO2 Reactor.
I notice too that i have 7 elbows and 2 valves before my AM 1000, 1 valve before and after the Mag pump, and if i take out my DIY Reactor that will minus 4 elbows an that should increase the flow? and then re try the Mag 2 pump to see if it works then try the Mag 5 to see witch works best!
I will give you a heads up when i fig. this out and post the out come later.

 

[inkslinger]

Will i did a water change today and went ahead an redid my Co2 inline system.
I took out my DIY CO2 Reactor witch had 7 elbows and 2 ball valve in line, Now i put back 1 ball valve, Mag 2 pump, first elbow,2nd ball valve,2nd and 3rd elbow,Aqua Medic Co2 Reactor,Turbo Twist 3x,Hydro Heater then return.
I'm going to run this thru the week and see if helps me with my new Drop Checker which i still don't any changes in Color it's still Blue and my controller reads at 6.3 my KH was at 2.5 when i did the water change an i add some baking soda about 2.5 teaspoon. I will get some more plants this weekend.
If all fails to get the DC to change color i will return my Mag 5 for 1 last time.

 

[inkslinger]

Will i did a water change today and went ahead an redid my Co2 inline system.
I took out my DIY CO2 Reactor witch had 7 elbows and 2 ball valve in line, Now i put back 1 ball valve, Mag 2 pump, first elbow,2nd ball valve,2nd and 3rd elbow,Aqua Medic Co2 Reactor,Turbo Twist 3x,Hydro Heater then return.
I'm going to run this thru the week and see if helps me with my new Drop Checker which i still don't any changes in Color it's still Blue and my controller reads at 6.3 my KH was at 2.5 when i did the water change an i add some baking soda about 2.5 teaspoon. I will get some more plants this weekend.
If all fails to get the DC to change color i will return my Mag 5 for 1 last time.

Will today is Tuesday night and there is no sign that my DC will change color at the end of the Week i will try Red Sea PH test kit and use it on the DC , My PH is at 6.8,KH 5.5,KNO3 5,.I did not check my PO4 and the DC still at Blue??

 

[djrichie]

A couple of things here to look at.... check the date on the reagent, and make sure you set it up correctly... mistakes happen..... How many bubbles per sec are you sending to the reactor. ... on this reactor are you sending the CO2 into the bottom with the pump pumping inot the top.... this will help keep the gas in contact with the water longer.... this is how I seen them designed and how I do it. you will need to lower the PH to 6.5

 

[inkslinger]

Thanks djrichie , Aqua Medic CO2 Reactor i had for a couple of years now and can only be setup one way, i can't make out the date on my bromo blue reagent so i'm going to get another later,
I did install my Mag 5 500gph pump back inline and there is no turbulence in the reactor just a solid water flow, the bubbles do travel up and disintegrates,
I was thinking of adding a Aqua Medic 5/8 tee with 1/8 hose bar before my pump and then hook it up to the bleeder on the reactor and leave the bleeder open?
My last think was too add a Mazzei Injector 1/2inch 200gph after my Mag 2 pump?? and oh i refilled my Drop Checker again and it's still Blue??

 

[djrichie]

Which CO2 monitor are you using... mine is eheim and blue means you CO2 is high teal is correct and than a green to low......did you say it has bio balls inside of it... and can you post a picture....

 

[inkslinger]

I'm using this one
Green Leaf Drop Checker | Green Leaf Aquariums
My Aqua Medic 1000 CO2 Reactor has the BIO Balls in it.