CO2 changes - adjustment & recovery

[skeletonw00t]

Hi all,

I’ve read some good articles recently regarding CO2 changes & enzyme production – noting that when changes are made it takes time for plants to adapt properly. I didn’t realise this previously & was constantly adjusting my CO2 (putting it up due to frustration with lack of growth – then back down when i realised i’d nearly gassed my fish etc). I get now that this was probably the cause of my lack of growth & algae!

So I did a blackout & switched off CO2.

Since doing this though my HC has significantly melted – I’ve restored CO2 at a stable rate (DC is lime green almost yellow) & have not adjusted it for over a week.

So now I believe all the requirements for growth are satisfied – good flow, stable CO2 & lots of nutrients...

However, how long does it normally take for plants to “adapt” to a new stable level? And will my HC be able to recover from the melting or should I buy a new batch?

Tom

 

[spyder]

I think 2-3 weeks is the given time for recovery, adoption to new conditions. Only time will tell for your HC.

I know the feeling of wanting to tweak. I almost gassed my livestock yesterday after replacing my bubble counter for one that doesn't lose water and tweaking it up a little. Bubbles in this one are huge.

 

[skeletonw00t]

CO2 changes - adjustment & recovery

Does doing water changes in a hi-tech tank not cause unstable co2?

 

[spyder]

Does doing water changes in a hi-tech tank not cause unstable co2?

I think Clive or Tom scraped on this in another recent thread. I think the conclusion was the amounts were low in the given range. I try and do my WC's on my co2 enriched tank prior to co2 "on" time to keep things as stable as possible.

 

[skeletonw00t]

CO2 changes - adjustment & recovery

Ok cool.

Also does adding liquid carbon count as co2 instability? Or as its in liquid form does this not count?

 

[skeletonw00t]

CO2 changes - adjustment & recovery

Still unsure here - does overdosing liquid carbon count as co2 instability & cause the plants to be damaged by the enzyme thing?

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
It depends on what you are doing with it and what the ambient levels of CO2 are. You have to think about liquid carbon products as CO2, so adding it and then withdrawing it has the same effect as adding CO2 and then withdrawing CO2. Liquid carbon products affect the allocation of the CO2 uptake enzymes in the same way as gas, but the levels are different, so the effect depends on the amounts that are being added or withdrawn. Have a look at viewtopic.php?f=37&t=13067 for more info.

Cheers,

 

[skeletonw00t]

CO2 changes - adjustment & recovery

Thanks ceg! Great read there.

So I think by overdosing the Excel I've been shooting myself in the foot! Oh well at least I've kept my gas stable.

Still awaiting for my HC to recover from the blackout I did. Looking greener and melting seems to of stopped but not much new growth yet. Only about 10 days since the blackout though.

Just wanted to Nuke all the bits of algae!