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Should I have surface agitation with co2 injection ?

drodgers

Member
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7 Oct 2014
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242
As the title states should I let the turn over from the filter oxygenate the water if it does, or can i use a pump at the surface to create ripples.
I don't want to out gas my co2.
Im starting to think my dissolved o2 is low because my plants don't pearl and my angels spend a bit of time at the surface .
My surface has a film on top with excess co2 bubbles trapped underneath it/i use a reactor the bubbles are excess.
 
You may position your filter outlet near to the water surface. The movement on the water surface will break the film and let your water oxygenate.
Also you may use an ait pump to break this surface. You may use air pump at nights. Because plants produce CO2 at nights too. This will balance the CO2/O2 ratio of the tank.
 
Instead, you should start to think that your flow/distribution scheme is inadequate.

Cheers,
Its not i can you can be assured that! I have my spray bar and the rest of my outlets below the surface.
Its seems you have a canned message for every question here my question is
Should I have surface agitation with co2 injection ... I've been concentrating on not out gassing the tank and am thinking is it needed or should not bother with the surface tension
 
Im starting to think my dissolved o2 is low because my plants don't pearl
What is the connection between low O2 and lack of pearling ????

O2 and CO2 dissolve independently of each other (Henry's law), adding CO2 doesn't effect the amount of O2 in the water. Lack of O2 has nothing to do with lack of pearling :confused:

Lack of pearling can be caused by many things, main one as has been mentioned many many many times is "Instead, you should start to think that your flow/distribution scheme is inadequate" also complete lack of CO2, also lack of light, also type of plant, some never pearl and also too much flow so that O2 dissolves before it has a chance to form a bubble.
 
Its not i can you can be assured that!
This is why I have a canned message. This statement is the worst possible mindset and everybody thinks this.

These are the symptoms of poor Flow and distribution:
my angels spend a bit of time at the surface
My surface has a film on top
What this means is that the fish are suffering hypercapnia while the plants are suffering CO2 deficiency. That only happens with poor distribution so you always need to review the configuration. Since we can't see what you are doing we are forced to guess based on the evidence in what folks write.

Thinking that you have low dissolved oxygen just because plants are not pearling is one of the worst misdiagnoses you can make, so immediately you are off in the wrong direction and are asking the wrong questions. Trying to solve a problem that does not exist can sometimes cause bigger problems.

When we can see a diagram or image of how the distribution scheme is configured, when we have an idea of your pH profile and when we can see what the KH, temperature and gas dissolution methods are then we will be able to determine a path forward.

Cheers,
 
These are the symptoms of poor Flow and distribution:
it would be if i wasnt keeping a 5 foot spray bar 12 inches below the surface and all my outputs the same in fact i removed a filter to decrease flow .
my question is still the same does breaking the tension out gas the co2 or not enough to worry?
 
it would be if i wasnt keeping a 5 foot spray bar 12 inches below the surface and all my outputs the same in fact i removed a filter to decrease flow .
my question is still the same does breaking the tension out gas the co2 or not enough to worry?
Sorry, 12 inches?... This is 25 cm below the surface, thus near the bottom.
If it is not a typing mistake (you probably mean 1.2 inches) this is not definitely the place to put your spraybar which has to be 1 inch below the surface. The point of placing the spraybar in this position is to let the jets hit the front glass and then let the flow go down to the bottom and cross the whole tank reaching finally the rear glass and going up again, creating a perfect circular flow.

I'm also a bit confused when you mention 'in fact I removed a filter to decrease flow'... Why do you want to decrease flow. I guess you have flow problems, s removing a filter won't help. Sorry maybe it is my misunderstanding.

Regarding your question, every disturbance of the surface will degas the water column (raising a lily pipe, rippling the surface, etc.) but this is not bad if you just ripple slightly the surface because this will let you have stable levels of CO2 during the day. It will also be useful to get rid of the film surface. There was an old thread explaining this. Google ph profile ukaps and you will find it. Another excellent reading is this one

http://www.prirodni-akvarium.cz/en/index.php?id=en_co2ph

Check the different oh profiles in different situations.


Jordi
 
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Yes it out gasses co2 but you can increase the co2 injection rate to counteract this. Finding the balance point between injection rate and ejection rate can be a challenge.
that what i was thinking i directed a water jet at the surface and increased my bubble count.
thanks!

Sorry, 12 inches?... This is 25 cm below the surface, thus near the bottom.
LOl i keep forgetting to add that i have 125 gallon tanks in this tank 12 inches is only mid way.

I'm also a bit confused when you mention 'in fact I removed a filter to decrease flow
big tank lots of filter and water jets ...

I apologize for not including my tank sizes and equipment theres a bit of difference here in Canada and your tanks.
ill add it to my signature once im home.
 
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OK, well I think you might have a flow issue?
What we try to achieve is to move the whole tank volume in a certain way, so if you place the spray bar near the surface, pointing just below the opposite side (front pane) you will hopefully get a continuous rolling of the water column.
A nice circular movement within the tank... the spray bar is situated just below the surface at the rear & the linear flow will cause the overall movement of the volume to circulate. :)
 
OK, well I think you might have a flow issue?
What we try to achieve is to move the whole tank volume in a certain way, so if you place the spray bar near the surface, pointing just below the opposite side (front pane) you will hopefully get a continuous rolling of the water column.
A nice circular movement within the tank... the spray bar is situated just below the surface at the rear & the linear flow will cause the overall movement of the volume to circulate. :)
I agree im off to the depot to find a better fitting so i can raise my spray bar ...
Thanks also just received my 8k metal halide bulbs in the post so my tank has amazing light now :geek:
 
Just my 2 cents....at some point my aquarium plants were really unhealthy and not growing....I had to increase the co2 becuase the plants were melting...however the plants were melting because of very low light...instead I increased the co2 alot! The plants were slightly pearling....they had small oxygen bubbles on the leaves...so they were pearling in a sense but they were completely unhealthy and not growing because the light levels were around 5 micromols...
 
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