• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Co2 overload

neelhound

Member
Joined
20 Feb 2009
Messages
169
Hi i think my co2 got dumped into the tank as it was running out and many fish died. I heard using ph probes to control this would help but i alsom heard that they arent that useful. The fish that survived are just recovering and the drop checker has gone clear for some reason?
IS there anythign else i can do?I have a solenoid valve but i usually manually turn the co2 on and off anyways and theres someone whos not clued up on aquariums staying ehre while im on holiday so when will they know that they need to take the co2 bottle out?thanks
 
neelhound said:
Hi i think my co2 got dumped into the tank as it was running out and many fish died. I heard using ph probes to control this would help but i alsom heard that they arent that useful. The fish that survived are just recovering and the drop checker has gone clear for some reason?
IS there anythign else i can do?I have a solenoid valve but i usually manually turn the co2 on and off anyways and theres someone whos not clued up on aquariums staying ehre while im on holiday so when will they know that they need to take the co2 bottle out?thanks

Neelhound

try and get some fresh water in there, as for the reason why the dc has gone white :?: i can only assume that due to the vast amount of co2 its gone white next colour up from yellow - No co2 blue, then green - correct amount, yellow to much, is white over kill :?: ph probes dont even go there. Your solenoid valve needs to go on a analogue or digital timer - Wickes DIY have some compact / slim line timers. Set the timer so the solenoid valve open 2 hrs before lights come on and off 1 hour before the lights go out - then your maximising your co2 levels.

Hope this helps.
 
thanks.But i did 2 big w/cs and it was yellow then went green i think its gone white overnight because some water got in during the w/cs.How does eveyone deal witht the co2 being dumped out when the tank is going empty?
 
the co2 "dump" is a bit of a bizzare thing. Ive had it a couple of months ago where I lost a shoal of rasporas and half of my shrimp. My sera co2 reg had previously been through about 5 fire extinguishers and previously just stopped when it ran out. The last time however it dropped to about 20 bar when it got low then dumped the lot through the needle valve. im hoping this doesnt happen again but failing changing the regulator im not sure what else I could do.
 
yes as stuworral said, i dont know what else to do too.I don't think its fair on the fish to levae it like this with such a high chance of it happening again
 
I know a lot of people on here are against using a Co2 computer but I have one installed because a friend was giving up on fish and gave me his for cheap as well as most of the Co2 equipment.

I have not experienced the effects of a Co2 dump in the fish tank but I have had it happen and luckily the Co2 computer shut the supply off. But its quite worrying when you see an aquamedic 1000 reactor 3/4 full of Co2 gas with in minuets of the solenoid switching on and a constant stream of Co2 being pumped in to the reactor.

my small tank I monitor the regulator and watch the pressure. once the pressure goes down to 40 bar then I disconnect the bottle and empty the rest of the Co2 out side and have the bottle refilled.

Other people may say different but I prefer to just waste a bit of gas than to try and squeeze every last bit of gas out of a bottle. It may just be me but i prefer to play safe and so far havnt had a problem.

raz / chris 8)
 
neelhound said:
yes as stuworral said, i dont know what else to do too.I don't think its fair on the fish to levae it like this with such a high chance of it happening again

Just keep an eye on the cylinder pressure, and change it when it starts to drop. I am terrible for noticing the pressure in my CO2 cylinders, though. :(

Dave.
 
Hi all.
I was concerned about this 'dumping' rumour so I took a deep breath and dived headlong into my (untidy) cupboard and dug out the instructions that came with my JBL CO2 system.
neelhound said:
is 40 bar the danger zone for all canisters?
The JBL instructions suggest that their bottles should be changed when pressure drops to 30 Bar. Not sure if that applies to all bottles but I should think it must be somewhere in the right region. ;)

Chris
 
oh thank you how stupid was I! Its a red section and i thought it just meant running on empty! I shouldve read the instructions more thoroughly to save some quality fish!
 
Back
Top