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Not convinced my CO2 system is working correctly :(

I've ordered the glass drop checker and the 4dkh solution that was dispatched first class today from the sponsors.

Will get hold of another check valve.

Very odd, I watched when the co2 came on and the bubble counter was correctly 2/3rds full, but as soon as it came on the counter filled up with water, which would look like the tube from the counter to the check valve near the reg had got water in it overnight somehow and this was forced out when the co2 came on???

If I still have bad luck, might invest in one of the up-atomisers and write my home made reg off. Time I brought the glue, forgot an item so had to place another order and pay additional postage, it's cost me around £40 - 50 , so I might have well brought a professional one in the first place. I was put off by the Aquamedic one as it doesn't have 16mm connectors.

Thanks all
 
Your D-D kit has a built in non return valve on it's output. You could just move your check valve to the other side of the bubble counter.
 
Hi Colin, I am not sure if there are any commercially available C02 reactors that operate under pressure but this style was certainly available in the past.
No they dont dump the gas because of the design, water exits from the bottom & enters from the top allowing the stored gas to dissolve under pressure against the moving water.
I have built many reactors like that but there is also the vortex design that used to be popular as an internal reactor, the pumped water would spin up a vortex inside a 50mm tube & the gas was introduced in the middle of the vortex making a cone of C02 with water spinning around stored gas.
I put a couple of picture of my Diy one on this thread http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... 0&start=40
rc1.jpg
 
davem said:
Your D-D kit has a built in non return valve on it's output. You could just move your check valve to the other side of the bubble counter.
Click to expand...


Thanks, cant believe I missed that from the instructions :)

On a separate note, last night, after altering my electronic timer, for some reason it didn't turn off at all. I came down today to find all the fish at the top of the tank, thankfully all alive.

i've turned the CO2 off and opened the lid. I also took a PH reading and it was 6.4.

Both the colour chart on my useless aquagro co2 checker (which, while green, still wasn't lime green this morning) and things I've read appear to say I should be aiming for a PH level of 6.4 as an optimal amount of CO2 in the tank?

That being the case, I wonder why most of my fish were at the very top of the tank this morning.

Which brings me onto y next point :)

PH fluctuation.

If my normal tap water measures 7.5 after 24 hrs and the PH at lime green is 6.4, do I really want it going up and down this much every night/day? Wouldn't it be bad for the fish?

Last night I didn't have my air pump connected, but usually when the lights go out, the pump goes on and I have an 18" air stone (well perforated pipe thingy) putting tones of air bubbles into the tank. Wouldn't this force a quick change from 6.4 back to 7.5? Would I be better simply letting it adjust slowly overnight without the air?

I'll get there in the end :)
 
I think this would show that you drop checker isn't working properly. I nearly killed all my fish once when I accidentally left my Co2 on over night. Once you receive your new drop checker and 4dkh water you'll see the difference.

Also you are clearly getting Co2 in your water column or else the fish wouldn't react the way they have another sign that your current DC is bobbins. Don't forget the you use the DCs as a guide not the rule.

Air pumps/stones don't actually add oxygen to the water btw, they just add surface agitation which will increase the gas exchange venting Co2 and allowing O2 to dissolve into the water.
 
Ojustaboo, Im glad all the fish are ok :thumbup: , this is one of my favourite moans on here is drop checker colours and reaction times. They are ONLY an indicator and thats it, how many times on posts on here are people going on about, lime green/yellow/or just green. I am not sure of the lifespan of indicator solution and other peoples ways of doing CO2 times and amounts, but here is my way if it helps. I used a pair of DC,s in both tanks and got a fairly good idea from them of the fact I had a reasonable spread off gas. Then over a week slowly tweeked the time duration and bubble count until I got a liitle bit of gasping one night. I then reduced everything by 10% and left it alone. Plant growth and condition are amazing :thumbup: and algea virtually zero. My DC is virtually redundant because of the amount of variables in colours and the fact that the livestock are much more important to me. :) A lot of people get there spraybar to help surface agitation rather than causing a tsunami for 10 minutes with an air pump but as usual whatever works for you, but my tanks just vent overnight naturally with the flow from the pumps, no extra help. Kind regards Colin.
 
Thanks all.

Yep what you say makes sense Colin, however for someone new to CO2, it makes sense for me to have some sort of general indication as to CO2 getting into the tank and how well it's distributed (will be moving DC around every day to monitor different areas once I get it stabilised.

My new DC and 4dKH turned up today from the sites sponsor (superb service).

I do have one final question people :)

It says I must only use Bromothymol Blue with it as found in the Hagen low PH test range.

I have two bottles of API's low PH test solution and was also supplied today with what simply says "UP CO2 Level indicator Reagent" with my new drop-checker.

I've had a quick search at both manufactures sites and cant find anything to indicate what's actually in either of these solutions, can anyone please confirm either way whether either of these are suitable please?

Many many thanks
 
Hi, not sure about all the different manufactutres, but anything I have had starts off a yellow/orange colour. Once combined with 4dkh water it goes a deep blue colour with about 4 drips in the drop checker, then filled with the 4dkh. Within an hour submersed in a tank where a reasonable level of CO2 is present you should see it more green than blue and after 2 hours it should reflect a fairly accurate result on the CO2 status at that part of the tank.
If your not sure and this is your only way of measuring your CO2 levels dont take any chances with wrong indicator solutions, unless you can visually moniter any critter distress. Kind regards Colin.
 
Thanks Colin. Yep it's working fine, a nice lime green. Was exactly as you described, (yellowy orange then turned blue).

Thanks
 
Just to update.

Everything seems to be going extremely well.

For the first time in around 15 years, my plants are actually growing and not dying.

Today I need to trim them for the first time ever as some have reached the top of the tank :D

Thanks for all the advice
 
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