Questions about co2 and kh...

[ginnie5]

I just got my test kits in. (Sure hate those fedex guys have to be out int his but boy was I happy to see them!) I've got a 38g tank with a DIY yeast co2 running into it. Well water that after it sits has a ph of 6.5 and the gh and kh are 6 and 4 respectively.Ph with one bottle stays at 6.5 with two it drops to 6. Somewhere I've read that 1 2L bottle was effective for a 20g tank, bigger tank you need another bottle. This is how I used to do it too. Had much harder water then though. Well according to the chart that on the web and the one that came with the kit my co2 reading is like 120. Even using 1 bottle will still keep it between 48 and 30. Which is too much for fish right? Right now the tank is cycling with 7 zebra danios. I need to get the water figured out before the tank finishes cycling and I get ready to put the apistos in. So do I absolutely need the co2? I figured out the lighting on the tank as being about 152 lumens. Recommended is between 135-180. I used lumens due to the fact that I'm using compact fluorescents and my dh thinks doing this by watts is completely inaccurate. But for anyone who wants to figure it the other way the ligghts are 6500k daylight bulbs that use 19w of power. They replace a 60-75w bulb they say. I have 5 of them. Any thoughts on what I need to do or not do? To get inline with this chart I either need to raise my ph to 6.8 or drop the kh to .5. Personally I'd prefer NOT to have to change my water. I used to do that all the time and it got rather old after awhile.

 

[farm41]

Those compact flourescents are comparing there light against an incondescent. All the charts are using flouescent light, whether it is power compacts or linear, the difference is little. So you have 95 wpg, on your 38, good enough to grow plants. My 38g has four 3' flourescents at 30 watts each. You're close to this and you should get good growth.

It's much easier to adjust the co2 than to play with the water. What are you using for a co2 diffuser? It must be very efficient to get that kind of changes.

 

[farm41]

What is your yeast recipe?

 

[ginnie5]

My co2 is running

straight into the tube of an aquaclear 300. The water level is so that there's not much surface disturbance. The recipe is 1/2 tsp yeast, 2c sugar and water. It usually roduces gas within a couple of hours. Where do you get 3' fluorescents? I can find them but not at the color or k rating I want and they are $$$! I figure these lights will last longer than regular fluorescents too so they should be a little cheaper in the long run. So do you think I have enough light for red plants? I do have a fluorescent strip I could add in to this to add 20 more watts. I'm also getting ready to add a night light. I love watching the fish at night but the darn lights cut off too soon.

 

[farm41]

The recipe sounds good except the 1/2tsp yeast, try only 1/8tsp next time, the brew will come on slower, be more consistant and last 30 days. Try a pinch of baking soda too, it will buffer the mix.

I get my 3' tubes at the Platt Electric. You could also get them at a lighting supply shop. My tubes are Philips F30T12/D/RS That is 30watts at 6500K. Most of my tubes are 4' on the 75g and 60 tanks and I use the T8 tubes on them. The 4' T8's I just bought last week were only $2.45 each, 5000K.

 

[Ghazanfar Ghori]

Well according to the chart that on the web and the one that came with the kit my co2 reading is like 120. Even using 1 bottle will still keep it between 48 and 30.

Something is not right. You simply cannot get those levels of CO2
with a DIY setup. Your fish would have died a while ago if your
CO2 was that high. Either you're using a pH buffer or peat or
there is something else in the water thats screwing things up.
You mentioned using well water. Are you using any kind of water
softener?

 

[ginnie5]

NOthing is added to the water....

no water softener either. The fish seem fine. They are all over the tank. No one is gasping. I would thought they would be by now.

 

[farm41]

Would you do the Kh and Ph tests again, and get back to us with the results? You should be testing the tap water after it sits all night or aerate briskly for an hour.

 

[ginnie5]

have a container of water ..............

put up now. I'll test first thing in the am and post the results. Oh I did add some blackwater extract from tetra. Ingredients are b2,b6,b12,nicotinic amide,panthenol,biotin, and peat extract. Maybe that is messing up the test? I added about half of their recommended dosage.

 

[farm41]

Ghazanfar was right, it's the peat extract throwing you off. You don't need that anyway, I'd do a couple of water changes and retest. 50% water changes. You have great water without the additives.

 

[ginnie5]

ok here are the results

water sat overnight in a container. The ph is 6 and the kh is 3. I have no idea what is going on. I have kept bettas in this water successfully and even with co2 running the fish in the tank are not stressed. They're not gasping and they are swimming all over the tank. So I guess something somewhere is throwing this chart off. Either that or it is as inaccurate as I was told at another board.One other variable I could throw in is that we believe our well is spring fed, so Maybe that could change things? So as long as the fish are fine and the plants are growing this is one thing I'm not going to worry myself over. I'm just going to be happy for this soft water instead of the liquid rock I used to have! Oh yeah one other thing....this stuff tastes wonderful :lol:

 

[farm41]

ok here are the results

So I guess something somewhere is throwing this chart off.

It is the Blackwater Extract the chart is only valid when carbonic acid is the only acid used. The Blackwater Extract has humic acid in it, so that is throwing the chart off.