# I need help co2



## dustyduffy (Aug 15, 2014)

Ista regulator 30-35 working pressure

75g tank established

I can't seem to get my drop checkers green, I started out with a tropica 3 in one diffuser, doing 1, then 2 then 3 bubbles per second. Monitored for a week Didn't work.

I then went to ALS got a inline insta reactor, now I'm doin about 3-3.5 bbs still blue drop checker what am I doing wrong? Monitored it for a day. I have not done the kh and ph check as I'm not sure how, drop checker seems easier

Also how long does it take for drop checker to register the co2 level in water

Here is a video of the tank, sorry for the heavy breathing was sick when I took the video


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## dustyduffy (Aug 15, 2014)

Up to 5 bps still no chabge


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## cb1021 (Sep 21, 2009)

How are the plants reacting? Is there any pearling?

Your co2 diffusion method is not the most effective one, since there is still a lot of bubbles escaping to the top of the tank. I'm running the same bps as you but I'm using a cerges reactor which is much more efficient. 

The drop checker takes 1-2 hours to register any changes. I don't think that is your issue. The drop checker also requires 4dkh water in it for the reference solution (the several drops you put in it) to work properly. Anything around 4dkh will work, can you check Etoicoke's water report to see what hardness is coming out of the tap?

I would take a close look at whether or not your plants are pearling. That should tell you if you're injecting optimal level of co2 or not.


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## dustyduffy (Aug 15, 2014)

I am running an inline reactor now not the diffuser at 5bps still at blue on drop checker


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## hendy8888 (Sep 10, 2010)

Try testing the pH before the co2 comes on and again later in the day when it's stabilized. Compare the two values, a 1.0 reduction in pH is a good starting point to aim for if it's a high light tank. Every tank is different, watch the plants new growth, pearling, and fish for stress. Adjust the co2 every day or two to bring it up a 0.1 at a time if you can once you get close to the 1.0 point drop. Some tanks will need more than the 1.0 pH drop (I have done 1.2 easily with no fish stress. 

I did not count bubbles, infact it was just a stream to fast to count. It was a 120 gal with only 1 reactor. Not the most efficient. I started with a drop checker but don't use it any longer, they lag so far behind the co2 and are not nearly precise enough once you get near the upper limit. I guess the novelty wore off and the constant cleaning of them.

One thing that I found is critical and never had was a constant flow of water through the reactor. As flow decreases from a dirty canister filter the reactor efficiency changes leading to different co2 levels. All the while you haven't changed a thing and think it's running at an optimal level. Having a separate pump for just co2 is the best option if you can.


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## charlie1 (Dec 1, 2011)

Can you tell us what solution you are using in the drop checker?


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 7, 2014)

I have a 75g with inline atomizer. To get good co2 I have to run more bubbles then I can count. If you still able to count bubbles then your not pushing enough. Also, bps is useless form of measure. Each bubble counter is designed differently and therefore bubble size will be different.

Working pressure also is another reason why bps is poor. 5 bps at 40psi is different than 5bps at 20psi etc.

Best method of measure is ph vs kh table. Measure the ph drop from before co2 is on and then again after its been running for a few hours.

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk


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## dustyduffy (Aug 15, 2014)

Ok thanks guys for the info and the solution I'm using is co2 indicator bought from ALS,

ps just a quick tip for bps, is iPhones slow mo capability, that is how I'm counting bubbles


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## dustyduffy (Aug 15, 2014)

Will try the ph and kh method , I'll post when I get around to picking it up, I just also have noticed the drop checker slightly changing green about 15-20 min before the lights go out , I guess I'm just gonna have to tinker around some more, although it's starting to worry me how much co2 is going in the tank, I'll have to monitor it when I have a day off


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## default (May 28, 2011)

On a completely different perspective (although you do have some good advice already), drop checkers are useless IMHO. I have used it once and have never used it again. This is my personal opinion from after years of using different types of methods, so feel free to disagree.

1. It over complicates things, some people like to use ph controllers, reactors, and drop checkers to monitor - but why? I have used a simple SS diffuser that I have had for several years on different sized tanks, with different lights, and with different plants - and it has offered great results every time.
I set it on a simple timer to come on either at the same time or an hour ahead of the lights and I don't have to fiddle with it or calibrate it.

2. Using your plants to indicate whether you have enough co2 is always better than having a colour changing liquid that could easily become a liability if it's not working properly to tell you how your co2 level is. Plus, changing it on a monthly basis is not fun either - (unless you're into it I guess..). Cleaning reactors can be a chore as well.

3. Bubble misting might not be considered pretty to everyone - (I personally like seeing tiny bubbles that's only noticeable looking up towards the light), but plants do react better to actual physical bubbles of co2. My diffusers get a lot of flow from either a power head, filter, or my wavemakes which causes the bubbles to stay suspended and collide with the plants, which they catch under the leaves. I haven't read up on this matter in years, but there has been experiments that show plants react better with physical bubbles, something in regards to being absorb more effectively, I'm sure a quick google search in the matter of co2 misting will bring up many threads on plantedtank or by Tom Barr, good reads for boring nights .

4. You can use less co2 if you mist it, I ran 0.75-1 bps on a 30g long and 1.25 bps on a 65g to get good results from my plants. Because you only needed the bubbles to get into the plant mass, instead of dissolving it to reach your desired ppm.

5. I personally like surface agitation, plants absorb o2 at night, unless you have a sump, gonna run an air pump at night - which just splashes all over the place, or you inject o2 gas, having more surface agitation in your tank is a good thing. My tanks have surface agitation even in the day because of the use of diffusers, so I get increased o2 without sacrificing too much dissolved co2 as a lot of it is still in a bubble state under the leaves, and I find this grows plants much better than a stagnant surface.

6. Diffusers/atomizers/misters are cheaper to set up and run. A couple bucks for the check valves, bubble counter, and diffuser to set up. And a few cents a year worth or bleach to clean.

I didn't realize how long the post was.. I hope you fixed your problem with your drop checker already, but I'm hoping perhaps this could help someone else that may be reading! The more simple or economical way doesn't mean it's less effective.


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