Need some Advise from you guys

[MudSkipper]

I have just added pressurized CO2 to my 100 Gallon planted tank and need some advise.  I am currently running 2 bubble per second and using an ehiem regulator.  Is this to much/not enough and is there a more suficent method of getting the co2 into the water than the ehiem regulator?

My next question is about my liquid ferts.  I am currently dosing:
Kent Pro-Plant 45ml 3xweek
Seachem Flourish potassium 20ml 3xweek
Ferro Vit Every other week
Seachem Phosphorus 2ml once a week

I just stopped my daly doese of Seachem Excel when i started the co2.  Should I continue the Excel?

Am i leaving any important supplements out or should I increase or decrease any of the current suppluments.

Thanks everyone for your help.  This forum has really become a great source of knowledge.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

How much lighting, what kind of lighting and how long is it on?



With the co2, you can test your pH/KH and there is a chart somewhere on the net that will give you estimated co2 readings but the best way to test for it is with a dropchecker....the dropchecker holds water in a bubble that has a set KH so you can use it as a gauging point and it will change colors depending on the co2 content in the water.....google co2 chart or dropchecker and it should show up.

[MudSkipper]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

I am running a 48" compact coralife with 2 65w 10k's and 2 65w 6500's.  I also have a 48" odysea with 2 65w 50/50's.

I run the lights for 10hours a day.

[Anonapersona]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

Two things,

First start slowly. Let the fish get used to the change in gases in the water. You are giving them something like a high altitude headache, like what you'd get from flyng to Denver and going to a ski resort mountaintop right away. Let their blood chemistry adjust. Wait a day between any increases, do not hurry. You don't want to find them floating belly up in the morning. If they start hanging near the surface, back off the rate a bit. Let them adjust, slowly.

Next, you are really interested in the CO2 ratio in the water. You can test this by measuring KH and pH, assuming there is no tannins throwing it all off. Or, just get about 1.0 pH drop, not more, maybe a a bit less. That is typically about right.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

I would look into the drop checker and possibly up your co2 to about 3bps....how are you diffusing the co2? you state you are using an eheim regulator but how are you diffusing it?

Until you get your co2 figured out I would probably cut back the lighting to about 8hrs a day as a starting point and probably ditch the 50/50's IME they promote algae growth. Also cut back on your ferts to 2x a week till then as well.

what are the contents of ferro-vit and pro-plant? I googled it and it shows that both are an iron supplement....probably pick one to use and ditch the other. Also look into dosing Nitrogen as well to help the balance of the ferts.

[MudSkipper]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

I ment to say that I was using an ehiem diffusor not an ehiem regulator.  I have it placed underneth the out flow of my ehiem 2217.

I thought that the pro-plant was my source of nitrogen.
Contents:
Total Nitogen 1%
Boron .0002%
Magnesium .05%
Sulfur .06%

I am not sure about the Ferto Vit, the label is written in German but as I understood it, it is a source a iron.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

The Eheim diffusers are good and having at the output works, try to position the diffuser about 1/3 the way down the tank for better/smaller bubbles.

I am not sure what pro-plant is but it would seem to be a nitrogen source.

[MudSkipper]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

Thanks for all the help.  I am going to go and do some research on the co2 chart.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

The chart is only good if you don't have substrate that alters the pH/KH. what substrate are you using?

[nacra99]

Re: Need some Advise from you guys

I just stopped my daly doese of Seachem Excel when i started the co2.  Should I continue the Excel?

Nope.. you can stop with the Excel.

If you are using an Ehiem canister, you can try piping your co2 tubing straight into the filter inlet. I find that i get more complete diffusion that way.