Uhhh, too much co2 i think, fish dont look good

[SuBXeRo]

I have had the DIY co2 going for like 2 days now and my fish arent looking too good at all. They have been gasping it looks like for air in the water. I havent had any surface agitation and the co2 has been pumping contastly, two bottles of it. i put an airstone in, took out some polyfil from my filter to increase flow in hopes to help increase fcirculation. i know the airstone kinda releases the co2 but the fish were all on the bottom in the plants not looking too hot.

[Jag1980]

Do a 40% water change and figure out a way to limit the Co2 that get trapped in the water until your Co2 mixture calms down. You want water movement on the surface, just don't break the surface of the water with agitation.

[ChrisK]

What size tank is it?

[Fishy_Fun]

Create some surface agitation

[SuBXeRo]

its a 72 gal. I looked at my fish this morning and they look atlot better since i put the airstone in. This is temp until i get my pressurized kit, so i have to wait about a month or so and deal with what i got

[ChrisK]

Highly unlikely co2 levels got high enough to effect your fish with a DIY setup unless you have very few plants in there. Are you dosing any other ferts?

[SuBXeRo]

no ferts at all, my fish arent gasping anymore, or what appeared to be gasping

[jmhart]

Without more information, I really doubt it was the CO2. DIY CO2 on a 72g is really difficult, so getting to levels that are dangerous to fish is unlikely.

What's your yeast setup like? I suppose a monster DIY co2 setup could pose a threat, but it'd really have to be huge.

Have you made any other changes to the tank, added anything else?

[SuBXeRo]

i did 1 pkg yeast, 2 cups sugar and 1 tsp of baking soda, i did this for each bottle. Both are direct feed into my filter (eheim 2217). I just planted it last friday, pictures are in the gallery connected to the link in my sig. There was no surface agitation and i was getting very good micro bubbles. I fear the o2 exhange has been very low since i planted as i havent had surface agitation since then, i did the DIY CO2 on tuesday. I have had lights on for 8 hours a day, switching between 1.5 wpg or 3wpg, it has been very inconsistent. The co2 has been going 24/7 so if its been really well dissolved and no agitation, gas exhange many not have been good enough

[phanmc]

i did 1 pkg yeast, 2 cups sugar and 1 tsp of baking soda, i did this for each bottle. Both are direct feed into my filter (eheim 2217). I just planted it last friday, pictures are in the gallery connected to the link in my sig. There was no surface agitation and i was getting very good micro bubbles. I fear the o2 exhange has been very low since i planted as i havent had surface agitation since then, i did the DIY CO2 on tuesday. I have had lights on for 8 hours a day, switching between 1.5 wpg or 3wpg, it has been very inconsistent. The co2 has been going 24/7 so if its been really well dissolved and no agitation, gas exhange many not have been good enough

Too much yeast will burn through the mixture in short order, but that isn't your problem.

No surface agitation will lead to what you believe, very low O2 levels and gasping fish. It's not too much CO2 but lack of O2 that is the problem.

[jmhart]

Like phan mc said, 1 package of yeast per bottle is extremely excessive. You only need about 1/4 tsp yeast per bottle.

If you have an airstone, put it on a timer so that it comes on at lights off, and turns off 2-3 hours before lights on. It'll solve your problem.

[SuBXeRo]

i was talkin to inka, he had said that the use of an airstone may flucuate the PH too much between a co2 full tank and then a rapid release of it.

I followed a recipe that he also suggested from aquatic eden, it lasts about 2 weeks or so which is fine.

i will put the airstoneon a timer as suggested until i figure out some better surface agitation stuff, ph or what have you.

[rocker92]

do you have a filter in the tank??? is the water on top "rippling"?

[SuBXeRo]

i have a 2217 with spray bar submerged, no rippling

[jmhart]

pH fluctuations due to CO2 are insignificant to fish. The real reason we are concerned with pH changes is actually due to the changes in TDS. Fish don't like rapidly changing levels of TDS.

pH fluctuations from changing levels of CO2 are fine.

You'll be able to get just as good of an output of co2 by using less yeast, and it'll save you some money. Standard DIY CO2 recipe is

1/4 tsp yeast (activated)
2 cups warm water
2 cups sugar

optional
pinch baking soda


And that'll last you ~2 weeks with perfect output.

[Canuck]

If it were low O2/high CO2 I would have expected the fish to be at the surface where O2 levels are higher. I also suspect that those with healthy fast growing planted tanks that aerate their water at night, actually, reduce their O2 levels. Despite the fact plants do respire at night, they are net producers of oxygen (when healthy).