can you inject too much CO2?

[arcanecircle]

I made a DIY CO2 injection, and it's been fizzing away for the last 6 hours, I woke up at 2 in the morning to check on it and notice my shrimps acting funny.

I have notice that my CBS and RCS moving around and when they get spooked they dart off upside down and land on their back. What freaked me out is that i noticed that my cherry shrimp lying on it's back until i tapped the glass.

before the CO2 injector everything is fine, no the froth from the injector isn't getting xfered into the tank, i did turn off the light and leave the injector in, and for now i have pulled out the tube injecting the CO2.

I also notice i have some snails and other invert that i have never seen before... it could be that i just turn on the light and most of them are only active in the dark or it could be something to do with the CO2.

Is it possible to over saturate the water with CO2? Should i limit the length of time i let the CO2 in my tank? Should i only have it in tank when i have light on?

[arcanecircle]

**** it i just noticed one dead CRS in the back.... i hope this is salvagable


Oh i failed to mention it is a 10g tank and i am using one 2L soda bottle with yeat

[arcanecircle]

K i am going to leave lights on so plants can use up the CO2 and i am increasing water flow to allow more circulation hopefully when i wake up in the morning i will still have my tank.

Another observation, the red on shrimp is a lot brighter the black on the CBR is faint... I know from CO2 poisoning in human people flush, but that have to do with hemoglobin not sure if it work the same with red coloration of the shrimp

[invertebrater]

yes, you can poison your animals with Co2 or the KH and pH levels may be falling too low. they say you shouldnt go over 35ppm of dissolved Co2. in order to check you need a drop checker with 4dKH solution. i currently run a 1 liter container yeast Co2 system myself and leave it in all the time but i have good surface agitation and aeration. also what kind of diffuser are you using? check your pH and KH that should help tell you where things are by punching the numbers into a Co2 calculator, it isnt as accurate as a drop checker because their can be variables that alter the results but it gives you an idea.

[arcanecircle]

I currently dont' have a diffuser because i don't have everything i need to make one yet... right now it is just a hose with an air stone, i was reading and it say O2 will not be displaced but completely forget the Ph factor.

I kind of just figure the CO2 that reach the top will simply dissipate so i won't over saturate the tank.

I don't have my test kit right now, it's one of the things i kept telling myself to pull out of the storage but didn't. It will be the first thing i to this morning when the storage office opens

[arcanecircle]

I find it interesting that all my RCS are sitting on the bottom of tank motionless while CRS who are suppose to be more sensitive to poor condition seem to be happily grazing... well with the exception of the one dead one

[coach_z]

yes you can, diy usually doesnt give off that much co2 to caus much harm. what was your recipe?

[CBWMN]

I DIY CO2 on my 46 gallon BF.
I’ve read many posts that you ;cannot OD the livestock in a tank that size with DIY.
But it did happen to me.
I woke up one morning and my angels were laying on their sides and swimming listlessly.
I did about a 90% WC and put an airstone in the tank.
A couple of hours later they snapped out of it.
I’m using 2 heavy duty one gallon bottles 2/3rd full of mixture.
I’m sure I was using too much sugar and yeast in my mixture.
I’ve since cut back on it.
I also alternate a new batch every week to maintain a consistant supply of CO2.
Charles

[arcanecircle]

i guess my yeast is super yeast.... yeah i think i will change the mixure to .5 teaspoon yeast and .5 cup of suger.

It's been 12+ hour and my air stone is still bubbling out Co2 like air pump

Well lesson learned..

Good news is that it look like my dudes weathered the night and all my plants seem to have grown at least 1+ inch since the start of CO2 injection

Pictures taken last night... thinking it maybe the last time i see them
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1151&pictureid=9642
Huddling together waiting out the storm
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1151&pictureid=9644

[biggdadyapisto]

well the big question is how much light and how well planted is the tank? you might not need co2.

[arcanecircle]

well i got 6 shabby looking cork screw, 2 bunch of java fern ~8+ leaves on each, bunch of anacharis, guppy grass, duckweed, frog bits, and 4x4 inchs of Riccia fluitans.

No the vegetation isn't very dense compared to well established plant tank and my hope for CO2 injecting is to give the plants a jump star... the cork screw i got were from petsmart clearance so when i say shabby i mean shabby....

they were doing better after week or so of being with me but they still look like they were teetering on the brink of becoming compost. I also want Riccia fluitans to gain more turf so i can finally sink it without it breaking apart on me, and maybe get my java fern to be abit more leafy. so i decided to get some CO2 in the system to get the plants a jump start

for now i guess i will limit the injection to 1 hour at a time and maybe 3 times a day until i get more plants in... since i have onyx sand and it does a really good job of buffering the water, having CO2 for short duration over long interval shouldn't cause Ph drop but i will be checking in on the Ph.

[biggdadyapisto]

well with diy iv never had a tremendous drop in ph but you never know. its all about balance in a planted tank thats the art of it making a beautiful scape with the balance to sustain fish and plants.

im not sure but iv read that too lil light and too much co2 and the plants dont have the right balance to use the co2.

[arcanecircle]

yeah i did say i turn off the lights to go to bed.... i read that i should just leave the injector in.... when the light is on i got coral reef 50/50 and coral reef Plant Gro i think it's called... i had them in storage for a while and don't quite remember the wattage but i am certain both are atleast 15W each