Pressurized Info.!?!?!

[djlen]

Is there a site or thread which explains, in detail, how to hook up, and monitor the gages on one's regulator. Also I'm not even sure how far to open the CO2 bottle! You might say I'm clue-less! But then I'm sure there are those that already realize that.
Ideally this site should talk to one like one is 2 years old, cause I haven't a clue about pressurized CO2. So to be on the safe side I need to know the basics. Any info. or direction would be immensely appreciated.
Len

[superjohnny]

If your fish tank is bubbling like a hot-tub then you need to turn it down :D

edit: sorry, I really should try to add some value to the conversation... http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/

[RBlanc]

I open my bottle up all the way. The gauge on the right is how much CO2 is in the bottle. The gauge on the left is how much CO2 is being released. I open the regulator up to about 15 lbs then control the actual flow with a needle valve so I get about 5 to 8 bubbles per second. Hope this helped.

[Dabbler II]

RBlanc how long does your bottle last if you are running 5-8 bubbles a sec (and what size of bottle) ?

[RBlanc]

I have a 20 lb tank and it lasts about 3 to 5 months
Hey I see you're from Canada. My wife is from Montreal. We're planning to go there when the kiddies are a little older.

[RockysDad]

Try this site. After reading this now you can ask more detailed questions. I'm sure everyone here can help walk you through this. Its fairly straight forward to set up. Good luck.

http://www.wcf.com/co2iron/

[Ordovician]

Well I guess it would depend on the size of your aquarium, your bubble size, and other things. Howeer, 5-8 bubbles/second is awfully high unless you have a 300 gallon aquarium.

[RBlanc]

Originally posted by Ordovician
Well I guess it would depend on the size of your aquarium, your bubble size, and other things. Howeer, 5-8 bubbles/second is awfully high unless you have a 300 gallon aquarium.
It's a 90 gallon tank. Kh 18, GH 18. With 5 to 8 bubbles per second that gives me a PH of 7.2. BTW the bubbles are about lentle sized in the dupla bubble counter then they go into the dupla reaktor S. Then from there straight back up to the tank.

[Ordovician]

Well.......you definately have plenty of CO2! And I must say that is a high KH. It just seems as if that rate is awfully high.....Do you have a lot of surface agitation.

[RBlanc]

Yeah the high KH is from well water. As far as I know our aquifer sits on a limestone bed. I probably should soften it. I have those deionizing colunms, they just need to be recharged. Without co2 the ph is 8.5. There is very little surface agitation. With the co2 I can keep the ph at 7.2. If I try to go lower than that the fish start hovering at the surface and don't look too happy. So I keep the ph at 7.2 and the fish are happy and the plants pearl like crazy. It's like I dropped a bunch of Alkaseltzer in the tank.:)

[Ordovician]

I would say that your aquifer probably lies in a limestone bed. However, the Geology there is really screwed up from what I can remember.....Ellicott City has a huge granite inttusion and Fredricksburg has marble all over the place. However, with that kh.....I'd definately say that you have some carbonate rock influence. I guess we would have the same problem here in KY if we didn't have city water.