CO2 overdose on 46g w/ DIY? 38ppm???

[andsoitgoes]

Hi everyone,

I've noticed some problems with my tank that made me very concerned that I might have lord knows what BAD going on in there.

Everyone lookd healthy from the outside, and I'm due for a massive test cycle, so I ran one tonight.

EVERYTHING is either 0 or in the acceptable range (the biggies, NH3 and NO2 are 0, NO3 is 12.5)

I use the PMDD method from gregwatson.com, I generally add the basics, KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 in the recommendation from the EI - so 1/4tsp, 1/8 and 1/8. I don't generally do the micros, because I normally forget :)

My lighting is a 2x 21w coralife strip (1 10k, 1 6.5k) and then 2 HO bulbs at 55w each, totalling 154w (3.3wpg approx)

However I got to the CO2 test. A test I've now run 2 times on my tank water, and once on my tap water - which proves that things aren't completely screwy.

So I started the test with my tank water. I was at about 7 drops and thinking that things were going well, right at the point it should be. As things continued and I progressed to 18 drops (# of drops needed to chng color x 2 = ppm) I started to get very concerned. 19 drops finally changed the color.

I did it again.

Same results.

I did the tap water, looks like it's around 6ppm.

This is NOT good. I have a very basic setup - Red Sea CO2 system with Sugar/Yeast. Attached is a recent pic of my tank, I have a fair number of plants, but I'm still FLABBERGASTED at the CO2 levels.

My questions:

- Would this cause increased "gilling" in my fish? I very much think the answer is yes, wanted to ask
- How can a system designed for tanks no MORE than 40g give an OD to this magnitude on a 46g bow tank?
- I've heard time and time again that it would be darn near unpossible to OD on CO2 with this type of system without pouring it directly in the water (haven't done that, swear)

Please help - I'm going to be doing a major WC tonight to get this cleared up, but I want to ensure it doesn't happen again, but I also want to keep using CO2 so I have my tank looking simply stunning, obviously without risk of my fish =/

Thanks,

Nick

[loaches r cool]

Hmm, I'll mention that I have read hear that co2 test kits are sometimes very innacurate. I beleive it was said before that any buffers in the water other than carbonate can really mess up the results of the co2 test. I stopped using my test kit when it started reading over 60ppm every time. Not really sure if the tap test validates anything - it could still be reading 2x as high at the tap than it should and you probably wouldnt know. Many have kept co2 levels as high as you are saying too, but I really dont know much about the cabalities of DIY if those levels are possible or not.

[andsoitgoes]

hmm, interesting. score one for pressurized CO2 :)

Sigh - good thing I didn't waste tons of money on these test kits. Oh, wait. I did.

I think in the end I'm still very concerned, with my fish reacting like they are, it makes me think it could be something else. Sigh, well - I'll hold off on my water change until later today, and see what happens.

Thanks, look forward to any other replies that could add to this?

:)

[Hound]

Perhaps if you test your aquariums kh and ph you can see what the charts say about your co2 level. If that confirms your co2 test then you may have a problem. Neither method is perfect, but if they both happen to agree I'd tend to believe them.

[loaches r cool]

The problem is the same things that will skew the reading of the test will also skew the reading of ph/kh chart. So it could very well be incorrect but both tests would agree since they are both susceptable. Not saying they will always but it is quite probable.

In your OP you didnt mention if you fish were actually distressed? If your fish are ok and not gasping and your plants are doing quiet well then I wouldnt change anything.

[SnakeIce]

Check the ph of your tank water, and then check the ph of some tank water set out in a shallow bowl and areated for at least 12 hours. If you have a 1 log ph change then you have about 30ppm co2. In other words if your tank is ph 6.6 and the atmospheric equalibrium water is ph 7.6 you have the desired amount of co2.

This allows the other factors the gh ph co2 level derivation can't account for to be adjusted for without the specific test for those myriad possible other factors that alter the ph and buffer levels.

[andsoitgoes]

Well - as it stands KH is about 4, GH is about 15 I think. The numbers aren't right in front of me....

I've removed the CO2 and the fish stress level has dropped, however there's now a massive ich outbreak, although decreased gilling. Now I have to try and treat something completely different.

Yay

I'll try that for the pH though, see what happens. Not sure what I'm going to do about anything right now. VERY frustrated.

[Hound]

Well I guess the bright side is after your done with the ich it shouldn't be present in your aquarium anymore . . .

I have a 50g planted aquarium that I've started DIY co2 on to see if it helps plant growth any in my low light set up. With one 2 liter bottle and a 3 inch bubble wand I was figuring to see my ph of about 7.7 drop to a ph of something like 7.2. Next day I find my ph is right around 6.8. Moved my filter outlet up a little higher to increase surface agitation a bit and I seem to be holding steady at that 6.8. Kh tests at 5 both before and after I started co2. I have a surface skimmer inlet on my cannister filter and really didn't expect that big a drop from one 2 liter bottle. My fish have definatly noticed that something is up, but at least no one seems to be panicking. I figure to keep it up for a couple of months and see how my plants look then.

BTW I do feel for you and the ich outbreak, but since its out in the open now at least you can do something about it. Before you actually saw the stuff it was probably attaching to gills and that couldn't have been nice for your fish.