CO2 24/7 - Why Isn't It Done More?

[Sigrid]

Hello to all you CO-2 injectors,
Very soon, after relocating 1,200 miles from MN to NY, I will finally hook up my CO-2 system on my 125 g. tank.
Since I am not a scientist, I will install my Dupla-visual indicator inside the tan and rely on it by showing me at a glance how the CO-2 level/amount/enrichment is at present in the tank.
Yellow = Hazard, death, danger.....WATER CHANGE, TURN DOWN THE GAS!
Green = perfect
Blue = is too little CO-2 in th water, turn your valve up a bit more and count the bubbles per minute travelling thru the Dupla reactor.

This is how I did it for years in my 55 g. tank in MN - CO-2 was turned on 24/7, and I had no problem. The only item I need to shop is more of the indicator fluids.

On another 55 g. tank I am trying out the soda bottle/yeast/sugar recipe, hooking this up to some old Tetra bells (3 stacked on top of each other and connected) and hope that it provides at least a little.

 

[dbosman]

Plants can't utilize CO2 at night. The nightly pH swing isn't harmful to the fish. Abrupt swings of that magnitude might be, but gradual changes have never been documented to be an issue.

Leaving the CO2 on wastes gas you're paying for. Generally planted tank folks have their light on for eight hours. Why pay for triple the CO2 you plants can actually use.

pH probes have to be re-calibrated periodically and replaced, generally once a year. If your probe dries out, it's shot. Before one calls the manufacture to chew them out, re-read the paperwork that shipped with the tool.

 

[Sigrid]

1. I don't have any other mechanical CO-2 items in the tank, therefore, there is nothing to calibrate.
2. The visual CO-2 indicator is suction fastened on the inside on the right front of the tank. The tiny amount of fluid is replaced with every water change. The correct amount of CO-2 in the tank is shown by the indicator fluid showing green.
The Dupla instructions read that the green color also indicates that the Ph-level is at a neutral 7, and that's what we want.
3. The CO-2 tank is in the cabinet underneath the tank.
4. The external Dupla 400 reactor is also housed there.
5. Bubble counter is attached on the outside on the right of the tank.
6. The CO-2 is entering thru an Eheim diffuser. This diffuser should be pointing toward the surface so the water will enter about 1 1/2 inches below the surface.
7. The CO-2 stays on 24 hours a day - lights are on timer for 10 hours.
8. The 5 pound gas bottle lasts me months and costs around $9 to refill. I do not like to fiddle with the fine needle valve as it is very sensitive to any adjustment.

I have never worked with an American CO-2 system, therefore, I have no experience with the apparatus.
Well, that is it from me.

 

[coach_z]

Although this thread is close to 5 years old, Plantbrain's post on page 1 is still 100% accurate.

Sigrid - It sounds like your system will run perfectly. I am not sure if anything relating to Dupla is still around at all, but there are new methods and theories. I suggest you go to the 'Planted Aquariums' section of our forum and start up your own thread on co2 so we can see what you are doing and also guide you through it as you progress. Enjoy!

 

[JoeRoun]

Dupla may be mainly European http://www.dupla.com/EN/products/232/CO2-system if that helps.

 

[Alwaysusa]

Interesting read for a newbie.

I assume with a DIY set up I would not be generating enough CO2 to worry about using a timer? I'm about to set one up and was assuming with just a couple of 2 litre soda bottles using yeast generated CO2 it would be safe left on 24/7.

Sound right?

 

[Sigrid]

Alwaysusa,
Halli, hallo, on this cold NY afternoon.
If you check out some of the CO-2 questions from the past 2 days you can find a picture page I created yesterday morning. The tank is in my laundry room has three old Tetra-Bells as a reactor clicked together to house and dissolve the yeast/sugar slurpee. I am sure, if we put our heads together, we can create something like this using smaller plastic peanut butter jars....just the thought of a female domestic engineer.
Ta, ta,

P.S. What to do with all the yellow alcohol brew after a 10 days of service?
Don't know how to serve it: "shaken, not stirred OR the other way around?"

 

[Sigrid]

Good evening,
Gave up grocery shopping for meeting up with Fish-fin-fanatics at the forum, much more fun.

Dupla CO-2 equipment is a German product. It was used there years before anything like this appeared on the market in the USA...not bragging, just stating facts. Still have all the manual for setting up this kind of a system....plus the book: "The Optimum Aquarium".

My father sent me several important items from Germany when I first wanted to try out this system, AND it worked great.

The visual indicator (fastened to the inside of the tank via suction cup) has a display like a traffic sign with the colors green, blue and yellow. After a water change, one adds a limited amount of tank water to (the proper level mark) into the little rounded dome + 2 drops of indicator fluid. Put the whole thing together and stick it back into the tank.

After a water change on my 55 gallon tank it took several hours to show the proper amount of the CO-2 presence in the tank. I think a had about 16 bubbles per minute entering the bubble counter. When the water showed green, it was neutral and marvellous for most community fish.

By having a "visiual indicator" installed, I never had to worry or guess about the correct amount of CO-2 present. While green, the whole underwater world was functioning at a perfect level.

 

[coach_z]

That visual indicator you are talking about is now commonly referred to as a Drop Checker. Older theory stated that you should use tap water in them with the indicator solution. New methods are to use 4d KH water with the indicator solution. When it turns green you will have 30PPM CO2 in your tank. 30ppm is more or less ideal and what we all shoot for.

The reason to use 4d KH water is that the solution will turn green at different concentrations of co2. 5 dKH water will turn green at 40ppm. My old tank water at my last home was around 15d KH and I almost killed my fish a few times trying to get that thing green.

It sounds like you have a lot of great knowlege of this, cant wait to see some shots of your tank!

 

[Sigrid]

Hi coach,
I found that I never was able to produce enough CO-02 with sugar + yeast in a 55fer. I never tried multiple bottles.
You want to make sure that you never cut off the bubbling flow on a yeast bottle or you might have to re-paint the walls in your room.
***
I just completed a picture page and thought it ended up here at the forum, however, it ain't here...where, oh where did the pics page go?