I just recently bought one of these after unsuccessful attempts at DIY Co2. It's only been up for about 24 hrs, and it's getting a bubble about every 12 seconds. What's normal?
Thanks in advance
Mel
Thanks in advance
Mel
How many co2 bubbles per second for a Hagen Co2 unit?
- Thread starter soonergirl
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There are a few different factors that play a part in the output. These can be things like ambient room temperature (or at least temperature of brew container), how deep into the aquarium you place the diffuser, etc. I typically didn't get more than one bubble every 7 or 8 seconds with it.
8 b/s for me as well.
things to check: 1) tighten up the cannister, giving a good quarter turn extra once it's snug, 2) lessen the stabilizer mix if your ph is high; i use only a pinch or two with my 8.0ph water, 3) stabilize room temperature as well as you can, you can place the cannister in a bucket of water with a heater like what others do, 4) place the cannister higher to the tank and reduce extra air tubing to help maximize air pressure within it.
things to check: 1) tighten up the cannister, giving a good quarter turn extra once it's snug, 2) lessen the stabilizer mix if your ph is high; i use only a pinch or two with my 8.0ph water, 3) stabilize room temperature as well as you can, you can place the cannister in a bucket of water with a heater like what others do, 4) place the cannister higher to the tank and reduce extra air tubing to help maximize air pressure within it.
Keep in mind that these units are adequate only for tanks up to 20-30 gallons.
You are not going to get much CO2 saturation with a bubble every 7-12 secs. When I used DIY CO2 in the past I was getting 1-2 bubbles/sec. and it kept me in the 20-30 ppm CO2 range. Keep in mind that that ppm range was based on my kH which was 3.5. Yours may vary from mine depending on your kH.
I have never used the Hagen system that you're talking about, but have heard of others that got considerably more production out of them. Sounds like you have a leak in the system somewhere. Check for leaks.
IME if you follow the recipes for DIY CO2 and don't have any leaks in your connections you can get adequate CO2 for tanks of 20-30 gallons with 1 or 2 bottles. I was using 4 bottles for my 55 gal.
I think you'll find that it's a lot cheaper to DIY than buy these kits that are on the market, which are not much more than DIY's anyway.
Len
You are not going to get much CO2 saturation with a bubble every 7-12 secs. When I used DIY CO2 in the past I was getting 1-2 bubbles/sec. and it kept me in the 20-30 ppm CO2 range. Keep in mind that that ppm range was based on my kH which was 3.5. Yours may vary from mine depending on your kH.
I have never used the Hagen system that you're talking about, but have heard of others that got considerably more production out of them. Sounds like you have a leak in the system somewhere. Check for leaks.
IME if you follow the recipes for DIY CO2 and don't have any leaks in your connections you can get adequate CO2 for tanks of 20-30 gallons with 1 or 2 bottles. I was using 4 bottles for my 55 gal.
I think you'll find that it's a lot cheaper to DIY than buy these kits that are on the market, which are not much more than DIY's anyway.
Len
I discovered that the bubbles were escaping the bubble counter, and I couldn't get that to work right, so I ended up just putting a wooden airstone for really fine bubbles at the end of the tubing, and then secured the tubing to the glass. I like the way that looks better, and aren't the fine bubbles better for Co2 absorption than the big honka ones anyway?
I bought this because all my attempts at DIY were awful. I had the yeast/sugar mixture back up into my tank while I was at work when I could get it to work. Most of the time, no matter what I sealed it with, it'd have a leak somewhere and not work right. (I'm not exactly handy!
)
Thanks so much for the response on this!
I bought this because all my attempts at DIY were awful. I had the yeast/sugar mixture back up into my tank while I was at work when I could get it to work. Most of the time, no matter what I sealed it with, it'd have a leak somewhere and not work right. (I'm not exactly handy!
)Thanks so much for the response on this!
What size tank do you have? If it is a relatively large tank a bubble counter is probably not necessary. Most of these kits they sell are not strong enough to produce enough CO2 that will harm the fish.
Yes, the finer the bubbles going into the tank, the better the absorption. Did you get rid of all the leaks?
Len
Yes, the finer the bubbles going into the tank, the better the absorption. Did you get rid of all the leaks?
Len
i have had a hagen c02 in my 12 gallon for about 2 weeks and it produces about one bubble per 8 seconds... as far as I recall the product information doesn't indicate what to expect in terms of bubble production....but I dont have it in front of me to look.
I THINK its working.. this is my first attempt at live plants and at any kind of CO2 so I dont have much to compare the results too.. but there is new growth on the plants and while I had a few brown leaves on my micro swords.. I think that was the result of an iron def. in the substrate rather than lack of CO2.. some plant tabs seem to have resolved that.
What I dont understand about this system.. and the product information isn't clear or clear enough about this.. is how the bubbles should ultimately travel through the grid.
My bubbles go up the grid, getting smaller and smaller til they reach the very top of the counter/grid and then as very very tiny bubbles float out and up to the surface.
I had heard that if you have bubbles anywhere the C02 is not getting into the water..
Hagen has no customer service number to call for product support..or none that I could find.. which is pretty annoying..
If anyone knows if the bubbles are supposed to leave the top of the counter grid diffuser please let me know..I know the bubbles should not be expelled on the way up the grid but what about at the very top?
I just assumed the thing was working because I was getting alot of new leaf growth on my plants.. watersprite, amazon swords, anubias nana, cryptocoryne.. and vallisineria.. but my LFS guy said those plants are easy to grow without CO2..so its hard to judge the results.
Thanks
I THINK its working.. this is my first attempt at live plants and at any kind of CO2 so I dont have much to compare the results too.. but there is new growth on the plants and while I had a few brown leaves on my micro swords.. I think that was the result of an iron def. in the substrate rather than lack of CO2.. some plant tabs seem to have resolved that.
What I dont understand about this system.. and the product information isn't clear or clear enough about this.. is how the bubbles should ultimately travel through the grid.
My bubbles go up the grid, getting smaller and smaller til they reach the very top of the counter/grid and then as very very tiny bubbles float out and up to the surface.
I had heard that if you have bubbles anywhere the C02 is not getting into the water..
Hagen has no customer service number to call for product support..or none that I could find.. which is pretty annoying..
If anyone knows if the bubbles are supposed to leave the top of the counter grid diffuser please let me know..I know the bubbles should not be expelled on the way up the grid but what about at the very top?
I just assumed the thing was working because I was getting alot of new leaf growth on my plants.. watersprite, amazon swords, anubias nana, cryptocoryne.. and vallisineria.. but my LFS guy said those plants are easy to grow without CO2..so its hard to judge the results.
Thanks
98% solution rate
If you pull out the old geometry textbook and run through the volume of a sphere calculations, you'll see that when the radius of a sphere goes from 4 units to one unit, the volume of the sphere is reduced to 1/64th of the original, or 98.5% has been dissolved.
If you are seeing a small bubble left, it is not a big deal. It could be gasses other than CO2 anyhow, remember, there is an inch of air in that bottle when you close it up.
If you pull out the old geometry textbook and run through the volume of a sphere calculations, you'll see that when the radius of a sphere goes from 4 units to one unit, the volume of the sphere is reduced to 1/64th of the original, or 98.5% has been dissolved.
If you are seeing a small bubble left, it is not a big deal. It could be gasses other than CO2 anyhow, remember, there is an inch of air in that bottle when you close it up.
The smaller the bubbles released into the water table, the better the absorption. Some people claim that their reactors release such small bubbles that they are almost imperceptible to the eye.
This is good reaction.
I use a power head and get a very fine mist.
The easiest way to tell how the system is working is to know your pH and kH and compare the two on the chart here:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm
Again, one bubble every 8 seconds is not much CO2. If that is all you're getting there is probably a leak somewhere in the system.
Len
This is good reaction.
I use a power head and get a very fine mist.
The easiest way to tell how the system is working is to know your pH and kH and compare the two on the chart here:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm
Again, one bubble every 8 seconds is not much CO2. If that is all you're getting there is probably a leak somewhere in the system.
Len