New CO2 setup - how are my numbers?

Looks to be.
 
Correct - when I got the regulator, etc. I just decided to hook it up to the powerhead with venturi that came with the Red Sea yeast system. Maybe I'm "wasting" CO2, but it seems to be working very well so I'm just going to go with it. At $8.95 per refill, it's not a big deal.
 
I did turn it up just a bit last night. Probably went from about 1 to 1.5 bps. Tonight is the first time I've ever seen pearling. My java moss and some leaves on my red ludwigia have bubbles on the underside.

Also - the growth is UNREAL!! My comboba went from just surviving last week to being nearly out of the tank. The dwarf hygrophila is growing at least an inch a day. Truly amazing.
 
OMG, with just 1.5 bps? That's definitely not wasting any. That's the lowest I've seen anyone have there's set and get the results you are getting.

I'm definitely doing something wrong, even though I'm seeing some growth. Part of it may be that my temp is high right now dealing with this ich problem.

Tomorrow I'm moving all the fish out of the 110 into a 75 then turning down the temp on the 110. I'm also going to crank up the bps until I get 1.0 pH change.

Do you just have the hose from the CO2 connected to the venturi on the powerhead?
 
Yes, I have the typical tank/regulator/solenoid/bubble counter/check valve. From there I have co2 resistant tubing running into a powerhead with a diffuser - the venturi setup from my old Red Sea system. Many of the diffused bubbles are staying in the tank because of plants in that corner of the tank and the output of my Fluval 404 is also right in that corner and blows bubbles all over the tank.

I got a 1 point pH drop from my original reading - 7.6 down to 6.6. As I said in this thread, I was getting a rise during the day from 6.6 to about 7.0 with 1bps. Now that I turned it up to about 1.5, I am still seeing about 6.6 in the morning, but only about 6.8 at lights out. I am running 24/7 based on what I have read - in particular http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/night.html

After everything I read, I was pretty shocked it seemed to work as well as it did. One picture is shortly before CO2 (and before getting rid of the Whisper in favor of a Fluval.) The second one is not a great quality - my 5 year old broke my digital camera. You can still see the Camboba is touching air now and the dwarf hygrophila in the left/center front needs to be trimmed about every 3 days. It's literally growing a inch a day.

My only question is - how high to go with CO2?

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bigger tanks = more co2. it all depends on how many plants you have. more plants = more co2.

i thought you were using a ac filter to break up the co2. thats going to need more co2 also.

I tried the Python gravel tube reactor and it did a worse job than the AC filter one, so I went back to it. I'm going to crank it up until I get 1.0 move. I'm just jealous of his instant pearling!!!
 
I have the same Co2 reactor and I used to get pearling with 1 bps :) 5 lb tank of Co2 lasted me 7+ months.

I don't really understand how to check my Co2 Levels and I use crushed coral to buffer my PH so I can't rely on PH readings (I have Brigs in the tank).

I DO use a Solenoid. It's either that or run an airstone at night, Either way I will see a little PH swing, but it doe snot seem to cause problems with the fish.

If I crank the Co2 much higher than 1.5bps I waste Co2 because the diffuser will spit it out. Ithink these are efficient diffusers although some say micro bubbles are better. I can say this, the red seas reactors are WAY better for DIY. You can probably achieve higher levels of Co2 by forcing more Co2 into the tank through a glass diffuser, but more o fit is wated as well. (I have 2 red seas and a few glass diffusers. I use both depending on my mood :)
 
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