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Re: CO2 death

> Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 06:30:09 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Beverly Shutes <heavensabvus at yahoo_com>
> Subject: Re: C02 fish fatality
> 
> Well, I'm sorry to report that I lost my 7" bala shark
> yesterday that I've had for 8+ years and my 2" SAE
> because of a C02 accident.  I know how, what, where
> and when but am not sure why, so perhaps someone has
> experienced this and can give me their thoughts so
> that I can prevent this horrible thing from happening
> again.


I have not killed a fish with CO2 just a few shrimp that where in the wrong
tank at the wrong time:) It was gas tank fun and I got up to 100ppm+ before
death occurred due to CO2.

But never with DIY yeast. I never used the jello nor ever found a need to
start using the jello. I am very good with Yeast as a source and can tell
you to use a simple old method to add CO2 to your tank and simply keep up on
it and change often. That's the best you can do. It's rather difficult to
add too much. It can happen but sounds like something else went on here.
Some things you can do to minimize this:
Have some current in your water, and a little surface movement is okay. You
add more CO2 if you need too but it's better to have some loss rather than
build up at night. Use a powerhead instead of a filter that runs 24/7 to
feed it turn it off at night and on during the day. Simply plug into the
lighting timer to do this. As the bubbles get sucked into the powerhead they
get ground up and when it's off they simple bubble up and out of the tank.
You don't need the CO2 at night. This will solve much of the problem you
have had. What's your KH? If it's low(2 or less) you are playing with fire.
> 
> I am using DIY C02, with jello, fed into a filter.
> I've used this many times before and this particular
> bottle had been bubbling successfully for over a week,
> with no problem.  For a reason I can't understand, it
> suddenly bubbled over into the tank sometime during
> the night.  Although there was red jello residue
> throughout the whole air line, the tank had very
> slight brownish residue, with no sign of red.  Upon
> waking I found my fish dead.

Do you own a cat etc or something that might knock the bottle around around
etc? Could some larger amount of gas bubbles built up under the jello?
Typically at night the temp goes down and so does the production of yeast
CO2. It seems unlikely it just all of a sudden happened. Did the filter get
clogged some or was there a thick film on the surface etc? DIY is rather
hard to kill fish with but it's possible, just unlikely.
> 
> So my question is, why would it suddenly after a week
> bubble over like this?  Second question is, my shark,
> which had to have been the hardiest fish I have ever
> had died, but all my otos were fine, and they seem to
> be the most fragile fish I have ever owned.  Would it
> be a size issue, an oxygen issue?

Otto's just lay there. Balas are big fast fish. They will suck up far more
O2 and need more also.
> 
> I've since pumped my tank a couple of times, added
> oxygen and carbon, and things are clearing.

I'd pass on the jello, taste great though. Do the regular method and keep up
on brew changes. Try the PowerHead method and keep an eye on how your pH/KH
is doing. 
Regards, 
Tom Barr