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Re: CO2



Michael Rubin says,
>.... but rather than calculating bubbles
>per minute, couldn't you gradually increase the CO2 until your pH drops to
7.0?  At 7.0pH and 6degKH, the chart says you'll have 17.7ppm CO2, a nice
amount.  When I adjust my CO2 I see the difference in pH almost immediately
in my sump, and a few moments later in the tank.

RIGHT ON! Some people think it may be bad to have more than a certain
number of bubble per sec. The injection rate certainly depends on the size
of the tank and ammount of lighting, but can also depend on the efficiency
of the reactor. pH/KH is a better guide.

HERE IS A RELATED QUESTION for everyone. When the CO2 tank stops (say, when
the tank is finished), the pH will go back from where it came. So pH 7.0
jumps back to 8.0 and fairly quickly. Not too bad for the plants (except
some like Bolbitus which thrive on CO2 and turn black and hard and even
crusty (biogenic decalcification) when they try to get their carbon from
bicarbinates (this has happened to me, and was the way that I finally
noticed that my CO2 tank was finished), but HOW DOES THE RAPID JUMP IN pH
(and return to higher pH) AFFECT SOME FISH. 

Any comments from the Discus keepers or other folks?

[This may also be a reason to keep KH in the 2-4 range, unless your water
already has higher values]


Neil Frank / Aquarian Subjects
Interesting old books and magazines (but most plant books are already gone)
http://www.mindspring.com/~aquaristics/aquarian.subjects/