Re: [APD] Re: Water color & DIY Co2 into canister

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

--- NYCMags <heavensabvus1 at yahoo_com> wrote:

> The setup of my new tank is progressing well, but I've
> come across a couple of things that I am wondering
> about:
> 
> 1)  I've noticed that my water is not as clear as it
> used to be on my old tank, especially when looking
> from end to end.  It's almost as if there is a very
> slight milky look to it.  The only two differences
> have been using flourite instead of regular gravel and
> adding more light.  . . .

If Flourite was clouding the water, it would look more
reddish. Certainly stronger light will accentuate clouding
in the water. It sounds like a common bacterial bloom that
some tanks get when  within a week or two of being set up.
IT can persist for several weeks or less but will go away
on its own eventually because eventually other things will
consume what that clouding bacteria is feeding on. If you
haven't already, add some mulm from an established aquarium
or put some dirty floss from a used filter into the eheim.
Also, lots of plants is big help.

> 
> 2)  I went with an Eheim 2026 canister filter for my
> tank and have routed the DIY Co2 into the intake. 
> I've been having a hard time finding a good spot for
> the spray bar that doesn't blow the plants all over. 
> I found one position but it eliminated all surface
> movement whatsoever.  Would that be bad not to have
> any movement up there? 

I recommend taking the spray bar off and putting it back
into the original carton. The 2026 puts out a strong
waterflow, usually stronger even that the 2028, which has
the same motor and pump but has to pull the water through
more media than the 2026. I don't recall if the 2026 comes
with them, but Eheim sells J-tubes that have a right angle
bend at the end to send water horizontally. With one of
those, the outlet set an inch of so below the water
surface, you'll have a good water flow but without the
focused jets of current caused by the spray bar.


>  Also, I am getting some very
> fine bubbles come out of the spray bar...does this
> mean that the Co2 is not fully dissolving?

Don't know the particulars of your setup but more than
likely this is just whats left of the bubbles after passing
through the Eheim, and it's not a lot of CO2. With exposure
to the water,m the Co2 is drawn out and gases from the
water are drawn into the bubble. So the tine bubbles are a
little of all the gases in the aquarium water and very tiny
amounts at that.
> 
> . . . I am now in the position to set up an
> external reactor, to eliminate the little bit of
> filter noise from the Co2 going into the cannister.

You might be trading burps for gurgles but a little bit of
sound is part of the aquarium experience. ;-)

Good luck, good fun,
Scott H.


=====
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And learn the art of aquascaping Senske style at AGA2K4. 

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