Re: [APD] Mearuring Ph and CO2

[Vaughn Hopkins <hoppycalif at yahoo_com>]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 11:24 AM, Liz Wilhite wrote:

> On 12/6/06, Bill <Billinet at comcast_net> wrote:
>>
>> <<Bill, if you are experienced, just cranking up the CO2 a tad is
>> probably all you need to know.  But, for those of us with less
>> experience it is much more difficult.  We can't really tell if we
>> have almost enough or far from enough CO2 because we don't have the
>> experience to "read the tank".  Since we know the fish will suffer if
>> we crank up the CO2 too much, we are hesitant to go past the point
>> where the fish just might be suffering. . . . .<<
>>
>> OK, Vaughn, the next time someone with a plant growing problem is  
>> advised
>> to
>> increase the CO2 level and you don't respond in a similar manner,  
>> I will
>> forward that thread to you 100 times.  <g>
>
>
> ROTFL!!!  I still remember when I asked for help with a BBA  
> outbreak and was
> told to crank up the CO2 because that was the problem -- that is  
> *always*
> the problem if you have BBA.  When I wrote back that the BBA was  
> *on* the
> ceramic CO2 diffuser and the outbreak had *started* on the diffuser  
> the
> silence was deafening.
>
> I failed to mention, later, that I ended up tearing down the tank and
> restarting from scratch. Or that the first place the next outbreak  
> started
> was on a new ceramic diffuser.  Or that the outbreaks were later  
> found to be
> 100% correlated with dosing CSM+B, even at 1/4 the recommended  
> amounts.
> (With the water supply I have now plants just sit there not growing  
> at all
> without CSM+B.)
>
> I'm dumb, but not crazy.  I slowly figured out that if you want to say
> something radical like "everything in balance" then you best not  
> say it
> here.  Even a dumb person eventually realizes that a sledgehammer  
> to the
> head is not a pleasant experience.  I will now await the  
> proclaimations that
> the whole problem was CO2, because that is always the cause of BBA,  
> 100% of
> the time. :)
>
> -- 
> Liz

Once any BBA is growing in the tank it will grow best where the CO2  
is the highest, just like plants do.  But, if you can get rid of what  
is in the tank, then ample CO2 at least tends to inhibit the regrowth  
of BBA.  That's how it worked for me anyway.  I don't know why this  
should be true, but it seems to be.  Incidentally, mine never did  
start on the CO2 diffuser, but it sure moved there quickly.

I'm not wedded to the idea that ample CO2 will inhibit BBA growth  
from starting, but until I see a good argument that it doesn't, and  
the good arguments that it does get refuted, I will continue to make  
this argument.

Vaughn H.
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