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Yeast CO2 Purity



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Don Griffes" <dgriffes at enol_com>
To: "Plant List" <Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com>
Subject: Yeast CO2 purity and Red algae (2 topics)
Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 09:55:17 -0600

I've been using the Yeast method for producing CO2 for around 8 months.

I just purchased a 20lb CO2 bottle from a welding shop and got the needed
regulator and needle valve from various sources.  

What I noticed is the the CO2 from the bottle 'mixes' with the water many
times easier than the 'CO2' produced from the yeast.  I use a homemade
reactor which is just an inverted 1 liter water/soda bottle with the output
of my canister filter entering the top and and leaving the bottom into the
spray bar.  No CO2 escapes the reactor unless it becomes full and leaks
out via the spray bar.  With the yeast setup on the day I renewed the
solution the reactor would become full and stay pretty much full to 1/2
full of CO2.  It would take a long time for the CO2 to 'mix' into the
water.  But with the CO2 from the 20lb bottle the CO2 RAPIDLY mixes into
the water.  

Being the curious type I filled the reactor 3/4 full and within 5 seconds
it had completely 'mixed' into the water.  And my pH dropped about .1 
degree.  This scared and excited me.  I was scared because I can see 
how easy it would be to drop the pH to dangerous levels since I don't 
have a CO2 controller ( I do have a monitor I'm thinking of converting to 
a controller, has anyone done this?).  Even when bubbling 1/sec I can 
watch the pH drop.  When I used the yeast method my pH would
swing from 7.4 morning to 8.4 evening when the yeast was slowing
(KH of 9 dH).  It excited me because I can see if I do get/make a pH
controller I definately can control the pH whereever I want.  And I can 
finally get my pH down around 7.


So back to the Yeast CO2 topic.  
What else is the yeast putting off besides CO2?
If it is only CO2 why doesn't it mix as easily and smell differently?
(temp?)


On to red algae.  I had been fighting with Red algae for 3  months or so.
I searched for SAE's but the closest I came was false SAE's which I 
purchased 3.  They along with the black mollies did seem to tug on and
consume some of it but not much and it was growing rapidly. Finally I got
a Nitrate test kit and upon its use discovered that I had 0ppm Nitrate (or
at least not measurable with the kit).  I changed my PMDD to
2 tblspn of KNO3 and 1 tblspn K2SO4 and within 1 1/2 weeks it has totally
disappeared.  Now some type of green algae is growing but it is much 
slower growing and not as much of a problem as the red was.  So if you 
are being infested with red algae you may want to check your Nitrate
levels.

Thanks for all the help people have given my from this list and the
fishroom.

Don Griffes