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Re: DIY CO2 having no effect
Carla wrote:
> Could anyone tell me why co2 injection in a 55-gallon tank would have
> practically no effect on the ph or plant growth? I have 3 bottles going at
> once--two 3.8 liter bottles and 1 half that size. All filled with the usual
> combinations of water, sugar and yeast and bubbling like mad into bell-type
> diffusers. (I've also tried airstones and feeding tubes into the intake of my
> two-biowheel wet/dry system.) The only surface turbulence comes from the two
> biowheels, but it's hardly a ripple. All tests look good (nitrate, ammonia,
> and nitrite not detectable; only phosphate is high, but I just added a pillow
> to bring that down). When I first tried injecting co2, my 7.5-80 ph came down
> to 7, but bounced back up to 7.5 and has been there ever since. What gives?
What is the carbonate hardness of your water? If it is high, the
CO2 will be less available to your plants, and the carbonate will
buffer your pH to remain where it is.
Cathy Hartland