[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Hard water/CO2
I
just set up a DIY CO2 system and now putting it to work, no cut
off vavle
yet.
--------------------
Do you think you NEED such a device? Adjusting the brew mix can
give good results. Check archives for info on venting.
I have an **external** and an **internal** CO2 reactor that
vents to several preset levels if your interested in such a
device and is cheap. No other CO2 set ups can vent like these
units thereby preventing overdosing and/or dumps(with yeats and
Canned gas tanks and add a needle valve to a gas tank set up and
you'll have plenty of protection). And they are cheap:)
Work with yeast and Gas pressure set ups. Yeast set ups tend not
to dump except for the first day or so when they are going fast
then they back off some what and even out for the next week or
two. Too little CO2 is typically the problem with yeast set ups.
The reactors I designed were based around a yeast set up but
proved extremely well suited to nay CO2 source. They are 100%
efficent till you add too much CO2 then they waste/vent/dump it.
-----------------------
I also layed a layer of laterite under my gravel for the
plants. I
found Jobe Spikes with 16-4-5, are these ok to use?
----------------------------
Sure but I wouldn't until later(2-3 months or so)Wait till the
plants get going a little.
-----------------------------
Please help me with my water here are the specs:
Testes today:
PH 7.5 This seams to low compared to
my origal
test of greater than 7.8
Ammonia <.5 These are OK?
Nitrite <.25
GH 23 How do i get this down to 5-8
KH 10 This seams high too
I have well water from south eastern PA.
-----------------------------------------------------
I have a GH in your range(24) but my KH is 7 instead of 10. Not
that big a difference. I have no troubles with my Tap water. It
grows lots of nice plants like the softer waters. Don't play
with the softening issue(s). Folks tell people that that have to
have soft water to grow plants so then they add acid, buy
expensive RO units, deioninize the water and all sorts of nutty
things that are a waste of time and cause more problems.
It's a big old MYTH. Don't mess with it.
So what do you do?
Simple: look at the pH/Kh/CO2 chart. Look at the 10Kh range and
follow over to see what your pH should be for a good CO2 range.
7.5 sounds close to what you want at 10Kh, maybe 7.4 but most
test kits are only so accurate(+,- .2 units and then they are
not close in this range at times). Do not worry about the GH!
Too little is more a problem than too much. Your main concern as
a new plantie is CO2. Use CO2 only to adjust your pH to the
proper range according to the pH/Kh/CO2 table unless you have
real soft tap water(Kh-GH less than 3).
Sounds like your tank has yet to cycle and I would add lots of
plants from the start! Get your CO2 set and get lots of plants.
Don't bug on the KH/GH. Use the gas. Do a water change too.Add
some algae eaters like SAE's, Shrimps, snails,Otto cats etc.
You can find the table on the Krib or on the archives here or G.
Booth's very nice site.
Regards,
HoHoHo!
Tom Barr
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/