Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V6 #173

[Paul Krombholz <krombhol at teclink_net>]

    * From: Andrew McLeod <thefish at theabyssalplain_freeserve.co.uk>
   
> .....I must admit I cannot see that working, unless you have a lot 
> of time to spend, but if you want a far more effective CO2 producer, 
> simply burn a candle or similar in a sealed enviroment (a jar), 
> which should provide much better conversion of the oxygen.

It takes me about 4 minutes to fill up a plastic garbage bag that can 
supply three fifteen gallon tanks or one seventy five gallon tank for 
two days.  It takes about 45 minutes to pump all the air out of  the 
garbage bag into the tank or tanks.  With a tight fitting glass 
cover, the supply of CO2 is good for about two days.  See the Krib, 
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/mouth.html   
for a diagram of  the arrangement for pumping the air out of the garbage bag. 

I have read that a resting person produces as much heat energy as a 
100 watt bulb.  That sounds like it is in the same ballpark as the 
candle, although, with the candle, you probably could get a higher 
percentage of CO2.  Actually, even 1% CO2 still works pretty well, 
and in ordinary breathing, people put out  3.5 to 4.0% CO2.  I get 
CO2 levels between 20 and 25 PPM in my tanks right after pumping the 
air from the bag in.  




--
Paul Krombholz in sunny, cool central Mississippi