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[APD] Re: Can one just give up?



Sorry to hear about this, that's a shame. But don't give up. Managing CO2
levels with DIY CO2 can be a little tricky in some tanks. Seeing you can't
restrict the flow rate, you could choose to either use a smaller soda
bottle, use a less efficient diffusion method such as a micro bubbler or
glass diffuser, or increase surface agitation to increase the amount of CO2
lost from gas exchange. It's always good to ask what PH the store keeps so
you know how much of a change there is to your tank. You also probably have
a lot of gas trapped under the UGF plates. I used a glass or ceramic
diffuser for some time with DIY CO2 and it was easy to manage CO2 levels by
changing the depth at which it was placed.

Not sure if this is of any help to you, might be worth taking a look at some
parts of it:
http://www.gpodio.com/diy_co2.asp

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio

----- Original Message ----- 

Man oh Man,

Ok.. I'm now 52 today... I have wanted a gorgous planed tank since I was
probably 15 or 16.. so that is a lot of yearning...

I have had fish kill off after fish kill of the last few months...

damn man...

I thought I had it under control.. last water change.. no die offs... no one
looking stressed ( livestock I am talking about) and the plants looking the
best I have ever had!!! I was actually starting to prune for shape!! So
then... I go to the LFS store tonight.. buy 3 Clown loaches... 3 rainbows...
$50! It's my friggin birthday.. so who gives a rip right?

I come home.. carefully add float them..wait 1/2 hour add 20% water... wait
1/2 hour.. add 20% more water.. wait anthother 1/2 hour.. add 20% more
water.. wait another 1/2 hour.. go to release them and the rainbows are
dead... the clowns are looking like they are ready to go... and I am asking
myself if it is worth it to have a planted tank!

Checked the water...
GH 8
Kh 4
Ph.. 6!
Ammonia 0
but get this.. Co2 over 30PPM... I stopped at 20...

Have DYI Co2... going into a RUGF... since doing this the plants have taken
off like crazy....

I should have checked the Ph... but I didn't.. everyone in the tank was
doing well... Kissing Gouramis, Pearl Gourami, Zebra Danios, Rams, Red Tail
shark and cory cat fish.....

KH and GH seems that is should have been high enough to buffer the water so
the CO2 wouln't bring the PH down that far...

So.. I changed 20 % water... with aged treated water ( With Prime) that has
been standing 3 days...water was stored in Bottled Water Bottles..... Pulled
the CO2 off....

Now I have Ph 6.2
KH  5
CO2 still over 30 PPM

So.. old fish still looking great and healthy... new fish gone....(maybe one
clown is going to pull throuh.. :-) )  from I am sure the PH change from LFS
to 6.0 in my tank...

Any advise for a frustrated dumb sh**?

John Van Rees

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