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CO2/pH Drop



Noel wrote:  >>>Even though I haven't created any sort of CO2 reactor
yet, I believe that
I'm getting too much CO2 in the water. My bottle seems to put an almost
continuous stream of bubbles (through the air stone), and I've heard
that
I shouldn't go any lower than 1 every second or two. If I didn't have
the
stone I imagine it would be several bubbles per second. I also notice
that
my pH by the end of the day has gone from 7.0-7.1 (my normal tank pH) to
6.6.>>>

If you're getting a .4 or more pH drop from a DIY CO2 reactor, my guess
is that your water is quite soft.  A Tetra GH/KH test kit for $6 will
sort this out for you.  The solution may be as simple as adding enough
baking soda to raise the KH to 3 - 5 degrees to reduce the pH swings to
a tolerable level.  My fish do fine with a daily 0.4 pH swing.  I try
for a bit less than that.  I leave the CO2 running all the time.  

Cheers, Steve Dixon