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re C02 Measurements
Mike Laflamme wrote
>I currently have a 65 gallon tank with
a wet/dry filter and pressurized C02
>being fed at 15mg/ltr, according to the
gauge. I understand the
>relationship of pH, dkH, and C02. My
pH is 6.8 and my dkH is between 3 and
>4. I also have peat in the substrate,
which Tom Barr informs me will negate
>the pH, dkH, and C02 equation. So, my
question is; if I test with a C02
>test kit what readings will indicate
adequate C02 in the water column?
>Also, what exactly are these readings
telling me?..i.e what readings show
>too low C02, or too high C02? My
plants are doing extremely well, but I
>only see pearling on the upper most
leaves of my plants. It makes me wonder
>if more C02 might be helpful. However,
when I have gone higher than
>15mg/ltr, the pH gets too low.
I have read that the peat will interfere
with the pH/KH/CO2 table and I have also
read that it will interfere with a CO2
test kit as well. If this is true then I
don't know what one is supposed to do. I
do wonder though, if you could take a
sample of your tank water and let it sit
open overnight, could it be assumed that
there was no more than 2 ppm CO2 in the
sample? Then, if the pH difference
between the water in the CO2 injected
tank and the sample taken the night
before is not more than 1, then can one
assume there is less than 20 ppm CO2 in
the tank? In fact in general, can it be
said that if the pH difference in this
kind of test is less than 1 then your
fish won't be in any danger of CO2
poisoning?
Wayne