| Equipment Aquarium Equipment - Discuss equipment to help setup your planted aquarium. |  | |
11-12-2008, 11:26 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 512
Plant Points: 54550 | Re: Interesting question? Quote:
Originally Posted by Minsc I keep my house at 55 and wear a sweater 'cause I can't afford heat. I raise my bps slowly until the plants stop showing CO2 deficiencies and the algae starts dying. | How do you know your plants have CO2 deficiency? |
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11-12-2008, 12:50 PM
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#2 (permalink)
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Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 513
iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 34315 | Re: Interesting question? Quote:
Originally Posted by ray-the-pilot How do you know your plants have CO2 deficiency? | It varies from species to species. Rotalas will often become stunted and not display good coloration.
Toninas develop necrotic tissue and melt, especially the expensive ones
From what I have seen adding CO2 to the water is only half the story though. Without a decent rate of turnover, and a well layed out flow pattern, it is possible to have enough CO2 in the water column to kill fish, and still have carbon starved plants. |
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11-12-2008, 01:15 PM
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#3 (permalink)
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Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portland, Or
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iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 34315 | Re: Interesting question? On the topic of pH controllers:
The main benefit of a pH controller that I can see is that it will change the amount of CO2 added to the tank based on demand. After a major pruning, there should be less demand, and the controller will add a smaller amount of CO2. When the plants grow in, the controller can add more CO2 to the tank in order to maintain a constant pH.
Whereas, those of us who count bubbles, if we don't manually change the bubble count according to plant mass, it is very likely there is a gradual shift downwards in the available CO2 as the plants grow in, and a spike after a large pruning. Does this cause any problems? It is quite possible.
So, using a pH controller certainly has benefits, so why not use one?
With a pH controller, the bubble rate is higher than if CO2 were run constantly. If there is ever a malfunction of the controller or the probe, the solenoid sticks open, or if the alkalinity of the tank goes up, the system may very well blast the tank with CO2 and kill all the fish. That shouldn't happen on a manual system with a good needle valve. |
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11-12-2008, 03:01 PM
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#4 (permalink)
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Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ames, IA
Posts: 831
iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 50000 | Re: Interesting question? Quote:
Originally Posted by Minsc On the topic of pH controllers:
The main benefit of a pH controller that I can see is that it will change the amount of CO2 added to the tank based on demand. After a major pruning, there should be less demand, and the controller will add a smaller amount of CO2. When the plants grow in, the controller can add more CO2 to the tank in order to maintain a constant pH.
Whereas, those of us who count bubbles, if we don't manually change the bubble count according to plant mass, it is very likely there is a gradual shift downwards in the available CO2 as the plants grow in, and a spike after a large pruning. Does this cause any problems? It is quite possible.
So, using a pH controller certainly has benefits, so why not use one?
With a pH controller, the bubble rate is higher than if CO2 were run constantly. If there is ever a malfunction of the controller or the probe, the solenoid sticks open, or if the alkalinity of the tank goes up, the system may very well blast the tank with CO2 and kill all the fish. That shouldn't happen on a manual system with a good needle valve. | I think many don't use controllers because they are not necessary and its just another cost. I don't find much change in CO2 concentration after a pruning, at least a noticable one. I find the manual way to work fine and very simple. Once I set the bubble count, i will normally just leave it until the tank is empty. |
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11-11-2008, 09:42 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Sandpoint, ID
Posts: 162
iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 14800 | Re: Interesting question? Quote:
Originally Posted by ray-the-pilot What is the right “bubbles per minute” to set your pressurize CO2 system at?
That is the same thing as saying how much oil should I burn per day to keep my house warm?
Well I think you should set your thermostat at 68 deg and your house will be comfortable and you should set your CO2 controller at green to blue green and your CO2 will be great | Great for you - perhaps. Great for others - How exactly are you leaping to that conclusion?
My house is very comfortable at 62. (I have a high metabolism.) and my tanks do wonderfully at yellow-green. (My plants have...a... high... metabolism? That can't possibly be right! ALL plants grow the EXACT same rate, and have the same uptake demands, no matter what conditions are!)  |
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11-12-2008, 11:22 AM
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#6 (permalink)
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Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 512
Plant Points: 54550 | Re: Interesting question? Quote:
Originally Posted by Indignation Great for you - perhaps. Great for others - How exactly are you leaping to that conclusion?
My house is very comfortable at 62. (I have a high metabolism.) and my tanks do wonderfully at yellow-green. (My plants have...a... high... metabolism? That can't possibly be right! ALL plants grow the EXACT same rate, and have the same uptake demands, no matter what conditions are!)  |
I never said that my rate was right for everybody. I said it was right for me. How do you know that your rate is right for your fish and plants? Especially how do you know that it is right for your fish? Are they breeding? |
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11-12-2008, 11:36 AM
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#7 (permalink)
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Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ames, IA
Posts: 831
iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 50000 | Re: Interesting question? You know when the rate of CO2 is right when the plants are growing well and when the plants are not negatively affected. Fish show CO2 stress easily by gasping at the surface.
The idea is to have as much CO2 in the water, without harming the fish.
Plants won't show a CO2 deficiency, they will just grow much slower. CO2 is often the most limiting nutrient (carbon) in a closed aquarium system and when it is supplied, as we all know, we se an increase in growth rate.
Last edited by helgymatt : 11-12-2008 at 01:03 PM.
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11-14-2008, 01:42 PM
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#8 (permalink)
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Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ames, IA
Posts: 831
iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 50000 | Re: Interesting question? They were maybe making a recommendation based on you're tank size. All tanks will require different amounts, bubbles per second, or whatever you want to call it. |
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11-14-2008, 05:05 PM
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#9 (permalink)
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Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 808
iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points: 43300 | Re: Interesting question? I wish my fish would stop breeding.... I am about to be swampped... |
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