[flora]

Hi guys!
I finally have my tank set up. Did it last night. I have a Nutrafin {something like DIY} system for CO2. It has one of those little ladders that the co2 bubbles are supposed to go through. It took 12 hours for me to notice the first bubble. How fast should it be producing CO2? I have also noticed that sometimes the bubbles don't get all the way up the ladder. Sometimes one just sits there, then the next one comes along and clings to the first one making a very large bubble. Is this normal? I don't have a lot of surface agitation but as soon as the bubble(s) do come out they go straight to the surface. It seems that there is only a few bubbles per hour. Shouldn't there be more than that?

 

[trenac]

I can take up to 24 hours to start producing bubbles. Until the ladder gets some gunk built up the bubbles will stick. So both of these things are normal. If Ii remember correctly there is no way to control the bubble count. So the amount of bubbles you get is dependent on the mixture packets. You should however be getting more then a few an hour. It could be that it's only been 12 hours. Give it another day & see what happens.

 

[gheitman]

I use these and what Trena said was right. It can take a day or more for the bubble counter/ladder to allow bubbles to go all the way to the top without stopping. You should get to the point where there will be several bubbles going up the ladder at the same time. One thing you might want to do is check and make sure the lid is on tight but still able to be turned. If the lid isn't tightened down you could get CO2 escaping.

 

[flora]

Thanks, but my next question is, is the time that it takes for the bubbles to go up the ladder enough time for co2 to be imparted into the water column? After the bubbles make it through the ladder they go straight to the top and pop! Is this the way it is supposed to operate? I'm adding excel also.

 

[gheitman]

That is the way it is supposed to operate. You may have noticed that the bubbles are getting smaller as they rise up the ladder. This is because the CO2 is being absorbed into the water. They don't disappear completely though. I also combine the Hagen CO2 setup with Flourish Excel on two of my larger tanks.

 

[flora]

Well,
Being the impatient type that I am, I mixed up my own yeast, sugar and water solution. I put the sugar up to the first level, then added a 1/4 tsp. of yeast, and filled it up to the 2nd
level with water. The bubbles took a couple of hours to start, but my gosh they're coming one right after the other! Do you really need the stabilizer packet? We have well water and it is extremely hard. Sorry for all the questions, but I love this forum. So far everyone has been nothing but helpful!

 

[gheitman]

The stabilizer packet, which can be replaced by pure baking soda when you run out, is needed to make sure that the fermenting process doesn't get out of control and start sending the byproducts of fermentation into your aquarium.