A couple of questions that i am still confused about..

[xaznkewlguyx]

I have scanned through the sticky and still am confused about some things..

Now.. i know i do not need this co2 but I am hoping that it will help these plants grow faster..

1st.. my friend gave me this pressurized co2 bottle and i am still a little confused on how to use it. He told me to fill up the bubble counter and plug it in. but there are 2 other knobs that i can turn that i need to know what they do.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n22/chunghoang921/help009-1.jpg

I circled both of them. I need to know what the knob i circled in blue does and the knob i circled in red does since both of them turn.

As far as using this co2 goes all i do is fill up the bubble counter with some water and put the diffuser into the tank? Anything else i need to know?



2nd... what is surface agitation?

This is what threw me off:

CO2 is easily gassed off. It is very important that with CO2 injection that you do not have any surface agitation, or bubblers.



3rd... I have an air pump with an airstone running 24/7. Do I need to turn the airpump off while the co2 is being injected and at night when the plants are no longer photosynthesizing do i turn on the airpump and off the co2?


The Set-up:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n22/chunghoang921/help001.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n22/chunghoang921/help002.jpg


There are a total of 4 of those bulbs on the tank but i only turn on 2/4 most of the time.

the set up is filtered by a fx5 and it does have a powerhead in there since the fish like the flow.

I am currently not using any kind of fertilizer nor do i have any type of subtrate that contains fertilizer.



Any help would be appreciated. As well as suggestions and opinions.

[jcardona1]

hey,

firstly, im at work and i cant see the pics you posted, so if possible, could you post them as attachments? that way i could see what youre talking about and provide some better answers.

#1, cant see the pic so cant help you with this one! for the bubble counter, dont use water in it. this is fine, but it will evaporate very quickly. its best to use some mineral oil in there as it pretty much lasts forever and its easier to count the flow of bubbles because it has a thicker consistency. you can get it at any walgreens or pharmacy for a few bucks.

question #2: surface agitation is any movement at the water surface. this is what is normally caused by air stones, HOB filters, or any other water moving device that causes current at the top of the water. you wanna keep this to a minimum as co2 is gassed off by any surface agitation. this will defeat the whole purpose of injecting co2 into your water as it will quickly gass off into the atmosphere. some slight surface movement is good, but try to avoid anything too strong. for example, an HOB spilling to the water surface about 2" below is an example of too much surface agitation.

#3: yes, you should turn it off when you are injecting co2. this goes along with #2 above. the water movement will gass off the co2 you are injecting. in fact, you really dont need an airstone unless youre running DIY co2 where you cant shut the flow of co2 off. in this case, youll want to have an airstone on a timer to come off after the lights go off when plants stop going through photosynthesis and start using oxygen rather than producing it. when the lights are on, plants are going through photo., using co2, and giving off o2. but when the lights turn off, they stop using co2 and start using o2, along with your fish. if the co2 is still flowing, and plants/fish are using o2, and you dont have an airstone, you could lose some fish due to the lack of o2.

since youll be injecting co2 via a pressurized setup, you can simply set your co2 solenoid on a timer so that co2 flow stops when the lights turn off. your plants/fish will use o2, but there wont be any extra co2 in the water because the solenoid will be off. normally, you wont need an airstone but this depends on your plant and fishload. if you see your fish gasping at night, then youll need an airstone.

as for your lighting/substrate/ferts, this all depends what type of plants you want to grow. what type of lighting do you have, how many watts, and what is the Kelvin rating on the bulbs?

the powerhead will be fine. poweheads are good in planted tanks as you always want water flow. good water flow around the tank can help deter some types of algae as well as avoid dead spots in the tank where crud can build up. just make sure the flow is not pointed at the surface and causing too much agitation up there.

hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions :)

[oOMO3NOo]

the blue knob is going to be what controls your bubbles per second (BPS) once you have the liquid in and the reg presure set (red knob) you can tighten or loosen the BPS screw to get the amount of co2 you want in your tank. i cant remeber what you want your reg presure set at if i remeber or run across it ill post again. hope that helps

[xaznkewlguyx]

hey,

firstly, im at work and i cant see the pics you posted, so if possible, could you post them as attachments? that way i could see what youre talking about and provide some better answers.

#1, cant see the pic so cant help you with this one! for the bubble counter, dont use water in it. this is fine, but it will evaporate very quickly. its best to use some mineral oil in there as it pretty much lasts forever and its easier to count the flow of bubbles because it has a thicker consistency. you can get it at any walgreens or pharmacy for a few bucks.

question #2: surface agitation is any movement at the water surface. this is what is normally caused by air stones, HOB filters, or any other water moving device that causes current at the top of the water. you wanna keep this to a minimum as co2 is gassed off by any surface agitation. this will defeat the whole purpose of injecting co2 into your water as it will quickly gass off into the atmosphere. some slight surface movement is good, but try to avoid anything too strong. for example, an HOB spilling to the water surface about 2" below is an example of too much surface agitation.

#3: yes, you should turn it off when you are injecting co2. this goes along with #2 above. the water movement will gass off the co2 you are injecting. in fact, you really dont need an airstone unless youre running DIY co2 where you cant shut the flow of co2 off. in this case, youll want to have an airstone on a timer to come off after the lights go off when plants stop going through photosynthesis and start using oxygen rather than producing it. when the lights are on, plants are going through photo., using co2, and giving off o2. but when the lights turn off, they stop using co2 and start using o2, along with your fish. if the co2 is still flowing, and plants/fish are using o2, and you dont have an airstone, you could lose some fish due to the lack of o2.

since youll be injecting co2 via a pressurized setup, you can simply set your co2 solenoid on a timer so that co2 flow stops when the lights turn off. your plants/fish will use o2, but there wont be any extra co2 in the water because the solenoid will be off. normally, you wont need an airstone but this depends on your plant and fishload. if you see your fish gasping at night, then youll need an airstone.

as for your lighting/substrate/ferts, this all depends what type of plants you want to grow. what type of lighting do you have, how many watts, and what is the Kelvin rating on the bulbs?

the powerhead will be fine. poweheads are good in planted tanks as you always want water flow. good water flow around the tank can help deter some types of algae as well as avoid dead spots in the tank where crud can build up. just make sure the flow is not pointed at the surface and causing too much agitation up there.

hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions :)

now i just need to know what i need to set my reg pressure and BPS at.

so.. just to be on the safe side, i should turn on the air pump at night?

there we go..

[xaznkewlguyx]

the lights..

[jcardona1]

ok cool. that looks to be like a Milwaukee or Azoo regulator, not too sure. as stated, the red knob is for your working pressure. its recommended to use about 10~15psi of working pressure. with these lower quality regulators, people say the have issues with the needle valves being finicky (blue knob). so, its best to increase the working pressure up to about 25~30psi. the needle vavles tend to work better at higher psi levels for milwaukee regulators even though Milwaukee recommends somewhere along the lines of 10~15psi.

as i mentioned, the blue knob is your needle vavle. this is what controls the actual flow of co2. a good starting point is anywhere between 2~3bps. you will have to fine tune depending on your how your plants/fish react. there is not set number. its all depends on your individual setup.

tank looks good btw! looks like you have some java fern and some type of anubias? if so, these plants usually dont need co2 injection to grow good, but im sure theyre gonna flourish in there!!!

[jcardona1]

what size tank is this?

[xaznkewlguyx]

ok cool. that looks to be like a Milwaukee or Azoo regulator, not too sure. as stated, the red knob is for your working pressure. its recommended to use about 10~15psi of working pressure. with these lower quality regulators, people say the have issues with the needle valves being finicky (blue knob). so, its best to increase the working pressure up to about 25~30psi. the needle vavles tend to work better at higher psi levels for milwaukee regulators even though Milwaukee recommends somewhere along the lines of 10~15psi.

as i mentioned, the blue knob is your needle vavle. this is what controls the actual flow of co2. a good starting point is anywhere between 2~3bps. you will have to fine tune depending on your how your plants/fish react. there is not set number. its all depends on your individual setup.

tank looks good btw! looks like you have some java fern and some type of anubias? if so, these plants usually dont need co2 injection to grow good, but im sure theyre gonna flourish in there!!!

Thanks!! the tank is a 130,

Okay this is probably a noob question but i've got all of the knobs closed, I have never worked with this kind of thing and i want to do it right the first time.

so..

i fill the bubble counter with some kind of mineral oil and then plug it in. There are 2 gauges, one is what is left inside the tank and the other is PSI, i should set that to 25? I assume i would be adjusting it with the blue knob?

On the gauge.. there are 2 diff sets of numbers. the inner number which goes from 0-140 and the outer which goes from 0-10.

I am assuming i have to go by the inner number since the outer maxes out at 10?

as for the red knob, what should i do?

So i'm going to get 2 different timers, one for the lights and co2 to turn on and off. and the other for the air pump to turn on when the lights and co2 go off?

Does everything sound like they are in place?

[grim7989]

set the red knob any were between 10 and 30 psi and the blue knob you will slowly turn till 2 to 3 bubbles a second go through your bubble counter

and the numbers 0-10 are for a different forum of measuring its in bar

[jcardona1]

Automated Aquarium Systems™ Presents...

Operating the

"MA957 CO2 Regulator"

http://www.automatedaquariums.com/mw_ma957a.jpg


Operating Instructions for the Milwaukee MA957



CYLINDER CARE: Secure cylinders so that they will not tip or fall.


Inspect the cylinder valves for damaged threads, dirt, oil, or grease. Remove dust and dirt with a clean cloth.
DO NOT ATTACH THE REGULATOR IF OIL OR GREASE IS PRESENT.
Oil and grease in the presence of oxygen is EXPLOSIVE!

Crack open the cylinder valve for an instant to blow out any foreign matter in the throat of the cylinder.

Use Teflon tape on the threads of the cylinder before attaching the regulator. Failure to do this can result in the loss of gas!





REGULATOR ATTACHMENT AND USE:
Attach the regulator to the cylinder valve placing the supplied plastic o-ring (not shown) between the regulator and the tank. Tighten with a wrench. Omission of this o-ring will cause loss of gas!

Unscrew the large brass ring (G) from the Bubble Counter (H) and fill the bubble counter 1/2 full of fresh water. Be sure the needle valve (B) is closed before filling with water. Once filled, replace the brass o-ring (G).

Before opening the cylinder valve turn the regulator adjustment knob (E) counter clockwise until tension is no longer felt on the knob. Do not fully remove the regulator flow adjustment knob. IF THE CYLINDER VALVE IS OPENED WITH THE REGULATOR KNOB CLOSED, DAMAGE TO THE REGULATOR CAN RESULT!

VERY SLOWLY and CAREFULLY openthe cylinder valve COMPLETELY to seal the cylinder valve packing. The amount of gas in the cylinder can now be read on the High Pressure Gauge (D).

Plug the solenoid (C) into a suitable, grounded, AC Wall outlet, Hanna pH Mini Controller (http://www.automatedaquariums.com/h_981411.htm), or Milwaukee SMS122 pH Controller (http://www.automatedaquariums.com/mw_s122.htm). The solenoid uses slightly more then 6 watts and it is normal for it to feel warm during operation.

Open the needle valve (B) by turning counter-clockwise.

Turn the adjustment knob (E) clockwise until you get a reading on the Low Pressure Gauge (F) of approximately 10lbs on the outside set of numbers (use the numbers on the top row). You should now see bubbles in the counter.

Unplug the Solenoid (C) from the wall or controller and unscrew the compression fitting and pass the air hose through the fitting and attach the tubing to the nipple (A). Be sure your tubing fits tightly on the nipple and that it is pressed all the way down. Slide the compression fitting onto the nipple and tighten.

Plug the Solenoid (C) back into the wall outlet or pH Controller unit and adjust the bubble count on your reactor using the needle valve (B). Fine tuning the count can be accomplished with either the needle valve (B) and by adjusting the regulator output pressure with adjustment knob (E) as discussed in the pevious step. The more you increase the pressure as indicated on the low pressure gauge (F) the more difficult it will be to fine tune your bubble count using needle valve (B). Therefore it is more desirable to keep the pressure indicated on the low pressure gauge (F) low and adjust your bubble count using the Needle Valve (B).

[jcardona1]

the info above should answer most of your questions. as for the timers, yup, three timers sounds good.

set the timer for your solenoid to come on 1hr before your lights go on, and turn the co2 off 1hr before the lights turn off.

also, you should do some research on drop checkers if you havent. you can get them on ebay for about $10 and its a genius little device to monitor your co2 levels. just be sure to use 4dkh solution in the drop check as opposed to plain water as the instructions say. when you read up on these, youll see what im talking about :)

[xaznkewlguyx]

oh man... you are a great!!

thanks for the help bro!

[xaznkewlguyx]

do you think i will see a significant growth on my plants using this co2 system rather then without it?

[movitt]

you should

[jcardona1]

no problem, youre welcome! and yeah, youll see faster growth with co2 as opposed to w/o it!

[xaznkewlguyx]

when my airpump goes off and my co2 goes on, will that harm my fish?

[jcardona1]

theoretically, no. when your co2 comes on, the lights will come on afterwards and plants will begin consuming the co2. this is where the fine tuning comes in as you need to adjust your bps to get the right levels of co2.

and you do this by relying on the drop checker. a green color in the drop checker means your co2 levels are good, which is currently considered to about 30ppm of co2

[oOMO3NOo]

another thing you can do besides a drop checker. although it is a really good thing to have is just watch your fish. if they start gasping for air thats to much co2 and you should lower your bps you will notice this resonable fast. i would not recomend this if you have expensive fish. but thats what i do in my planted tank that only has neons and i have not had any problems yet. naturaly you will need to be very carful if doing it this way but it will work. i know people that do this will expensive and difficult fish to keep like discus. so just another option if your running low on cash.

[rye]

what kind of reactor do you have?

[xaznkewlguyx]

man.. i ran around town today trying to find this co2 drop checker but no where around here had one.. not even petco or petsmart..

i guess i'll have to resort to ebay.. sucks that i have to wait 3-4 days for paypal to clear and then another 3-4 days for shipping. :(

[xaznkewlguyx]

okay guys.. i plugged it in for my very first time just right now..

i opened both knobs to where there is no more tension. opened the valve and then the pressure on the tank went up but i do not see any bubbles in teh bubble counter.

is something wrong here?

[jcardona1]

you have to adjust the needle valve to get the flow going...

[xaznkewlguyx]

ahhh i got it working now. :)