First time using Diy co2 for Angelfish tank

[Galactik]

I just wanted to see if I could get some pointers on my current setup , particularly on the DIY co2.

I currently have very few plants and wanted to have a hand at adding a little co2 to see if it would help balancing the tank and supplementing their growth a little, no big expectations.

With that said, I am currently using a 3 liter bottle with 2 cups of sugar, a ginger bread cookie and brewing yeast (higher alcohol tolerance for longer lasting production). I have stuffed a little cotton at the end of the line for smaller diffusion and also put a cut bottle to serve as a chamber to trap the co2 to prolong its contact with water.

What I'm not very clear on is how much surface agitation is good and also the positioning of the co2. - currently I have it right under the HOB outlet.

I kept reading about sponge filters not being good in conjunction to co2 due to off gassing so I have removed mine to reduce it.

Is there anything you'd change or do differently for a diy setup? Anyone else running or have run a similar setup?

 

[FESHMAN]

I think that's good enough for what you're doing. But one thing to keep in mind you'd want to cut off the gas during the night after the lights are off. Because plants consume oxygen and produce CO2 at that time and you may risk the chance of suffocating the fish

 

[BIG-G]

You can either stop the co2 at night or just add an air pump and stone on a timer to run opposite or you lightning.
To gas off Co2 at night if that is a concern.
I use a diy Co2 on a 75 with two 3 liter bottles. I refresh them alternately
I’m probably producing about 1 bubble per second and I don’t have any air stones or stop the Co2 at night and I have never had any problems.

 

[Galactik]

You can either stop the co2 at night or just add an air pump and stone on a timer to run opposite or you lightning.
To gas off Co2 at night if that is a concern.
I use a diy Co2 on a 75 with two 3 liter bottles. I refresh them alternately
I’m probably producing about 1 bubble per second and I don’t have any air stones or stop the Co2 at night and I have never had any problems.

You just have the airline straight into the tank? Have you noticed a difference?


Thank you all for the comments!

 

[BIG-G]

I have my line running to the air intake of a power head. The power head pumps water from the tank and the Co2 into a diy diffuser, which is a section of 2” pvc filled with small Bio balls and hung vertically beside the tank.
The water and Co2 enter the top and exit the bottom and returned to the other side of the tank. I also dose several different things and use fert tabs also diy.
This has been running for approximately two years.
At first the tank was beautiful and very lush . I had plants pearling every day.
As time passed and I got lazy on the maintenance the fluctuation in Co2 levels brought on a pretty nasty black beard algae and the tank doesn’t look as nice today.
I’ve actually been thinking of tearing it all down and starting over

 

[BIG-G]

 

[BIG-G]

With plants they will only reach their maximum growth rate if all their needs are met.
Light, fertilizer and Co2
Now the word fertilizer is just a word to represent the food and chemicals plants need.
There are several different chemicals and elements that make up the total of what a plant may need, but that’s another discussion.

If you limit any of the three the plant will not grow as fast as it could.
But by dosing Co2 and assuming your light is adequate the limiting factor would be ferts, and this works with the other elements.
You can have tons of light and ferts but limited Co2 and the growth rate will be reduced.

I only bring this up to point out that you may add Co2 and you may get an increase in the growth rate, but it may only be marginally improved.

 

[Galactik]

Thank you again! That helps immensely.

Also beautiful tank!!!!!! Whoa!

I hear you on the BBA, that's some really difficult stuff.

In the past after trying everything under the sun, the only thing that actually worked was introducing some siamese algae eaters in conjunction to black mollies. Then feed very little for a few weeks.

I had them devour my bba infestation on a 20g tank. After that, I only kept the siamese algae eaters as I liked their behavior and dont seem to put up that much bio load in comparison to the mollies.

I'm actually considering adding them to this tank as well.

 

[BIG-G]

Thank you again! That helps immensely.

Also beautiful tank!!!!!! Whoa!

I hear you on the BBA, that's some really difficult stuff.

In the past after trying everything under the sun, the only thing that actually worked was introducing some siamese algae eaters in conjunction to black mollies. Then feed very little for a few weeks.

I had them devour my bba infestation on a 20g tank. After that, I only kept the siamese algae eaters as I liked their behavior and dont seem to put up that much bio load in comparison to the mollies.

I'm actually considering adding them to this tank as well.

I have Siamese algae eater in the tank I also have bristle nose plecos so I feed the plecos Zucchini, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and the algae eaters eat with the plecos and won’t touch any of the algae! Lol

 

[Galactik]

Hah , yeah they have to be hungry for that to happen. I learned that the hard way. They get spoiled fast haha