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Why are my Co2 bubbles coming in groups of 4?

1K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  Hunt113 
#1 ·
Hello all, in need of some help and I can't seem to find the information online, so I decided to join this forum!
I'm using Nutrafins Co2 system for my 20 gallon tank, been running for 2 days now and at first it was producing around 1 bubble every 16 seconds (I can't remember exactly). Now it's producing 3/4 bubbles every 42 seconds, which is well, pathetic. But the weirder thing is that when it produces more then 1 bubble, they come all at once in say, a group. I don't get why that would be? Would the tubing have anything to do with it?
Going to back to the low amount of bubbles i've seen that the higher temperature the canister is, the more bubbles will get produced and the lower the temperature is, the less bubbles you get. I will admit that being in England this time of year is very cold and the room in which the tank is setup isn't exactly, warm. Does anybody have anyway ways of keeping the canister warm without having to increase the temperature of the room? My parents refuse to keep the radiators on all day, which I understand because it'd cost a fortune. I have currently got the canister sitting on top of the canopy so then the lights keep the canister warm but this seems doubtful to me.
I just want my plants to look lush! Everything just looks a little lifeless :icon_cry:
 
#2 ·
The rate at which your fermentation progresses is going to be directly proportional to the ambient temperature in the room. If it is too cold, you aren't going to have as much activity within the fermentation chamber of your CO2 system. That being said, I wouldn't think that your room is so cold that all fermentation ceases.

Perhaps you didn't follow the instructions of your CO2 system accurately. I know when I did DIY CO2, I had to mix my yeast, water, and sugar just right or else face the possibility of not getting enough CO2 production. I'd do a little research on proper DIY CO2 recipes and try again!

Best of luck,

Charlie
 
#3 ·
Hi Charlie!

Well what your saying is part of my problem, the room is too cold for it to produce enough bubbles per minute, there is activity but you see my main problem is that theres 3-4 bubbles at once then a big 42 second gap. Isn't it on average usually 1 bubble per 1-3 seconds?

When I installed the system I followed the instructions quite carefully so nothing can be wrong there. I did install a check valve though, could that check valve be faulty?
I see no harm in trying other recipes, i'll give that ago later today!
 
#5 ·
Ah maybe! I use Nutrafins Ladder, i've seen a lot of people say it's a rubbish diffuser in that it doesn't let the bubbles diffuse into the water as good as other diffusers can do.
I've ordered a ceramic one of Ebay that should arrive next week, have to see what happens with that.
In regards to the low temperature i've stuck an underwater heater in a bucket with the canister and it's dropped from 42 seconds to 19, maybe this diffuser i've ordered of eBay will bring it down to 1-3 seconds.
 
#6 ·
This is getting frustrating. With putting the canister in the bucket with a underwater heater I thought I solved it and I got a bubble every second, but now it's gone back to about 9bps sometimes changes as well and produces not one bubble but 2-3 bubbles at once every 9 seconds. Is it possible my Co2 tubing is faulty?
Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm stumped
 
#7 ·
I had to go see what the Nutrafin system was. I think its not building up enough constant pressure to allow a nice steady stream of co2. It comes out in burst cause when it builds pressure is releases then had to build up again every 42sec. I think you pay for what you get. Better invest in a pressurized tank. You can get small 9oz paintball tanks with simple regulator won't cost you that much to setup.
 
#10 ·
I've ordered a better diffuser online and should arrive next week. I'm not sure that's the problem though, this diffuser acts as both the bubble counter and the diffuser, you simply plug the tubing into it, just like another other diffuser really.
 
#11 ·
I am not sure why it matters whether bubbles come out at regular intervals or not. Watching ADA videos where all the tanks have pressurized gas I see all sorts of intervals going on. Just count bubbles per minute and once BPM drop recharge the system.

Here is one showing this, see the second tank. Bubbles build up in the crook then 123---123---.
http://youtu.be/V4RS-hOWF9E
 
#14 ·
I cannot get the video to be big enough for me to see the bubble count clearly; but I guess what your saying is true. I just counted the bubble rate within a minute and I got 2 bubbles.
Now i've just got to figure out how to keep the canister warm to actually produce more bubbles, even though sometimes it does them in groups; it's no where near enough to be beneficial for the plants
 
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