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Should I add another bottle?

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Rolo 
#1 ·
I have a 130 litre (30 gal) moderately planted tank, using DIY CO2 (2cups sugar, half teaspoon of yeast), the CO2 is diffused into an old gravel vac using a powerhead, with sponge at the open end. I have recently moved the spray bar to the bottom of the tank, where it now sprays up against the back glass, there is very little surface agitation.
My PH is constant at 6.8, with KH at 50ppm (2.8 degrees) with 13.3 ppm CO2 according to http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm
I am seeing very little pearling on my plants and although they appear to be growing well, I wonder whether it may benefit to add another bottle?
 
#4 ·
With that lighting, you won't see much pearling at all. As Rolo said, they don't need to pearl to grow healthy. I have a 30gl also and used a 2L soda bottle as well. With the same type of reactor, I got about 20ppm of CO2. If nothing is wrong, don't fix it :proud:
 
#7 ·
Thanks for your replies guys! I'm learning!
Ok, another question for you....
I used a Hagen test kit to measure the PH, 2 tests both indicated a PH of 7.0, KH is 50ppm or 2.8 degrees and CO2 is at an embarrassing 8.4ppm (tested 3.5 hours after the lights came on). I'm confused now as low KH generally means low PH doesn't it? Phosphates are 0.25ppm.
Could my low KH contribute to a swinging PH? And if I was to buffer up the KH using baking soda to help stabilise the PH, would that also raise the PH and the amount of CO2 in the water?
Apologies for appearing so dimwitted about this folks, but chemistry was never my thang!
 
#9 ·
Will said:
Could my low KH contribute to a swinging PH? And if I was to buffer up the KH using baking soda to help stabilise the PH, would that also raise the PH and the amount of CO2 in the water?
I wouldn't worried much of your pH. Rising from 6.8 to 7.0 is not a large swing, and DIY is not the most consistent means of dosing CO2 anyway. When people talk about pH fluctuations due to low KH it is a downward crash, not raising. Could be your mixture just slowed down a bit.

Adding baking soda will build the KH, raise the pH, but it will not add CO2. CO2 lowers pH.

Almost any other fluorescent is better then half actinic.
 
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