Can anybody help with A Hagen Natural Plant C02 system?

[GreenTank]

Hey After using other methods like Excel and Fizz tabs for awhile I got a couple of these Hagen C02 reactors to try out. I added the two packets, the sugar, the warm water, made sure everything was sealed and hooked up right. Its been about 24hrs and I still havent seen any bubbles? How long does it take? How many bubbles per minute can I expect? Any info on this would be great, thanks for any help. I am still planning on getting real pressurized tanks but I cant do it until maybe the new year.

[amanda huggenkiss]

Sometimes you get a dud mixture (probably dead yeast). Many of us have given up on buying the Hagen mixes and making our own. See this thread and this thread for more info. If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find more

[Momotaro]

Ditch the expensive Hagen packets and mix your own. The recipe provided by Anonapersona in this thread:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=10071

Will really do the trick!

Mike

[GreenTank]

hey thanks for the reply. If no bubbles after 24hours is it pretty sure its dead? Also whats better regular table sugar of the yellow cane sugar?

[trenac]

Greentank, after 24 hours I would say that the yeast is dead. The instruction say you should see bubbles between 2-10 hours and the unit will be fully fuctional after 24-48 hours.

Use regular white table sugar.

[GreenTank]

yeah I just checked the expiry dates which are only on the inside of the box. The stuff I bought yesterday was labelled Jan 01/2003.... Ill go out and get some fleischmans tonight.. How much smell do these systems kick up? Is it noticeable? Of only really when cleaning them out?

[amanda huggenkiss]

I only notice a smell when I open the canister to clean it, and then... whew! Not horrible, just a really strong yeasty smell.

[GreenTank]

thanks, Im really starting to think I shouldve just kept on saving and bought a pressurized system. Well Ill get all the other stuff and start again.

[Rex Grigg]

Actually the yeast in the Hagen systems is NOT bread yeast. You will do better with beer or wine yeast IMHO. It's also possible you have a leak.

[GreenTank]

yeah thats the first thing I thought, I double checked all connections and cranked the lid on stupid tight. Any tighter and I think I would have cracked it. When I get some new yeast Im gonna put some teflon tape on the threads to be safe, also I have mini hose zips, which I have used on my cars turbo system, which I will use to make sure hoses are on tight as well.

[m3th0d]

When I first setup my Hagen CO2, it took about two days to see bubbles. It went up to like a bubble every 8 seconds and then it died after a day. Those Hagen packets are weak.

[Momotaro]

Beer or wine yeast will do the trick for you Green Tank. Try that before you go nuts tightening everything up. Those Hagen set ups are pretty tight to begin with. I think the problem was your mix more than the equipment.

Is the Hagen set up on your 68G? 68G with 4WPG and a single Hagen CO2 unit? I am surprised you are not running pressurized!

Mike

[GreenTank]

yeah I am running 2 Hagen cans. I got the Fleischmans today. Added it, now Im getting 1 bubble/second. Do you think I should add a third unit? Yeah pressurized is on the horizon. I had a great tank with extreme growth through the use of hundreds of fizz tabs prior to this. Then I got a bad plant with BBA, I tried the hydrogen peroxide dip, after that the whole tank defoliated over night...its been a couple of months and I have some regrowth, but it hasnt gotten back to where it use to be. The tank went from looking almost magazine quality to a defoliated brown mess with alot of stumps. I almost through out all the plants. I think if I hadnt of had this mess I wouldve gotten the pressurized system, but for now I am trying to see if I can get the growth and get rid of the BBA with the hagen cans.

[anonapersona]

I'm afraid you are throwing away money on these units, and I am a real fan of the Hagen system. But, at 68 gallons, I just don't think you can keep it constant.

Keep the two you have, for one day you'll need to quarantine a fish and suddenly realize that the tank is at a much lower pH than the Q tank and you'll want to ease that stress a bit. [ quickly adding] However, I have to admit that I do not know if a different pH is actually a stress on a fish. High CO2 in a tank without plants might actually be worse. I go down the middle, with a HOB filter with high agitation and a couple of ferns and a Hagen and do lots of waterchanges anyway.

[GreenTank]

I have had some regrowth. Im at about 30% of the substrate covered with plants. Before it was close to 100%. Lots of nice growth. A fluxuating pH will kill fish as it subjects them to osmotic stress. I have already noticed a slight improvement over the last few days. Ill see how it goes. If I can get rid of the BBA Ill look at a pressurized system.