# Pressurized CO2 and what dry fertilizes should I get



## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

So I will be going pressurized with co2 soon and I will be using an aquatek regulator along with a 20 oz paintball can for now. What IM wondering is to start off how many bubbles per second should I start with.? I know it will be trial and error just looking for a starting point. Also what dry ferts should I get and which ones are essential . Right now I am using weather iron nitrogen potassium track flourish and excel and I know dry ferts will be cheaper. When I measure phosphates as far as I can tell I have,none or they are not detectable. Do I need magnesium calcium ect? Also which test kits are definitely needed. As right now I use API master kit and their phos test kit. Do I need any others? I have been reading on dosing regs and am understanding that but if anyone has tips or pointers im all ears. Thanks again jeff


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Master Test Kit, + PO4. If EI dosing, you really don't need to test, but for beginners, it is interesting to measure to get a feel for what the ferts are doing.

bbs, depending on tank size, 1-3bbs is a good starting point. Get a dc, set it up correctly, and us that in combination of watching fish for gasing, to dial in bbs. You need good watermovement in the tank, and a good difusser. (gla atomics and be done with it)

Dry ferts. You need 5. ~ 25-35 bucks for over a years worth of dry ferts.
aquariumferts.com
greanleafaquarium.com

csm+b (micros)
kno3 (no3)
kh2po4 (po4)
iron chelate (iron)
k2so4 (P )


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You can skip iron if you wanted. CSM+B does contain iron. Personal pref. Mag/Calc should be in sufficient quantity in your tap.


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

I have a diffuser similar to this will this be good











Awesome guys thanks a bunch now to shop and really watch the plants grow


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

That diffuser may or may not be good. If you already have it, give it a shot. Tiny bubbles are almost not enough, think micro tiny bubbles. Best case, you see the diffuser making bubbles, but no bubbles actually make it to the surface. Second, you must circulate the co2 rich water around the entire tank.


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

yea i have that diffuser. It is making anywhere from tiny micro bubbles to to bubbles roughly 1mm. The 1mm ones are easy to tell they are bubbles and go to the surface rather quickly. I have just taken it out a couple hrs ago and did a bleach and toothbrush clean and also ran higher pressurized air thru it with my air compressor. It cleaned it out and gave me a little more micro bubbles but the 1mm are still there. 

I have a hang on the back filter so i placed the diffuser right under the intake so it could gather the bubbles and chop them up thru the impeller. My only question is with having a hang on the back filter and going into the impeller would it give it more of a chance to dispurse into the air since it is not a sealed system. 

Last but not least if all else fails what diffuser do you guys reccommend?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I use an atomic diffuser. You can get one from Greenleaf.com


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

x2 on that gla.

Try having the bubbles feed into a powerhead. 1) it'll break up the bubbles more, 2) it'll move the bubbles around and keep them under water a bit longer. 

I'm using this method right now. But believe I'll have to splurge for the gla atomic's soon.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I have all atomics. Putting diffusers directly under HOBs always seemed a little silly to me. What you gain in diffusing the CO2 more, you have to loose by it being so close to the water returning back to the tank. Anything churning your surface will cause your water to loose CO2. If it were me I'd look into getting a small powerhead (nano type even) and placing it just above where your bubbles are headed to the surface to push them through the tank. You have to have good circulation anyway and a simple HOB may not cut it - for CO2 anyway.


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## jbrianchamberlin (Aug 31, 2009)

I have a question about my bubble wall. Should that be turned off while my co2 is running? I suppose I can have it connected to the same timer. I have a power head for circulating the c02 and my filter dumps water below the surface. My only concern is the bubble wall. I'd like to leave it running at night when the co2 gets shut off. Is that a bad thing?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

jbrianchamberlin said:


> I have a question about my bubble wall. Should that be turned off while my co2 is running? I suppose I can have it connected to the same timer. I have a power head for circulating the c02 and my filter dumps water below the surface. My only concern is the bubble wall. I'd like to leave it running at night when the co2 gets shut off. Is that a bad thing?



Generally yes, you'd turn off any bubbles while CO2 is on. It will make the CO2 escape the water. You could use it at night or when the light is off, but that is as much as I would use it.


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

Ok so an update. I took your advice JR and bought a power head from Aquatech. The flow it produced seems to be a bit much for the plants in the tank
so i had a plastic vacuum hose (clean) that i used for my car and inserted it in the intake to reduce the volume in turn reducing the flow per minute. I put the diffuser directly
under the intake and as all have stated it chops those bubbles to pieces and makes a nice mist of co2. I added this on thursday and i can already tell my plants are in heaven.
My aponogeton on the right is the biggest and greenest it has ever been. It is constantly sending up shooters and i am now constantly chopping it off. The hornwort is like a 
growth factory now i constantly trim it every few days. I added the rotala only a few days before the power head but it is in pristine shape as well. I no longer am getting hair grass, 
dead leaves, algea or any of the constant i sores from before. Basically my regimine consists of this:
-1.5 or so bps from my PB co2 with aquatek solinoid
-dose the tank with iron, nitrogen, flourish comp, trace, potassium, excel per seachems schedule
feed sparingly 1x a day or 1x every 2 days
-i am now running 4x26watt daylight 6500k cfl bulbs from 8am-7pm with 12pm-2pm siesta (no more unsightly algae on the glass)
-co2 and powerhead turns on a 8am and off at 7pm (figure less current so the fish can get a good nights sleep..haha)

Now i just need to buy my dry ferts and mix to save money

Now my only other agenda----increase the tank size..yet again..lol. wife will not be happy on that end. I guess my basement wil have to become my water oasis like many of you guys


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