# Seriously silly question about Co2



## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

HOW DO YOU REMEMBER TO USE IT EVERY DAY ? ...LOL...
I get frustrated by the fact that I will be consistent for just a couple of days and then forget it completely for one or two
days. Short of using a whole sheet of paper with the Co2 wrote big on it and taped to the front of the frig....how do
you remember it consistently ? It is Excel, not pressurized Co2.
Having read on here that some say that great results don't seem common with just the directed amount, I got a
syringe which is marked in ml to be sure of the amount used. It says 1ml for a 10G per day so I use 1.25ml of the Excel.
But without being consistent I doubt it to be as effective as it could be.
I'm procrastinating on changing the substrate in there for not knowing if it will be fabulous or a disaster.
Recently heard a reply which said the person had no trouble before but ever since adding Laterite sub that
there has been algae issues in their tank. Great...just what I wanted for mine so I mixed half a bag(17lb) of
Sea Chem Laterite with a 55oz box of API first layer "Pure Laterite" and it's waiting to be put in there.
Could use a suggestion on that also...lots of rooted plants. I believe the bio-filter to be adequate but you know
what happens when you mess/w the gravel too much and changing all of it is messing/w it too much.
I should have said at first that this tank has natural fine gravel for the sub now.
Only thing in there not high tech so let's go 100%...


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Not sure what you mean? Whether a DIY, which I don't turn off, or pressurized, which is on a timer, not understanding your problem.

If you mean Excel, that's not CO2 but a carbon replacement instead. It cannot take the place of CO2 if you needed it.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Well I'm still procrastinating on this new substrate for the bottom of my longest established tank. I've been to landscaping Co's
and took a couple of walks in the forest around here to "collect" a few "things" for the tank but only came up/w a couple of rocks.
No decent pieces of wood yet. Nothing suitable from on-line shops, and it's gotten too expensive to keep trying that.
The local pet chains no longer carry Manzanita wood which is that type you used to see in pictures of bird cages which are
now being used for tanks cause they have frequent branches and are hardwood. E-bay and Aquabid sell it and they are better
than other on-line sources cause they show a picture of the exact piece you will get. But they are all way too big for my ten G.
The Aquascape pictures have wood in them which looks to be limbs/branches of trees/bushes but so far I'm without any
wood for the tank which looks anything like that.
So the search continues as experience has taught me that you plant around the other decorations like rock and wood.
It needs to be put in first and plant the plants around it...so...
But an unexpected treat came my way in the form of a whole week off due to the holiday falling between my days off so
there WILL BE at least one more trip through the forest soon. Will take the camera along/w me and post a couple of "my photo's"
from that trip for you to see a small view of why I stayed here after Katrina. It's 100F here in the afternoon so you can bet
I'll be there early in the A.M. one of the next 2 or 3 days from now.
So far I haven't found anyone who would like to go/w me on one of these "collecting" trips...can't figure why not though for
after all isn't it normal for someone 61 to want to walk through dense patches of shrubs under trees looking for pot holes
in a mostly dried up stream bed in near 100F degree temp and 89% humidity ? When you see the pix...then tell me if you
think it was worth it...yea I know...as long as YOU went and took them, I think there great...LOL...
Please forgive the ramble as it's late and I'm doing this instead of pacing the floor waiting for 5 A.M. to leave to go there.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Very interested in seeing pics from your walk!
I really enjoy Vlekkies DIY post (gymmno background)as it has been a great build,but honestly enjoy the pics from his walks equally!


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Re-scheduled for Tue. morning/w a friend. Likely cut it a bit shorter than it would have been by myself but it's a trade off.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Well I'm glade I made the trade off cause I would still be there in those woods now. Actually didn't do the river I'd first spotted
on the previous trip. And actually didn't find any fish except brim(perch) and what I think were creek chub. A minnow which
is silver on top, has a black stripe down the side and a white belly. The one I caught trying to get a look at them was only
an inch long and could have gone in the tank but I saw more identical to it but about 3 inches long right where I got that one from.
No 3 inch fish in the ten G thank you. In fact they looked quite a bit like Siamese Algae eaters.
But the scenery was addicting. Were it not for my friend whom I brought, I'd still be there.
And so...this is what I drove through all morning.



Walking on this to cross the stream seemed almost criminal...



The first stream I walked this morning.



The rock variety is endless...





This was a common sight...



As was this wall at one side of a stream.



Water clarity is virtually unmatched...one foot of water on top of these rocks...



One more of the places I stopped...



And this one I just looked at "from afar" as I had to climb down 12 ft to a ledge to get this pix from 25 ft above the water.



And most of the pictures were in indirect sunlight as you may have noticed. I was actually there a bit early. Lots of these
would have come out even better if I'd waited till around 11 or so which in some cases is when those spots get direct light.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

So OK I edited one of those from above and added two more that were also edited.


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## Big Dog (May 17, 2010)

Very nice pictures.


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