Diy Co2

[Vimmer]

Ok so I had been having nitrate issues in 36 bow front. First thought cut the feeding and deep vac. Helped but fish (6 varieties tetra) started picking on snails, shrimp and occasionally each other. Nitrates still rising from 20 ppm to 40-60 in two days.

Took feedings up a hair to stop the violence and added few more plants; no significant change.

Two weeks ago I added a DIY CO2 setup; two bottles setup 5 days apart, brewers yeast and raw sugar with wood diffusers(bamboo chopsticks) set up under filter return. Diffusers work great, maybe 1/15 bubbles is of a size that it approaches the current and it's gone by time current pushes it down/ across 5".

Within days root production took off on wysteria and amazon sword. PH is still above 7.4 but plants seem to be taking in nitrates better as getting four days before nitrates climb above 40.

I am assuming this is all normal and can't wait til March trip to calgary to pick up more plants.

[Frogfish]

Sounds like you're making progress, replant your stem plant cuttings to further increase your plant biomass until you come buy my plants in March. I'll even label the bag Vimmer and put in an assortment of plant species from my 36g bowfront lol.

I don't have a lot of experience with diy CO₂ but for the short amount of time that I used it before going pressurised it never had any significant effect if any on pH. Honestly I don't think the diy did much of anything for my set up.

[Vimmer]

I noticed root growth on any visible root plants almost immediately. Java fern, amazon sword, wysteria and a scarlet temple plant I had to fix to tall rock to get adequate light to it.

Definitely needing more plants in there but please no duckweed. Jokes aside tho wanting one more mid ground/ centrepiece plant(thinking an anubias) small ton of java moss and dwarf hair grass and some floaters.

For now is a low light tank tho plan on buying a shelving unit and setting up a small rack with the 36 as a centrepiece with a 20 on each side of it and 5 10's on shelf above, and sump underneath. Contemplating a small aquaponics bed as sort of a prefilter to the sump and source of strawberries for kid's endless appetite throughout the winters. When I set the shelf up plan ATM is to use a 5 meter led strip/ shelf which would triple lighting the tank is getting now or more. Then I'll pretty much have to go pressurized but thought I'd give the yeast thing a try now to boost the plants in there.

Learned the hard way I can't use liquid co2 substitute with invertebrates in the tank so this was next option. Missed deal of a lifetime on co2 kit out here just before Christmas but had to make sure everyone else got their presents. Milwaukee regulator and 5 lb tank for $40. No solenoid but I switch the light from daylight to lunar every night so adding turning tank off at night and back on in morning wouldn't have been a problem. By the time I knew everything was covered and I could spare the jingle it was sold.

[ocd]

Ive go ta reef background and I love the use of the solenoid on the regulator, with the accompany of a ph probe and controller its a feature that when dialed in help make husbandy effortless. I would run the effluent though my Macro algae and that would scrub the co2 and raise the ph.

[Vimmer]

Ok diy co2 update and question of safety. Noticed my check valves were gumming up with crud and changed set up. System is now two 1l mixtures into a T then into seperator and out into another T leading to two seperate wood diffusers(AKA chopstick whittled and sanded). Now when left to their own for a few hours the CO2 is nice steady fine bubbles out of one of the diffusers. If given a little shake the co2 will come out of both diffusers. Both mixtures and seperator are stored above water line. Anyone see any explosive yeast mix or siphon issues? After the check valves sticking I knew I needed a seperator and thought this would be good way to cut them out altogether.