c02 and a 180 gal tank

Hello all,

I have a 180 gal tank using the following equipment:

1. Trickle filter using twin rio 500 gph pumps. Dual overflows and
returns.
2. 240 watts of fluorescent lighting on for 11-12 hrs per day on
timers.
3. Fully automatic c02 system with Milwaukee regulator and twin gauges,
solenoid, bubble counter, needle valve, and Milwaukee sms ph controller.
5lb bottle of c02.
4. Using a reactor 1000 mounted under the tank and driven by another
small rio pump.

My water parameters a

Ph – 7.9
Temp – 79 F
Gh – 280 mg/l
Gh – 50 -60 mgl

My questions are as follows:

1. If I set the controller to 7.0, does the bps calculation still
apply? Or is this only for smaller tanks or those w/o a controller? I
have the bps at 3-5 bps currently. Can I just crank open the needle
valve and let the solenoid take over (doesn’t sound like a good idea
though)? I plan to leave the c02 on 24/7.
2. How long will it take to bring the ph down to the desired level
(7.0)? A week, month, days????
3. I have the reactor 1000 mounted horizontally. Any issues with that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have learned a lot from reading
previous posts, but most have smaller tanks.

Thanks much,

Gerry.


--
gerryd

I'm not familiar with the automatic set-up, but you'll notice the pH begin
to drop in a short amount of time... I would say you'll probably be to your
pH goal within a day or two at most.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"gerryd" wrote in message
...

Hello all,

I have a 180 gal tank using the following equipment:

1. Trickle filter using twin rio 500 gph pumps. Dual overflows and
returns.
2. 240 watts of fluorescent lighting on for 11-12 hrs per day on
timers.
3. Fully automatic c02 system with Milwaukee regulator and twin gauges,
solenoid, bubble counter, needle valve, and Milwaukee sms ph controller.
5lb bottle of c02.
4. Using a reactor 1000 mounted under the tank and driven by another
small rio pump.

My water parameters a

Ph - 7.9
Temp - 79 F
Gh - 280 mg/l
Gh - 50 -60 mgl

My questions are as follows:

1. If I set the controller to 7.0, does the bps calculation still
apply? Or is this only for smaller tanks or those w/o a controller? I
have the bps at 3-5 bps currently. Can I just crank open the needle
valve and let the solenoid take over (doesn't sound like a good idea
though)? I plan to leave the c02 on 24/7.
2. How long will it take to bring the ph down to the desired level
(7.0)? A week, month, days????
3. I have the reactor 1000 mounted horizontally. Any issues with that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have learned a lot from reading
previous posts, but most have smaller tanks.

Thanks much,

Gerry.


--
gerryd

This is a late response, but better late than never I guess.

I have a 135 gallon tank with controlled CO2. In principal, two bubbles per
second, if really absorbed by the tank water, is usually enough to get your
tank to where you want it. Of course the surface circulation and the number
and size of your plants will affect the loss of CO2. But if you are not
disturbing the surface water too much (possibly a single spray bar 3/4 inch
below surface), you needn't supply more bps than this. The highest bubble
count really is capped by how much waste you see in the form of large CO2
bubble not being diffused into the water. So watch your diffuser, and see
how much wasted CO2 you get coming out of the diffuser as large bubbles.
This should inform your judgement as to exactly how much flow you can have
before you are not really diffusing anymore. At a 2bps rate, you should see
Ph go down fairly quickly. I'd say you'd get your tank to the proper CO2
level within an afternoon or so.

Bottom line: 2 bps is probably enough depending on how fast the CO2 leaves
your water.

-Bruce Geist

http://www.wideopenwest.com/~brucegeist
etc
"gerryd" wrote in message
...

Hello all,

I have a 180 gal tank using the following equipment:

1. Trickle filter using twin rio 500 gph pumps. Dual overflows and
returns.
2. 240 watts of fluorescent lighting on for 11-12 hrs per day on
timers.
3. Fully automatic c02 system with Milwaukee regulator and twin gauges,
solenoid, bubble counter, needle valve, and Milwaukee sms ph controller.
5lb bottle of c02.
4. Using a reactor 1000 mounted under the tank and driven by another
small rio pump.

My water parameters a

Ph - 7.9
Temp - 79 F
Gh - 280 mg/l
Gh - 50 -60 mgl

My questions are as follows:

1. If I set the controller to 7.0, does the bps calculation still
apply? Or is this only for smaller tanks or those w/o a controller? I
have the bps at 3-5 bps currently. Can I just crank open the needle
valve and let the solenoid take over (doesn't sound like a good idea
though)? I plan to leave the c02 on 24/7.
2. How long will it take to bring the ph down to the desired level
(7.0)? A week, month, days????
3. I have the reactor 1000 mounted horizontally. Any issues with that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have learned a lot from reading
previous posts, but most have smaller tanks.

Thanks much,

Gerry.


--
gerryd