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DIY CO2 for 65g?

3K views 17 replies 3 participants last post by  car0linab0y 
#1 ·
Would the typical DIY reactor (2-liter bottle) be enough, not enough, or too much for a 65g? Right now I'm running two 65w twin-tubes and two 30w T8's both 6500k, but plan on upgrading the T8 fixture to another twin-tube.
 
#2 ·
I'd be concerned over so much light over the fish. Is there a reason? This is more than double what I have over my 115g and full of plants I still have some algae. Not to mention the intensity of the light that will affect the fish.
 
#4 ·
No it doesn't, but the numbers speak differently.;-)

I have to toddle off to do my water changes now, but maybe you could post the tank dimensions (length, width & height) and the length of the respective tubes. Also, just confirm if they are all T8 or T5, and if T5 are they HO or NO. The plants you have are all moderate light requirement, and if that is Vallisneria CO2 will not benefit it.
 
#6 ·
In my view, the two 36-inch T8 30w tubes will be more than sufficient. I have one 25w 30-inch tube over my 33g which is also 36 inches long though only 12 inches wide, and it is adequate. For the plants you have, I would not have more than these two tubes, in a 6500K full spectrum. With two tubes you could have one full spectrum and one cool white (slightly more blue). I like this combo when I have two tubes.

I certainly would not use the other lights in addition. As for the CO2, if you go down that road, then I would rethink what I've said above. I am not familiar with the (new) T6 lighting, I saw it mentioned somewhere only the other day, can't remember if it was a magazine or plant forum; anyway, 65w is a lot of light intensity, and I would have to research it before I could suggest it as suitable with CO2. I tried the T5 HO 54w last year, and took it back because it was too bright; went back to T8 40w and my fish are much happier.

Byron.
 
#8 ·
Originally I had just the 2-bulb T8 fixture, and my plants were dying faster than they were growing. They are doing much better with the added T6's, so might I be better off with just thoseand getting rid of the T8's?
Before I can answer that, I need more info:
What fertilizer do you use, and how often and how much?
What are the plant species?
How long is the light on daily, and it was then the same full spectrum 6500K?
How often do you do a water change, and how much water is changed?

I was engaged in a discussion with Tom Barr (a plant guru as he calls himself, whose name you probably know) on light and he made the statement that with a natural (low-tech) setup one should always start with the least amount of light that will grow the plants, and then balance that with sufficient nutrients. This he says avoids algae issues, which only occur due to light, not nutrients as some think. My own experiences bear this out to be sure.

I have plenty of evidence as to the detrimental effect of bright light on fish health. Both from my research, and my own tanks. This was the reason for my use of low lighting (as some would consider it), and while there are some plants that do not do as well, I avoid them. If you take a look at my tank photos under "Aquariums" I think you will agree that the plants are thriving. Aquarium plants do not require the high amount of light that some would have us believe; they do not have it in their natural habitats, so why should they need it in the more perfect (to them) environment of an aquarium where the light is constantly "good".

Anyway, that explains why I persist in less light. It also saves a lot of money--running tanks eats up electricity, so cutting the light in half is significant from that aspect too.

I'll hopefully be able to suggest possible causes for the plant demise with the above info.

Byron.
 
#11 ·
First two pics are the bottoms of the two original plants. With the low light they were growing pretty much straight upward, and and as fast as the new leaves could sprout at the top, the lower leaves would die off. Once I added more light they started to grow outward. The third pic is the tops of the first two.
 

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#12 ·
That leaf shape is due to low light, so that answers the question of light. I'll have to look into these T6 tubes. Could you give me the name of the T6, manufacturer and any info you can, so I can look them up online and see what I can find out?
 
#13 ·
That leaf shape is due to low light, so that answers the question of light. I'll have to look into these T6 tubes. Could you give me the name of the T6, manufacturer and any info you can, so I can look them up online and see what I can find out?
They're Coralife brand "square-pin" style CFL, 6700k. Don't know why I was thinking 6500k.
 
#15 ·
Some people swear by excel as a way to get rid of algae.

Personally, I've never done it, and have always kept algae by tweaking the system a bit.
Before you run out and buy stuff, have you tried shortening the length of time the lights are on?

Do you have any 'cleaners' in your tank? (I use snails.)
 
#16 ·
Some people swear by excel as a way to get rid of algae.

Personally, I've never done it, and have always kept algae by tweaking the system a bit.
Before you run out and buy stuff, have you tried shortening the length of time the lights are on?

Do you have any 'cleaners' in your tank? (I use snails.)
That's the thing... originally I thought I had a CO2 issue, then I was told it was low light, now I'm being told CO2. No matter how long the lights stay on I get algae either way tho lol. I'm probably getting some nerite snails. I just need to know for sure if it's the carbon or lighting route I need to go before I add my next plants.
 
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