[sprmankalel]

Quick stats

50 gallon
5 Angels
8 Black Neon Tetras
3 Albino Corys
5 Otocinclus (one turned up that I thought was dead)
1 Columbian Shark

Flourite substrate
6 Flourish Tabs
FlorinMulti
Stopped dosing Excel about 1-2 weeks ago
Stopped dosing Iron about a week ago

On the 13th I did a 50% water change I dosed with 5ml FlorinMulti (non since) and today I used 5ml FlorinAxis.

While using the Excel this stuff was gone. I mean eradicated. I was dosing Excel at 5ml daily. I noticed that some of my stem plants were melting from the bottom up. I stopped dosing and these plants are stronger but this stuff is back in full force.

I bought a phosphate test because I read that too much phosphate was a contributing factor. So I was curious.

My current readings:

pH 7
Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 10
Phosphate 0

Lights T5HO
6700k 39w
10,000k 39w
On a timer for 12 hours

Feed every other day. I watch that not much goes down. Every 3 or 4 days I feed 1 Aqueon Bottom Feeder Tablet but less flakes. Once a week I feed freeze dried bloodworms.

Water changes are every 7-10 days.

What am I doing that is allowing this stuff to be in my tank? I am sure that a co2 injection will be advised but I will not be buying an expensive system. I am not working and will not be allowed to spend that kind of money. I know DIY is hard for big tanks but do I really need to go full force with it? Considering that I set up a 10 gallon tank to house my betta using some of the clippings from the big tank I now have this stuff in there too. Not as much as the 50 gallon but it's still there.

There are pictures here http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/beginner-planted-aquarium/make-go-away-376714/
I am begging for input.

 

[baz2126]

Quick stats

50 gallon
5 Angels
8 Black Neon Tetras
3 Albino Corys
5 Otocinclus (one turned up that I thought was dead)
1 Columbian Shark

Flourite substrate
6 Flourish Tabs
FlorinMulti
Stopped dosing Excel about 1-2 weeks ago
Stopped dosing Iron about a week ago

On the 13th I did a 50% water change I dosed with 5ml FlorinMulti (non since) and today I used 5ml FlorinAxis.

While using the Excel this stuff was gone. I mean eradicated. I was dosing Excel at 5ml daily. I noticed that some of my stem plants were melting from the bottom up. I stopped dosing and these plants are stronger but this stuff is back in full force.

I bought a phosphate test because I read that too much phosphate was a contributing factor. So I was curious.

My current readings:

pH 7
Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 10
Phosphate 0

Lights T5HO
6700k 39w
10,000k 39w
On a timer for 12 hours

Feed every other day. I watch that not much goes down. Every 3 or 4 days I feed 1 Aqueon Bottom Feeder Tablet but less flakes. Once a week I feed freeze dried bloodworms.

Water changes are every 7-10 days.

What am I doing that is allowing this stuff to be in my tank? I am sure that a co2 injection will be advised but I will not be buying an expensive system. I am not working and will not be allowed to spend that kind of money. I know DIY is hard for big tanks but do I really need to go full force with it? Considering that I set up a 10 gallon tank to house my betta using some of the clippings from the big tank I now have this stuff in there too. Not as much as the 50 gallon but it's still there.

There are pictures here http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/beginner-planted-aquarium/make-go-away-376714/
I am begging for input.

Your light is on for too long 12 hours is way too much turn it down to 8 hours as for the c02 buy a 2 litre bottle fill 1\4 with sugar add a tea spoon of bi-carbonate sodium and then add Luke warm water to 3/4 full. Buy a Co2 Stone and pipe connect the pipe to the stone then put a hole in the bottle cap for the pipe to go through glue around the hole and you have yourself your very own Co2 dispenser just give it a little shake every month until it stops releasing gas and then replace ingredients inside.

 

[tankman12]

+1 on the diy co2. My method is 2l bottle, 2 cups of sugar, than fill it with warm water, and 1 tea spoon of yeast. I replace it every week 2 keep a constant flow. Also u could get 3 siamese algae eaters (the true ones), they will eat all the algae.
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[sprmankalel]

The DIY co2 will be done. I'm going to scale the lights back. Bad thing is we are leaving for a 3 week trip to Europe. I had sometime coming in to feed and dose fertilizer. I'll set up co2 when I get back. When I do do I want it to run 24-7 or am I going to have to take it off at night?
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[baz2126]

The DIY co2 will be done. I'm going to scale the lights back. Bad thing is we are leaving for a 3 week trip to Europe. I had sometime coming in to feed and dose fertilizer. I'll set up co2 when I get back. When I do do I want it to run 24-7 or am I going to have to take it off at night?
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Run it 24 hours if u do the method I stated u should have to renew it every 2 months

 

[sprmankalel]

Today I made my DIY co2. It has been roughly 5 hours since I set it up and I haven't seen any bubbles. I took a 2L bottle and used 2 cups of sugar with a 1/2 tsp of yeast. I have the 2L airlined to a 16.9oz then the small one into the tank. Before adding the yeast to the 2L I took some lukewarm water (about 90 degrees) and mixed it up and let it sit about 10 minutes. I got so excited about setting it up that in one I mixed the sugar all the way but in the other I didn't. Hoping in the morning I will see some bubbles.

 

[sprmankalel]

Let it overnight. No bubbles coming into tank. I took off the small bottle and will be going directly from the 2L with mixture into tank. I do have a check valve on it. I am thinking that the small bottle might not have been airtight as when I pulled the tubing out there was no force needed. I did silicone the tubes all around. I am allowing the silicone to dry for a few hours on the 2L bottles before remaking solution. Hopefully this will work.

Will pH drop have a negative effect on fish? I am thinking that it won't drop that quickly.

 

[corina savin]

Silicone must be cured for few days, not just hours...I am pretty sure that CO2 is leaking there.
If all connections are properly sealed, the bottle (yeast and sugar) sholuld be firm (like a full, unopened Pepsi bottle). If its soft when squeezed, other than a leak, you can have a dead yeast.
What is your diffuser?

 

[sprmankalel]

I wrapped the lid with airline with electrical tape. I also added up to 1tsp of yeast. There are bubbles on the top of the mixture. I guess that now I'll have to let pressure build up.
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[corina savin]

Can you send a picture of the setup?

CO2 under pressure will escape thru the weakest point. I believe that to be where tube enters the bottle.

 

[sprmankalel]

These are the bottles. I removed the check valves and have the tube going directly from the valve to the tanks. At the end is just an airstone. In the small tank I did see some bubbles coming out every few seconds. I am at a loss.

 

[corina savin]

The green bottle is a bit too full.
Try to squeeze (very gentle) the other bottle, while watching the airstone. See if it translates into bubbles. Will give you an idea if the CO2 is escaping along the way. Carefully when you release the squeeze, water from the tank might come into the yeast bottle.
I did DIY CO2 a while back. Drill several bottle lids, the diameter just a bit smaller than the airline. I had to dip the airline in hot water (to soften it) and pass it thru the hole. Applied aquarium silicon around the tube, on both sides of the lid. Let it cure for at least one day. Very gentle when you screw in the lid on the bottle. I used a ceramic disc (need quite a bit of pressure) but got bubbles 3-4 hours later. I find that no matter how careful I was, the silicone breaks (un-stick) from plastic after few uses. What's worse: you have to start with new drilled lids, new airline because new silicone does not work on old silicone.

 

[sprmankalel]

When I squeeze it bubbles do go into tank. I am not sure what the issue is. I thought that there was too much space and I filled the bottles even more.

Getting frustrated.

 

[sprmankalel]

Ok. So I just emptied the bottles a little. I re-capped them and shook them. Tons of bubbles came out. Hopefully a steady stream will start soon.
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[sprmankalel]

I took the green bottle and put crazy glue around the air line after I drilled a small hole in a new cap. I started getting bubbles. So there actually was a leak. I siliconed it on the top and bottom of the cap. Now I have a steady stream of very teeny tiny bubbles. I will let it dry and put more on tomorrow. The clear bottle is a different story. The lid on that is not the one that came on it and I didn't know that when you tighten it it doesn't stop. It will continue to turn. I will be replacing that bottle.

 

[corina savin]

I'm glad to hear you have CO2 into the tank. Now, watch for a slimy growth on your stone. I don't know what it is, but I always got it with DIY. Dip the stone in Excel (don't need to stop), it will come out.

 

[sprmankalel]

Is it possible to see effects of co2 on plants in 24 hours?

 

[j dizzel]

don't think that's possible but I've have DIY CO2 down to a science. get rid of all that glue and tape. drill a 3/16" hole in the bottle top as straight as possible. feed 100% silicone tubing through the hole. the tubing must be cut on a 45 degree angle at the tip for ease of threading. the seal will be tight for months to come. once every 6 months create a new seal by extending the tube and cut to desired length. never had a leak in years. make a bubble counter add a check valve and grind the bubbles up into a thousand pieces using an inexpensive in tank filter. its all on u tube for more details.

 

[sprmankalel]

I think I will put a bubble counter and check valve back on. I think the whole thing was that it was leaky. I got rid of the tape and I currently have the airline into the bottle cap and it is siliconed to the hilt. I am getting bubbles but am not sure if I can get more but something is better than nothing. They're steady and tiny and don't make it to the water's surface. They seem to pop or enter the filter intake prior to reechoing the top. My problem was that I am impatient and I made the holes with scissors instead of a drill. This probably would have been ok if I waited for the silicone to dry but I didn't. Then I taped it all up which I learned didn't help. I took the tape off and pulled out the drill. Not sure which size I used. I think it was 3/16. It was a smaller hole but I was still leaking. I caked silicone on there and saw bubbles start coming out. I am debating on a 16oz bottle as a bubble counter or the syringe. Only thing is I use the syringe and it doesn't work then the check valve is glued in and therefore a waste. I may just drill 2 new caps for the smaller bottles and silicone them and wait 24 hours for them to dry before assembling.

 

[j dizzel]

sounds good. located the box for the pump that I use as a grinder, its a hagen mini elite $10.00 on ebay. I've found that bubbles from an air stone are way to big and just float to the surface really never defusing into the tank. but on a tight budget it works.