Too much co2 is really bad

[danie1]

Hi I tried my hand at a diy co2 system ordered a little nano diffuser off ebay to use with a bottle and yeast.

I set up a 2 liter bottle with 2 cups sugar and half teaspoon of yeast and some warm water screwed the cap on 30 Min's later the pressure had built, There were thousand of bubbles poring out the fish whet crazy plainhg
I thought yaaay it works and my plants are going to turn really lush and big:c12:

I went to bed and woke up to find all my fish floating on top of the water gasping, the neons had lost all their colour, my shark was dead and loaches were floating, my heart sank I couldn't believe it I had just f**ed up :14:

Did a big water change and they all seem to be getting their colour back.

Guess my dad was right sometimes you can try to hard and try to do to much!

I just wanted everyone to know how easy it is to over dose on co2
(as quite a few article said it was almost impossible to over dose with a diy co2 system)

Will just stick to testing the water from now on and leave all the technical stuff to the pro's

Co2 NEVER AGAIN (will just by new plants if they die)

Thanks for reading guys

[gm72]

Don't give up on CO2 just yet. It really is the only way to have an "award winning" planted tank. Let's get some advice for you on DIY systems first then try again!

[Lady Hobbs]

I had the same experience twice......both my fault. The first time I woke to 10 dead fish. The second time I caught them in time but another hour would have been it for them, as well.

When I set the bottle up, I left the airline too long into the bottle and it touched the solution. Bad move. The airline should be in the bottle only an inch and not go into the solution at all.

The second time, I had the bubbler too near the filter tube. This sucked the solution out of the bottle.

Too bad mistakes but both my fault.

[A340]

One of the easiest solutions without getting into dosing/overdosing is to take the CO2 diffuser at night and drop in an airstone with air pump overnight.

More expensive CO2 systems have regulators on them so you can control how much CO2 is pumped into the tank and at what times.

[gm72]

Right. I think a lot of folks run CO2 during the day and an air pump at night. Plants actually produce CO2 at night.

[A340]

Plants actually produce CO2 at night.
Plus the CO2 from your reactor and voila, overdose!

[gm72]

Right, that's what I was thinking but didn't obviously complete the thought. Thanks for the finish! :19:

[A340]

Right, that's what I was thinking but didn't obviously complete the thought. Thanks for the finish! :19:
That's what friends are for ... thumbs2:

[danie1]

Right. I think a lot of folks run CO2 during the day and an air pump at night. Plants actually produce CO2 at night.

Think thats what I did wrong turned the lights out then went to bed with the bubbler diffuser at full steam ahead.

After a bit or reading before attempting DIY CO2, I made sure not to have airline near the solution and made an allowance for the mixture to bubble.
I might try a smaller bottle farther down the track (Wayy down the track) my poor fish need a break after going through a fish in cycle then this DIY debacle.

I have a 25 gallon tank and used a two litre coke bottle and a little glass diffuser It did look good poring out tiny mist like bubble.

For future reference is there a way to measure Co2 levels?

Ps thanks for the reply's
I mainly posted to let other NOOBs like me know
things dont always go according to plan!