Eskielvr

I'm really getting frustrated at this point. I hooked up my CO2 diffuser. (I have the Hagen Nutrafin one). I have a problem with the suction cups. I took it off all together a long time ago because it kept loosing suction, and then the cups came off the diffuser and wouldn't stay. Well I have 2 suction cups left and last night when I tried to attach it to the tank, they wouldn't stick. I pressed as hard as I could and got the top one to stay, but the bottom one I had to fidget with for a while. Then I couldn't get the bubbles to run along the diffuser, they just kept shooting up to the surface, so in trying to reach the tubing I had to try to unstick the diffuser. Well, that time the suction kept stayed, there was no moving it, and the diffuser pops free from it.

I'm messing with this thing for probably 10 to 15 minutes. If I wasn't having problems with it sticking, I was having problems with the bubbles not moving up the diffuser and in my attempts to fix either it would mess up the other and I'd have to start all over.

I finally got the thing working and bubbles were going all over running up the diffuser like they should. Beautiful site. Now, for some reason they're not going up the diffuser but instead they're shooting straight up to the surface as if I didn't even have a diffuser. I've tried fiddling with it some more and nothing I do keeps the bubbles to go up the diffuser. Then I'd stop and watch. Two bubbles would go up the diffuser, then 2 would go to the surface, then a few would go through the diffuser, and then the rest would all go to the surface. If I keep my finger against it the bubbles will bounce off my finger and into the diffuser but I obviously can't keep doing that. I've messed with the tubing trying to adjust and readjust and nothing.

I'm really getting aggravated at this. What should I do? I never have problems with this stupid aquarium until I try to take care of it. I'm thinking about just forgetting about it, not doing anymore water changes ever like I had been doing and stop fertilizing. When I was doing the latter my tank was running beautifully, I never had sickness outbreaks and my fish all lived a long life and my plants flourished.

I'm so angry at this stupid CO2 thing I want to scream!

Gunnie

Unless you are really set on having specialty plants in your tank, I'd dump the CO2. Problems with the CO2 can result in dead fish, and not worth it IMO. Folks who are really into aquatic plants use it, but if you just want a low maintenance tank with real plants, just get the ones that don't require special lighting and CO2. I'm sorry you put out the expense.

atmmachine816

Left C can help you with this I bet. Are you using the mix that they give you, they are crap and your better off making your own with sugar and yeast. O like Gunnie said be careful check your ph, buy a gh and kh test kit and have a air pump in case you wake up and see your fish gasping for air in the morning to plug in for them.

Eskielvr

I've used CO2 for a long time now and never had a problem with it. I have Amazon Swords and they need a lot of light. If you use 2 watts per gallon or more you have to supplement with CO2. All plants benefit with it regardless, though.

No, Atm, I used my own mixture, filling the canister with sugar to the first line and then adding 1/2 teaspoon of yeast like the guy on the tropical fish forum said to do. George Farmer is his name I believe. I'm getting a much faster bubble count than using the packets that you refill, they're just not going up the diffuser and are just shooting to the top of the surface.


Update: I figured out what was wrong with my CO2 bubbles. There's a whitish fluffy substance that forms occasionally around where the bubbles come out at the end of the tubing. Apparently that's what had happened, clogging my tube and thus, making the bubbles go where they're not supposed to. (Note: the "white fluff" is a normal occurrence when using CO2.

Gunnie

Eskielvr, I have a 10 gallon tank with lighting at 3 wpg and I don't supplement with CO2. The plants are super green and healthy. I don't think the CO2 is always necessary with higher lighting, I think the folks that use it want that rapid growth. Except for the guppy grass, all the plants in that tank grow rather slowly, they're just super green.