[GSAS-Member] First night with CO2; nothing seemed to change, but also no fish are dead

[Matt Staroscik <matt@wrongcrowd.com>]

I set up my CO2 system to deliver 1 bubble per second at 9 PM. Not having a
reactor yet, I fed the output into my Fluval canister filter. There was a
small burp every 30 minutes but the filter didn't seem troubled. I am sure I
am not getting the best efficiency but next week I will have a better
diffuser and a drop checker.

I use RO/DI water for the tank and keep cuttlebone in the filter. (I know I
don't really need RO/DI water but it's awfully convenient the way I have it
set up. Using tap water would be more work.) Before CO2 injection started,
at 9 PM the tank was pH 6.8 and 3 dKH.

At midnight lights-off, the pH reading was still 6.8, maybe a tiny bit less.
This corresponds to 14 ppm CO2, assuming that any CO2 dissolved at all and I
am not seeing some other buffering screw up the relationship. I have a lot
of wood in the tank and have heard that tannins screw things up.

Is 3 hours enough time to bring the tank to a new steady state? It seems
strange that pH didn't change, but my test kit only runs in 0.2 pH unit
divisions so I could have dropped a full tenth and not known it.

I guess I was expecting to see SOMETHING change. Time to get out the pH
meter from the old reef equipment box, I guess! Perhaps 1 bubble per sec
just isn't enough gas for my setup's efficiency.

MS
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