Re: [GSAS-Member] How would you guys recommend adjusting my setup?

[Matt Staroscik <matt@wrongcrowd.com>]

On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 9:17 PM, Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com> wrote:

> Attachment didn't come through, so not sure what it looks like.


Strange, it was not even an attachment, but a link to a hosted pic. Try the
raw version.

http://leetleech.org/images/93642439425882520562.jpg


> The setup sounds totally right.


You'd leave the photoperiod as is, 10 hrs with the middle 4 at full power?


> Do you use the sponge trick with the reactor as described in the post you
> cite?
>

Yes. And it makes a lot of very very fine bubbles all right. It's a pretty
good hack, though I can hear the impeller "tick" every time it hits a
bubble, all the way across the room.

>
> I find the easiest way to tell if the CO2 injection is working right is to
> take a small water sample from your tank in the middle of the day, plop in
> the usual bromothymol blue pH indicator drops, and note the pH.  Then let
> the sample SIT for a few hours (still with the indicator drops).  The CO2
> should outgas, and the color should change.  You should be able to correlate
> the change on the KH-PH-CO2 chart of your choice.  If the color does not
> change, your reactor isn't working.
>

Good idea.

After trying the new indicator solution in the drop checker, I am now
reasonably sure it's working right (and my standard too). It starts out
blue, and within an hour after going in the tank, it turns green. Per my pH
meter and the magic charts, CO2 should be around 25 ppm which matches.
(Outside of the tank, it eventually returns to blue, too.)

The weird thing is, in the morning, after the gas has been off for many
hours, the drop checker stays green.  I figured the tank should offgas CO2
back down to ambient levels but that isn't happening. I have zero surface
agitation, the filter return is completely submerged, but...

You are entering this in the home show, right?
>

Maybe next year. It's pretty ragged right now. :) My amazon sword is
adapting to growing submersed, and there are more holes in the leaves than
not!

Or maybe that's a nutrient problem. I'm figuring it all out.

Thank you kindly for the reply!

MS
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