# Co2 recommended for 75g



## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

Just a quick question

What would be the recommended dosage for a 3/4 planted 75gallon tank bubble count wise.

I am using a Fluval Co2 88 pressurized kit. Right now the bubble count is about 1 for every 2 sec because I intend to leave it overnight and don't want to overdose and kill my fish. But don't know if that is enough for my plants.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

you really can't tell by bubbles. its good to use as a rough starting point, but there's more than just plant load to take into account. Surface agitation is a major one, type of tubing used (and age of it), diffusion method, tank flow, types of plants, and lighting levels make it vary quite drastically.

Your best bet is a drop checker on the opposite side of your co2 diffusion. Its delayed response though, so after a few hours you do a slight adjustment then wait again a few hours.

Btw with a tank your size you'll want to invest in something like this: 88g BB Gun Air Tank Adapter for your set up It'll let you use a refillable paintball cylinder, much more cost effective than disposables.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Yes, it will be very costly running the Fluval 88 on a 75g planted !

Rob: Do you know a local store to get one of those adaptor.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

Sorry i am new to this co2 and plants, what is a drop checker?


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

CO2 Drop Checker | KH Standard - 4 dKH

easiest way to explain it  You fill it with a reagent, it turns green when your co2 is optimal, yellow when its too much, stays blue if its too low. SOmeone on this site might be sellin the reagent cheap

gordon, you can try goin to a paintball shop and asking for a 88g (3oz) disposable co2 cylinder adapter


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

but you can also buy it at any aquarium supply store correct? how much are they usually around


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

as for the nice glass ones im not sure where you can get them locally

You can get CO2 Indicator probably at a few places.

The one i use i bought off a member on the planted tank who makes them himself. $20 for 2 shipped and everything.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

alright thanks for your help nevens, I will try to figure out where to get a drop checker and indicator like you mentioned.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

try phoning aquarium's west, they shouldn't be too far from you


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Pat (Mykiss) has access to drop checkers and all kinds of CO2 equipment. For a tank this size, I wouldn't even consider messing around with Paintball stuff. A 5 or better a 10 lb with a CO2 atomizer or reactor and you'll be good for 6 months at a time and you won't have to lift a finger. I am always of the opinion that CO2 should make your planted tank life easier, not generate more work. But of course YMMV and you may like doing all tweaking.

What are you trying to achieve in this tank? ie, how much light are you using, what kind of substrating, any dosing scheme and what kind of fish is in your tank? If you don't need CO2 why even mess with it? Providing us with that info will us to give you informed advice instead of trying to provide a generic answer.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

Yea I know I agree 2wheels I want to make my planted tank life easier but the CO2 system I have now will seem to be quite expensive in the long run.

What I am trying to achieve is a good dosage for my plants so i don't have to worry about my fish dying or if it is enough CO2 for my plants because this CO2 system doesn't have a shut off valve I plan to leave it overnight as well.

I am using a Coralife Dual bulb one is a 10k bulb and the other is a Actinic. I leave it on about 12hours a day. Yes i know it is a saltwater light fixture I didn't realize until about a month later after its been at home and decided to check the box as no one at the store told me.

I am using ECO complete, the black substrate i bought about 40 plbs of it and was thinking of doing only half my tank so right no the substrate covers about 70% of the tank the other 30% is just gravel, but that 70% is all massively planted with the CO2 system right behind it. 

And no i don't use any dosing method as it is complicated only thing you might consider is that i use equilibrium, but other than that i don't have any of those other supplements. As i think it can be quite expensive to buy all those chemicals. I keep guppies endlers and lots of fry in this tank.

This is my first planted tank prior to this I used the tank for Koi fishes which got to big so i put them outside in a pond and decided to go with small fishes.

It will also be good if someone could meet up with me give me some tips and advice maybe check out my tank and help me out a bit because I am a complete newbie and getting more confused every time i go on this forums.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

So it's 2x96w? I would just pull the actinic as it's not doing anything for your higher order plants, but it may cause an algae problem. I would also cut the light back to 10 hours max and run a solenoid on the CO2. 
Getting dry ferts from Pat would be as cheap as dirt. 
Can you post a pic of the tank? That would help too.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

honestly i do not know if its a 2x96w it does not say anywhere lol

yeah i heard that i nee to cut back on light but I will try for 10hours now

Here are a few pics of my tank


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If there some reason you don't want any plants on the left? Based on your lighting levels, with zero plants on the left, you'll have nothing but algae problems over that side. It would be better if you thinned out the taller plants on the right and planted them in a grouping on the left as background plants to shade the area a bit.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

yeah there is no substrate there to plant lol i tried to buy some but they sold out checked few other stores and it is quit expensive so i left it for now and there is alot of baby fish in there wouldn't want to kill them by adding new substrate.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Specialized substrates are not required for plant growth. I have a tank full of plants in plain gravel and a second one in quartz sand. I have a tank full of Florabase growing nothing at the moment.  Specialized substrates just make the growing easier, sometimes a lot easier, depending on the substrate, but are not strictly required.


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## couch (Apr 22, 2010)

Put your lights on a timer and if you get a solenoid you can put that on the timer as well so you are running CO2 only when your lights are on. This will extend the time that your CO2 tank lasts (up to twice as long) and your plants aren't able to use it anyways. 

I would talk to Pat or Charles at Canadian Aquatics for this stuff. In addition you will see complete CO2 set ups in the classifieds every once in a while. On average an entire set up will go fro around $200.

Good Luck, Rich

PS 2x96w just means - 2 bulbs in the fixture and each bulb is 96 watts.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

Oh damn I did not know that, i always thought you needed the right substrate to be able to plant anything 

@couch - does pat or Charles have a store i could come by?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Please email us at [email protected]

You can PM Charles and Pat (Mykiss) here on BCA also.


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

alrighty will do


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## deocare (Mar 17, 2011)

everyday learn something new lol just as confused as when i started hahaha


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