# CO2 bubbles per second



## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

that's not a good reference. as on my 75 gallon. i running i guess around 10-20 bps.. its uncountable

shoot for a 1.0 ph drop within a 2 hour timeperiod to start. that's safe even if u have fish


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> that's not a good reference. as on my 75 gallon. i running i guess around 10-20 bps.. its uncountable
> 
> shoot for a 1.0 ph drop within a 2 hour timeperiod to start. that's safe even if u have fish


I'm running ~7 giant bubbles per second on my 75g.... No way to tell with this bps thing by counting bubbles.

I built a CO2 sensor that controls my CO2 solenoid. It seems to work great. I'm going to run out of CO2 by monday  but I don't have to worry about bubbles!


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

I have a stream of co2.....250+ml per min which gives me about 60-70ppm.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


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## Rush3737 (Jan 15, 2013)

On my 75 gallon I JUST finished setting up CO2 and have it at about 2bps. It barely trickles out of the diffuser at that rate. Should I take the previous comments to mean I just at least tripple that?


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

You will need to increase the BPS but if there are fish or shrimp or snails in the tank go easy and tweak a little every few days.

I have more bubbles than I can count [gave up at about 15bps] going into the clear housing of the Cerge's reactor that is on the 180 gallon tank but it isn't a stream. Covered tank and sump with a low turbulence Herbie type overflow and loads of surface ripples all the way to the other end of the tank.

Drop checkers are so slow to react I will take pH readings from tank water if I am concerned. I take a pH reading before the gas goes on and every 15 minutes or so after it goes on. Interesting to take water from different areas of the tank too to see how good circulation is overall. That is the starting point, likely there is a more of a drop than that needed for a good CO2 level.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

mistergreen said:


> I'm running ~7 giant bubbles per second on my 75g.... No way to tell with this bps thing by counting bubbles.
> 
> I built a CO2 sensor that controls my CO2 solenoid. It seems to work great. I'm going to run out of CO2 by monday  but I don't have to worry about bubbles!


If only the sensor were mass produced...:thumbsup:


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## Rush3737 (Jan 15, 2013)

Hopefully someone can respond to this in the next hour so I can order tonight and have this shipped tomorrow...

These:
Amazon.com: U.P. Aqua Co2 Indicator: Pet Supplies





I'm assuming the CO2 test solution they are referring to is the 4kh whatever I keep seeing over the forum here?

Edit: Considering I see people here selling the exact same thing with the extra solution, I guess not. Looks like I'll be ordering from here.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Rush3737 said:


> Hopefully someone can respond to this in the next hour so I can order tonight and have this shipped tomorrow...
> 
> These:
> Amazon.com: U.P. Aqua Co2 Indicator: Pet Supplies
> ...


The drop checker will be fine, if you want to purchase that one. The second link does not work, but seems to be moot since you will be purchasing from the forums anyway.

4 dkH reference solution can be made easily if you have access to a scale and some basic measuring cups/graduated cylinders. Or you can go full out with an analytical scale, reagent grade chemicals from Sigma, and made in a volumetric flask


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## Rush3737 (Jan 15, 2013)

Yeah, I read your bit on that in the main thread, and frankly I'd much rather throw $5 to someone from here and know it's done right!


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## Wayne Dwops (Nov 29, 2012)

I'm confused about what to start it at for my shrimp tank. I don't want to gas them. My DIY Co2 on a good day puts out one bubble every 2.5 seconds! PH is lowered from 7.6 to 7.4-7.5 at this rate lol. So yeah, I am upgrading. I'm going to get a drop checker but I just worry that I will start it too high and by the time the drop checker kicks in (I think I read it takes 4 hours? Or possibly I am delirious and recalling incorrectly) everything has died. 

So it looks like the trick is to start it low and check the PH every 15 minutes?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Wayne Dwops said:


> So it looks like the trick is to start it low and check the PH every 15 minutes?


The trick is to start it low and check your livestock, not your pH 

A drop checker can help you get into the ballpark CO2 concentration, but checking your livestock is still the best way.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Watching ur livestock is the best indicator.. barring that once youve done that for a while measuring ph accurately will generally give u the concentration u desire.
With shrimp. Less is widely accepted as better, a lot of them are very sensitive. As far as cherries go, ive never seen that to be true, but they are practically bulletproof


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> that's not a good reference. as on my 75 gallon. i running i guess around 10-20 bps.. its uncountable
> 
> shoot for a 1.0 ph drop within a 2 hour timeperiod to start. that's safe even if u have fish


I totally agree......

Except I'd say aim for a 1.0-1.5 pH drop over the duration of the photoperiod.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

1.5 ph drop is huge
1.1-1.2 is about 30 ppm
1.3 is about 40
1.4 is about 63
1.5 is about 80 i think the more the change in ph the more u step up in co2.
its not .1 ph equals 5 ppm. its increasing in value more than that or this would be a whole lot easier to contrl


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## happi (Dec 18, 2009)

also higher psi produce more co2 per bubble, lower psi and more bps doesn't mean you are adding too much co2, it also depend on the bubble counter and regulator you are using.


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