# Weekly excel dosing or DIY CO2



## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

just one thought here: I know that by dissolving co2 you are actually changing the water chemistry. I don't think excel will have an effect on things like pH, but I guess I'm not 100% sure. Because of that, i would say the excel would be a more "stable" way to go, but I don't know if once a week is enough to make a difference. Again, I would guess it would help somewhat.


----------



## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

i would use 2-3l bottles for a tank that size, i have a 2l and a 3l on a 29g.


----------



## McgJosh (Jun 4, 2006)

When I said stable I meant I had found a balance with my plants and light/ferts where I get almost no algae. Im not worried about a ph swing due to co2. 

Do you have any idea what your co2 levels are bsmith? How much light do you have and what differences did you notice when you added co2?


----------



## evercl92 (Aug 15, 2006)

Carbon is almost always the limiting factor for plant growth in an aquarium. Weekly dosing of excel is giving them the ability for growth (just a little bit), but I believe I read that any portion of excel that isn't used within 24hrs essentially becomes worthless to plants. 

Adding 2 2L bottles of DIY will give your plants much more carbon to utilize. That being said, 2 2L should be plenty if you are sticking with a low-tech setup - especially if you route the output of the CO2 into the intake of the canister. 

You don't mention what type and how much lighting you have, nor anything about other fertilizers, so that info would be helpful.


----------



## McgJosh (Jun 4, 2006)

I have 2x18w t5's plus 1 normal output t8. Right now I dose about 4 ml of flourish (just regular flourish, I think comprehensive) and 1/8 tsp k once per week.

My cannister filter output is pointed up towards the surface. Woud it still be beneficial to route the co2 into that? Would I have a lot of bubbles in my tank if I do that?


----------



## evercl92 (Aug 15, 2006)

Any CO2 at all is going to be beneficial. What you are doing now is allowing your plants to grow well for one day, then, basically nothing the rest of the weel. 

I have my canister aim toward (not breaking, just a ripple) the surface, and I have no bubbles (I assume you mean CO2 bubbles). I get 100% diffusion with my pressurized CO2 and my canister. Place an airstone or one of these at the end of the tubing from the CO2 so it's broken up more before going into your canister.


----------



## McgJosh (Jun 4, 2006)

I really want to setup diy co2 now but I have two concerns. One is that the inconsistancy of diy co2 will cause more trouble than it it worth. I think I can make it fairly consistent with 2 2-liters and changing one per week. Is diy co2 fairly consistent with this method?

The other concern is how I can diffuse it without adding another large something in the tank. Can I just run the co2 to the canister filter input without any kind of diffusor or airstone?


----------



## evercl92 (Aug 15, 2006)

McgJosh said:


> I think I can make it fairly consistent with 2 2-liters and changing one per week. Is diy co2 fairly consistent with this method?


yes. when I used DIY, my mixes lasted 3wks, thus i ran 3 bottles, alternating weekly. 2 should work fine though.




McgJosh said:


> Can I just run the co2 to the canister filter input without any kind of diffusor or airstone?


You can, but why put the extra effort on the impeller and chance an air lock? Airstones aren't that big, and if you place it right under the intake of your filter, it won't even be seen.


----------



## McgJosh (Jun 4, 2006)

So I should be okay with just a cheap airstone under the intake?


----------



## evercl92 (Aug 15, 2006)

McgJosh said:


> So I should be okay with just a cheap airstone under the intake?


For a while, until the CO2 dissolves it.


----------



## kunerd (Jul 19, 2005)

one other thing to mention is that you stated you only have time to doese excel once a week. Well i did the whole diy co2 and it was ok for a while but it got old really quick dumping out the bottles and making new yeast mix everyweek. I then quickly dumped it and got pressurized co2 and it was the best investmint i made. Just my two cents though.


----------



## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

McgJosh said:


> Do you have any idea what your co2 levels are bsmith? How much light do you have and what differences did you notice when you added co2?



according to dkh/ph relationship im at ~30 ppm co2, my drop checker is light green in the morning before i turn on the lights and turng dark green throughout the day.

i have 65w over a 29g.

i added diy co2 very shortly after the lighting upgrade, and noticed a rediculous growth surge in all my plants. just for an example....

before light upgrade, co2, ei fert dosing...









and after.....


----------



## wujimon (Apr 22, 2006)

Bsmith, 
Are you for real? That's a huge and drastic change over what you had! I can't believe it! I question it only due to the old picture being slightly fuzzy while the new one is crystal clear. Kinda like those lose weight/acne infomercials of before and after..


----------



## GIO590 (Jun 25, 2007)

The CO2 is very important. If you don't have that, then you can't grow beyond the carbon that comes from fish poop and the little that dissolves into the water from the air and that isn't much


----------



## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I think if you go Excel, might as well combine it with DIY CO2 to get maximum results.

Or else you can:
1. Blow air through a straw a couple of minutes a day into the water, you can get up to 10 ppm in about 10 minutes in a small tank I think.
2. Have tons of water to air movement and churning, so even though the CO2 levels are really low, it'll constantly be replenished as quickly as your plants use it up. <-- it should work theorectically, but I could be wrong.

CO2 is very important! Excel is just not real CO2 but a substitute... a very expensive substitute that is. But it does work effectively.

So what works best is either DIY CO2, or DIY CO2 + excel.


----------



## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

wujimon said:


> Bsmith,
> Are you for real? That's a huge and drastic change over what you had! I can't believe it! I question it only due to the old picture being slightly fuzzy while the new one is crystal clear. Kinda like those lose weight/acne infomercials of before and after..


no lie, same tank.


----------



## TigerLilly (Oct 11, 2004)

I have used DIY CO2 in conjunction with excel, in the past, on a 55gal el natural tank in the past. I was *very* happy with the results.

Now I have a 29gal low tech with only excel and the growth is horrible. Of course, I don't think this tank is getting as much light as the other one. I am thinking about adding DIY CO2 to this tank just to see if there's a improvement.


----------



## Gundy (Oct 31, 2007)

TigerLilly said:


> I have used DIY CO2 in conjunction with excel, in the past, on a 55gal el natural tank in the past. I was *very* happy with the results.


How many bottles did you have to use on the 55? Keep reading that DIY on a 55gal is completely out of the story due to the fact of CO2 not being stable..


----------



## TigerLilly (Oct 11, 2004)

Gundy said:


> How many bottles did you have to use on the 55? Keep reading that DIY on a 55gal is completely out of the story due to the fact of CO2 not being stable..


Six 2liter bottles, and I read the same thing when I was looking into CO2 options for that tank. I couldn't afford pressurized, and dosing excel souly would also be too expensive so I just did the DIY CO2 anyway. It worked great, but keep in mind this was a low-tech, semi-el natural tank. I loved that set up!


----------



## TigerLilly (Oct 11, 2004)

Even my glosso would grow horizontal


----------



## Gundy (Oct 31, 2007)

Did you change three out each week? Seems like alot of sugar!


----------



## TigerLilly (Oct 11, 2004)

Gundy said:


> Did you change three out each week? Seems like alot of sugar!


Yes, I use to when I had that tank. Yes, it was a lot of sugar.


----------

