# new to co2, how many bps?



## Josh40996 (Aug 1, 2011)

Seems a little low to me, to make a comparison with my 15 gallon cube (med planted) I am on 1 bubble per 4 seconds with 100% dissolution. Use a drop checker to find the concentration of CO2 to see if your bpm is correct, that's the only way to find out.


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## dcutl002 (Apr 8, 2014)

krackerjack82 said:


> im new to the co2 and just got my first small disposable cartage system till I can get a bigger set up. so ive been looking over this site and online trying to figure out what a good bubble rate is. I see anywhere from 1-6 bps thew 30 bpm, I had been running it at about 1 bubble every 2 sec right now. would this be a little low? I have a 60gal tank mod to heavy planted.


Get a drop checker and ensure that you use 4dKH solution along with the Bromothymol Blue. A lot of drop checkers have instructions that recommend using aquarium water with the Bromothymol blue...do not do that. you can either make 4dKH yourself (distilled water and baking soda) or buy it already made. The 4dKH will give a more accurate CO2 reading.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

Forget the drop checker. Highly inaccurate and at best use may tell what the pH used to be hours ago. Just compare your tank pH to the pH of tank water without co2. A one degree drop is a good starting point.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

jrill said:


> Forget the drop checker. Highly inaccurate and at best use may tell what the pH used to be hours ago. Just compare your tank pH to the pH of tank water without co2. A one degree drop is a good starting point.


This. 

If you use a drop checker you are going to be several hours behind what the pH of the tank actually is as well. Drop checkers are attractive bits of equipment and fine for very rough checks of pH but wouldn't it be sad if your fish are dying while the drop checker is still blue?

Be very sure to adjust the CO2 a little daily and once you are over the 1 degree mark adjust it even less and only when you can be checking on the tank often. I have nearly gassed fish in 5 minutes and in 8 hours. Have a panic plan ready, that old airpump with a line on it, be able to raise your filter's return to agitate water surface or maybe make a fast water change.

Nobody can say this number of BPS or that is right as bubble sizes vary, your counting bubbles varies, your diffusion method varies, the plants in the tank, your fish population, your tank circulation is different from any other tank out there. How are your fish with 2bps? If they are fine then switch the gas up to maybe 2.5-3bps if pH change has been less than 1 full degree. And if you can be checking the tank often!!!!!


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## krackerjack82 (Oct 26, 2014)

the fish have all looked ok so far and I havnt noticed any real changes in the ph. ill up the count a little and keep a close eye on things. my ph runs high with my tap water and is at like a 8. when you say a full degree do you mean it changing from say a 8 to 7?


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Yes. 

My tap water is 8, tank's pH is 7.6 before gas gets turned on and it is 6.4 or so at the lowest. I could tweak it further but I have been lazy.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

Kathyy said:


> Yes.
> 
> My tap water is 8, tank's pH is 7.6 before gas gets turned on and it is 6.4 or so at the lowest. I could tweak it further but I have been lazy.


Like she said.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

jrill said:


> Like she said.


Start with one degree drop. Then drop it until fish look uncomfortable the back off a bit. That's where you want to be.


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## Absolut Talent (Feb 5, 2014)

I am curious as i see it as contradicting information, but why go the ph testing route over the drop checker? Even in the co2 primer in the sticky suggests the drop checker over ph testing as that can be inaccurate.

The goal in counting bps was to get yourself established to as close to 30ppm of dissolved co2 as possible, right? So why look for answer A while testing for answer B?


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

The answer to the OP’s question – don’t rely on bps, drop checkers or ph tests, and rely instead on visual observation such as plants pearling and fish gasping to judge if you have not enough or too much co2. The rest are reference tools to help guide you.


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## krackerjack82 (Oct 26, 2014)

that makes since. ill slowly keep taking it up till I see any pearling or the fish seem to be getting stressed at all then back it off and that should give me a good idea of where to be.. im just worred about gassing the fish in the process. ill also keep a eye on my ph throughout the day just to see how fast or slow it falls off


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

krackerjack82 said:


> that makes since. ill slowly keep taking it up till I see any pearling or the fish seem to be getting stressed at all then back it off and that should give me a good idea of where to be.. im just worred about gassing the fish in the process. ill also keep a eye on my ph throughout the day just to see how fast or slow it falls off


Ding ding ding. You have arrived [emoji6]


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## krackerjack82 (Oct 26, 2014)

also I run 2 hob filters and have a lot of flow and aeration, should I run my co2 at night?


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## Josh40996 (Aug 1, 2011)

I am unsure where your CO2 is coming from, does it come from yeast or is it pressurized? If you have the ability to turn off the CO2 then yes turn it off at night, if its DIY put an airstone on a timer to run at night to drive off excess CO2. 

You may find it difficult to get higher concentrations of CO2 with alot of surface agitation during the day.


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## krackerjack82 (Oct 26, 2014)

yes it is pressurized. and I think that's the problem I've been having during the day and needing to up my bps


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Absolut Talent said:


> I am curious as i see it as contradicting information, but why go the ph testing route over the drop checker? Even in the co2 primer in the sticky suggests the drop checker over ph testing as that can be inaccurate.
> 
> The goal in counting bps was to get yourself established to as close to 30ppm of dissolved co2 as possible, right? So why look for answer A while testing for answer B?


Drop checkers work very slowly. It can take hours for them to catch up to what the pH of the water actually is. If you happened to be quite close to the final perfect bps and added just a little more the fish could get gassed inside a few minutes if your diffusion method is efficient. 

The reason 4KH water is used is tank water has substances that affect pH and KH so that CO2 chart is not accurate. Using 4KH water in a drop checker is somewhat more accurate as those modifiers aren't present but you are still depending on a hobby pH and KH test PLUS your eyes to determine the pH. And apparently according to those who know a lot more than I do, that chart is suspect anyway. 

I say forget the perfect color but start out by looking for that 1 degree drop for an average KH/GH water that is likely safe then twitch the needle valve a little every other day or so when you can watch the tank to get to the right point for your tank with your livestock and your filtration and so on.


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2019)

Josh40996 said:


> Seems a little low to me, to make a comparison with my 15 gallon cube (med planted) I am on 1 bubble per 4 seconds with 100% dissolution. Use a drop checker to find the concentration of CO2 to see if your bpm is correct, that's the only way to find out.


 I also have a 15gal medium planted is 30bubbles per min high? I'm also new to co2


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2019)

krackerjack82 said:


> im new to the co2 and just got my first small disposable cartage system till I can get a bigger set up. so ive been looking over this site and online trying to figure out what a good bubble rate is. I see anywhere from 1-6 bps thew 30 bpm, I had been running it at about 1 bubble every 2 sec right now. would this be a little low? I have a 60gal tank mod to heavy planted.


 I got the fluval 45g co2 kit I got a 15gal medium planted is a bubble every two seconds high


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> I got the fluval 45g co2 kit I got a 15gal medium planted is a bubble every two seconds high


You do know you are responding to a thread that is from 2015.....right?:grin2:

Bubbles per second is a pretty meaningless measure. 

Read up on degassed pH values and pH drop from CO2 injection if you want to get it right.


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