Need to rant a little

[Elizabth]

This isn't discus related so I put it here. I just need to vent a tiny bit to people who would understand where I am coming from.

So, the 100g is set up with pH-regulated CO2, lighting, etc. I told my husband we needed to wait until we had a red sea test kit to watch the CO2 levels, etc, before we ran the CO2 with fish, and that we'd probably better wait until we had plants to consume the CO2.

Husband insisted that CO2 would be fine, and that we could go ahead and add fish and cycle the tank before we put in a big plant order, and we'd get the kit then. He argued that besides, we had nitrate/nitritite/pH/ammonia tests, and could turn the CO2 off anytime. Against my better judgment, I said OK. I figured I might have been going a little overboard and I should just relax, and since I'm married for better or worse, let my husband have a say in the matter.

Well, long story short, I woke up to 3 dead rasboras this morning and the others breathing rapidly with all testable water parameters perfect. I waited for hubs to leave for work, turned the CO2 off, put 2 airstones in, 10% water change with neutral regulator to prevent any CO2-related pH spikes and watched. Fish now look much better. Don't have a CO2 test (thanks to guess who) but I'm 99% sure it was the cause.

My husband is a wonderful man, and when anyone asks I say he's made of solid gold, but I'm frustrated with him, and frustrated with myself for not listening to my better judgment! He generally is pretty good at fish, but doesn't have quite as much experience and was getting a little impatient.

There is now a moratorium on CO2 usage and any purchases until everything is stabilized, and Elizabeth is in charge of the freshwater department! Saltwater all his - once the novelty of all of that wore off it just seems a little artificial and not very environmentally conscious.

[brewmaster15]

HI Elizabeth,

Understandable to be frustrated! But go easy on him!:) I can't tell you how many Human Mediated Fish deaths and Tank errors I have been part of over the years, just that its embarrassingly many when I think about it..:(. The key isn't to worry over the error made... its to learn from it and not repeat it.;):)... Sounds like your husband will not be repeating it!

good luck,
al

[Chad Hughes]

Im curious why he felt the need to run CO2 without any plants. That just sounds like a waste of CO2 to me. LOL!

Something else you might want to consider is getting plants before fish. Planting the tank will cause the tank to cycle faster. Plants are laden with beneficial bacteria. They act sort of like a cycled filter. That bacteria will transfer in to your filtration system and your cycle will happen quickly.

Something about CO2.... obviously it's only needed for high light setups that are densly planted. Unless you're really paranoid about the exact level of CO2 in the tank, you don't need a drop checker and doisng the tank with CO2 is easy and safe. Knowing the Ph and the KH of your tap water is the first step. Based on those two numbers, you can set your controller to the Ph required and forget about it.

And finally, like Al said, learn from your mistakes! Some of the smartest people on this forum have made some pretty big mistakes in the past.... that's what makes them smart today. LOL! :D

Best wishes and good luck!

[Elizabth]

Im curious why he felt the need to run CO2 without any plants. That just sounds like a waste of CO2 to me. LOL!

Something else you might want to consider is getting plants before fish. Planting the tank will cause the tank to cycle faster. Plants are laden with beneficial bacteria. They act sort of like a cycled filter. That bacteria will transfer in to your filtration system and your cycle will happen quickly.

Something about CO2.... obviously it's only needed for high light setups that are densly planted. Unless you're really paranoid about the exact level of CO2 in the tank, you don't need a drop checker and doisng the tank with CO2 is easy and safe. Knowing the Ph and the KH of your tap water is the first step. Based on those two numbers, you can set your controller to the Ph required and forget about it.

And finally, like Al said, learn from your mistakes! Some of the smartest people on this forum have made some pretty big mistakes in the past.... that's what makes them smart today. LOL! :D

Best wishes and good luck!

Well, I know why CO2, but I am not going to claim to understand it. Someone wanted to play with his new toy, and did so under the pretense that he was "getting the system balanced." :rolleyes2:

My idea for the test was to make sure that the levels didn't get too high but I guess we've now established that we don't run CO2 when we don't have plants in the tank!!! Sigh - the chemist in me said it was a bad idea, but the wife in me said let hubs have his fun. Should have listened to the chemist!

pH of tap is 7.6, don't know KH yet. He had is set for 6.8 so it could be that it the solenoid shot so much CO2 in that was great for the pH but bad for fish. At any rate, CO2 is now off for at least a week regardless of the KH etc - I figure the fish need to have oxygen-rich water while they recover.

I'm so annoyed at myself, and my dear, sweet, husband with the heart of a 10 year old boy!

[Chad Hughes]

Well, I know why CO2, but I am not going to claim to understand it. Someone wanted to play with his new toy, and did so under the pretense that he was "getting the system balanced." :rolleyes2:

My idea for the test was to make sure that the levels didn't get too high but I guess we've now established that we don't run CO2 when we don't have plants in the tank!!! Sigh - the chemist in me said it was a bad idea, but the wife in me said let hubs have his fun. Should have listened to the chemist!

pH of tap is 7.6, don't know KH yet. He had is set for 6.8 so it could be that it the solenoid shot so much CO2 in that was great for the pH but bad for fish. At any rate, CO2 is now off for at least a week regardless of the KH etc - I figure the fish need to have oxygen-rich water while they recover.

I'm so annoyed at myself, and my dear, sweet, husband with the heart of a 10 year old boy!


I see! LOL! Don't beat yourself or him up too bad. :D Take a look at your KH if your KH is higher than 5, then your CO2 saturation got a little toxic. Whenit comes to CO2, KH and pH are your friends! Listen to them! :)

[mmorris]

LOL Glad to hear you set boundries! He can have his tank, and tell him if he touches yours you will break his fingers! LOL The dear man. Your burden to bear. :D

[Chad Hughes]

LOL Glad to hear you set boundries! He can have his tank, and tell him if he touches yours you will break his fingers! LOL The dear man. Your burden to bear. :D

Martha,

Violence is never the answer.... what will some of our young readers think? :(

[calihawker]

It's simple 'round here. She don't mess with the fish, and I don't mess with the goats.:D

Tell him if he wants to play with c02 to play with it on the calcium reactor.:)

[wesleydnunder]

Im curious why he felt the need to run CO2 without any plants. That just sounds like a waste of CO2 to me. LOL!

Something else you might want to consider is getting plants before fish. Planting the tank will cause the tank to cycle faster. Plants are laden with beneficial bacteria. They act sort of like a cycled filter. That bacteria will transfer in to your filtration system and your cycle will happen quickly.

Something about CO2.... obviously it's only needed for high light setups that are densly planted. Unless you're really paranoid about the exact level of CO2 in the tank, you don't need a drop checker and doisng the tank with CO2 is easy and safe. Knowing the Ph and the KH of your tap water is the first step. Based on those two numbers, you can set your controller to the Ph required and forget about it.

And finally, like Al said, learn from your mistakes! Some of the smartest people on this forum have made some pretty big mistakes in the past.... that's what makes them smart today. LOL! :D

Best wishes and good luck!

+1

Dropping your ph with co2 .8 log will put your co2 sat in the neighborhood of 25 ppm. Chuck Gadd's ph/KH/co2 chart assumes that the buffers in your water, the KH, is carbonate. Many water supplies have other buffers in the water, phosphates etc., that can skew the chart and make it look like you have "x" amount of co2 when you don't.

I'm with Chad on the plants. They'll use ammonia directly and help cycle the tank and co2 is pointless without them.

[Elizabth]

hehehe he was instructed to get a calcium reactor for the reef before I even read this!! Now he can have a toy that won't hurt anything!