Aeration in a planted tank at night.

How much O2 do you think an airstone can add to water? The important thing they do is increase water surface/air interchange. They break the meniscus That's about the only place you get an exchange of gases. Even injecting pure O2 (not recommended since it supports combustion) will not increase O2 levels drastically. Your O2 rates go up during the day because of the plants.
 
If O2 is injected into tank via proper reactor, yes it can/will cause drastic increases in dissolved [O2], a supersaturation, a condition not necessarily good for fish either. No need to if surface is well agitated via filter/aeration and find right balance for each individual tank.

btw, if memory serves, cellualar repiration takes place even during daytime. A topic too complicated to go in detail, not that I know/remember much.
 
Tom Barr,
Thank you again. I will not be using aeration at night. I hope some of the members who posted on this thread learned something from you.
 
Hank said:
Tom Barr,
Thank you again. I will not be using aeration at night. I hope some of the members who posted on this thread learned something from you.
Click to expand...

Nothing new actually. All depends on each individual's need as somewhat explained case by case By TB.
 
I would like to know for any other reason besides off gassing CO2 and creating more O2
Click to expand...
ive heard fluctuating co2 promotes algae... hows it relate to that?
 
bluemeate said:
ive heard fluctuating co2 promotes algae... hows it relate to that?
Click to expand...


Would it stress you out if you had say 800 calories per day, then suddenly say 3000? Then 800, then 500, then 4000?

Same sort of thing.

Plants largest enzyme by total mass is Rubisco(the planet's for that matter), the amount is strongly regulated by CO2 concentration.
If the CO2 is moving all over and dipping into the limiting ranges for part of the day etc, then it will cause growth problems.
Algae have very little issue since their carbon demand is 10-1000X less than plants. Algae spores seem to sense this change, and plants stop growing.
Then algae attacks and grows all over the plants. So the focus is more on the growth growth of plants, then algae are rarely ever an issue and then only minor at that.
I've been saying this last part for the last 20 years.
 
Tom Barr,
Now this brings me back to Amano ADA tanks. How about the fluctuations of the pH? During the day he injects CO2 and the pH comes down. He does this for ten hrs. Lights out, aeration on for 14 hrs. and CO2 is degassed bringing the pH back up to its normal, what ever that might be.
If this was my situation and I applied aeration at night within 24 hrs my pH would go from 6.8 to 6.2. So every 24 hrs I would have this yo-yo effect. Would this create a problem?
 
pH fluctuations because of co2 pose little problems to fish or to promote algae. However pH differences because of TDS do harm fish (this can cause osmatic shock in fish and can cause them to either gain or lose excess water). The yo-yo effect that you refer to will have no effect on anything. My pH drops much more than that. My tap water is 7.6 and my tank after an hour of co2 on is around 6.4. I have lots of rcs and they don't mind and this doesn't seem to cause any algae in my tanks.

just focus on the plants needs and you won't have algae.
 
Hank said:
Tom Barr,
Now this brings me back to Amano ADA tanks. How about the fluctuations of the pH? During the day he injects CO2 and the pH comes down. He does this for ten hrs. Lights out, aeration on for 14 hrs. and CO2 is degassed bringing the pH back up to its normal, what ever that might be.
If this was my situation and I applied aeration at night within 24 hrs my pH would go from 6.8 to 6.2. So every 24 hrs I would have this yo-yo effect. Would this create a problem?
Click to expand...

Does not matter since the CO2 is good throughout the day cycle only, night does not matter.
Plants, algae etc do not use it it at night, well....a few CAM species, but they are rare and few keep them.
Most everyone does not add CO2 at night to maintain pH.
This is an old myth that pH is really important where CO2 is added.
Relatively to measure CO2, but not in and of itself.
 
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