Don't want to kill the fish ...

[dipan]

Hi, I'm a newbie, first of all.

I'm starting a new 37 gallon planted tank. I have several micro swords, some Rotalia magenta, and a dormant or now dead Madagascar lace plant. The tank was properly cycled and currently has 2 Molly's, 2 Platy's, and 8 Rummynose Tetras. I'm soon to be adding about 10 Cherry shrimp. CO2 is via a Red Sea yeast based system. The hood/filtration is a retrofitted Eclipse 3 with 110w of PC 6500K bulbs. I'm gonna try the Estimative Index method of nutrition but still have to get the dry fertilizer. I've been using Seachem stuff for now.

Well, now that that's out of the way ...

Since my hood is completely enclosed, I'm worried about oxygen diffusion into the water. The air under the hood will probably be mostly saturated with CO2. I have yet to minimize surface agitation to minimize CO2 loss. The CO2 in the air under the hood will displace atmospheric O2, no? Will the plants make enough 02 for the fish to survive?

Thanks ... Dipan

 

[twig]

>>;
Plants don't generate O2 at night.
They actually draw in O2 ...

I've actually just started running an air stone at night because my big guppies would go straight to the top once the lights turned out. They'd linger right by the lil filter waterfall part.

I didn't bother optimizing co2 ... >.> My co2 is still around 25'ish.

 

[dipan]

Great ... yet another tube to put in the tank Do most people put an airstone in the tank?

 

[AQUA_OBSESSION]

I just ran into to this as well. I have CO2 and leave it on 24/7. The fish would be at the surface gasping for air, none died but I am sure it stressed them out. Now I have ick so I am guessing this is what stressed them out and weakened their immune system.

I have a timer that turns on my pump at night, I got a bubble wand and it looks pretty cool at night with the bubbles and purple moon lights.

You can hide it pretty easily, but I agree another thing to put in the tank and possilby buy if you do not have one.

 

[twig]

You don't need it during the day ... Plants generate a lot of O2 but at night they suck up O2 so there isn't much oxygen in the tank right? >.>

Like that other guy I just run the bubbler on a timer so it's only on at night. I have a small one though >.> It does the trick

 

[Gumby131]

it isnt the airstone that puts O2 into the water, its actually suface agitation.

 

[gimincorp]

Use Plant Air Tubing 6' PA-1 (Penn Plax)

Great ... yet another tube to put in the tank Do most people put an airstone in the tank?

I use Plant Air Tubing 6' PA-1 (Penn Plax) in my 10 Gallon tank, it's tough to connect to the pump outlet (requires a connection valve). But once connected, airline looks like a Egeria plant. If you plant Egeria or cabomba plants around it, you'll forget you have an airline in a tank after a while!