Pressurelized Co2 During Day / Airstone at night... Poll
- Thread starter Kevin2k11
- Start date
How many of you that are saying Co2 24/7 are using a pressurized system or using DIY Co2? Running Co2 while the lights are on is doing Zero good if your pressurized. The plants dont utilize it unless there is light.
I run my Co2 1 hour before lights on. the lights are on for 12 hours roughly. The Co2 shuts off 30 min before the lights shut off. I run my drop checkers yellow. No fish issues and plants pearling by end of the day.
I dont run an airstone. I do have a small amount of ripple on the surface of the tank from some of the current in the tank. Not much just a little. Co2 normally after it turns off disperses from the water in about 45 min.
So there really isnt much need to do air stone or any form of air induction. Just nice gas exchange at the surface.
I run my Co2 1 hour before lights on. the lights are on for 12 hours roughly. The Co2 shuts off 30 min before the lights shut off. I run my drop checkers yellow. No fish issues and plants pearling by end of the day.
I dont run an airstone. I do have a small amount of ripple on the surface of the tank from some of the current in the tank. Not much just a little. Co2 normally after it turns off disperses from the water in about 45 min.
So there really isnt much need to do air stone or any form of air induction. Just nice gas exchange at the surface.
Mine is a pressurized CO2 system. I understand the plants do not use CO2 while the lights are off. I started trying to use the same philosophy as you of turning it off with the lights, but my PH started taking some huge swings between "night" and "day". Now I run it 24/7, and have no problem.
Constevens if I read your post right you are running CO2 durning the day when you lights are on correct. If that is the case then your comment at the start of the post is cunfusing. Did you mean running CO2 at night does no good. If that is the case then I agree. I run my pressurized system so that the CO2 comes on 1 hour after the lights go on and goes off 1 hour before the lights go off. My drop checker usually runs a tad towards yellow, I have tried to turn off the airstone and when I do then about an hour or so after turning it off my fish are at the top of the tank, so I leave it on 24/7. I do get some pearling.
When you say huge swings in PH what are you talking? Unless your doing wild Discus I wouldnt worry about the swing unless its really really crazy. Your fish need a small break from the Co2 at night, Especially when the plants arent doing anything with it. Plants only use the Co2 when the light is on. Because the plants arent using it, your basically just wasting the Co2 and stressing the fish more then the PH swing will by not giving them the break from the Co2.
My PH swings in my tanks from a starting PH of 8.3, and it drops to 6.8 after the Co2 has the water column loaded, then back up to 8.3 after about a couple hours of no Co2. My fish couldnt be happier. Fish really could care less about the PH swing oh so much. Like I said unless your PH swing is from 8.5 to 5.5 then you have an issue. If thats the case then you should probably also be dosing GH builder as part of your routine of ferts as well. This would help keep your PH manageable. BUT ONLY if you have ultra soft water and your PH is droping way way low. I think as long as your PH is above 6.5'ish you should be fine. If it swings back to 8.5 no big deal.
yes... thats what im saying is Running Co2 at night Does no good. No reason to do it with a pressurized system.
Even before I ran Co2, I always found my fish at the top of the tank. You might be surprised they actually sleep/float there normally for some fish. Were they at the top sitting there or at the top Gasping for air? Also Not sure if you worded it wrong. But you would want your CO2 to come ON 1 Hour before your lights come on. This loads the water column with Co2 so when the light comes on you get the most out of it. Then You would want the Co2 to turn OFF one hour before your lights go off. This allows the plants to burn up the Co2 in the water column some before the lights go off.
Will go ahead and reset my one timer. I can not remember if they were gasping or not there has been a couple of times when they were but I also know there was too much CO2 cause the drop checker was yellow. Althought I do not have the airstone going that strong just a little and it does not seem to affect the amount of CO2 I run at 1 bubble per second or so.
Smokey, what are you using to mix the co2 into the water? What bubble counter and drop checker you using?
mine wasn't swinging as much as yours. I don't remember the exact numbers since it was close to a year ago when I decided to just leave it on. It was something like 6.5 to 7.6. Keep in mind I have a lot of surface agitation between the Sump system, cannister return, and powerheads. I am pretty comfortable with the balance I have had for a while now. Plants look great and fish all appear to be happy. It isn't something I would want to change at this point.
