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View Full Version : Is airation at night needed when injection co2?



Mulisha
Tue Jul 18, 2006, 09:32 AM
Here is a list of fish in a well planted tank and i have co2 that i want to start injecting but people say that if you got a fair few plants at night it will releases co2 when the lights are off.

1 Large altum angel/ maybe fake one but still my baby
4 clown loachs small 5-6cm long
3 Congo Tetras (Large) 8cm long
1 Pearl Gourmai 6-7 cm long
1 Pleco 9cm long
1 Pictus Catfish Huge 14cm (keeps to himself under a log)
5 Black Widows 4cm long
3 Black Neons
5 New Red Turks Discus

My question i ask is at night do i need to add a air stone i never had in the past when i was injecting co2 at night time when the lights are off ?
What do you others do at night time when the lights are off add air or just leave it be?

Thanks guys..

PS: The only reason i ask is that dicus like lots of airation and just don't want to wake up to floating discus.

Rick. :D

taksan
Tue Jul 18, 2006, 10:31 AM
Why on earth would you inject Co2 at night :?:
Photosynthesis only occurs during daytime hours and Co2 injection at night is useless.

JNS
Tue Jul 18, 2006, 10:38 AM
If you are using a yeast based or similar DIY CO2 system (where you cannot turn off the CO2), then I have read that you can turn an air pump/airstone on when your lights go off to help remove the excess CO2 during the night.

If you have pressurised CO2 and turn it off at night, there is no real need for an airstone. Yes, plants do respirate and give of CO2 at night (the same as fish), but its not significant.

HTH

Phlipper
Tue Jul 18, 2006, 01:14 PM
It may also depend on how many plants you have, plants take in the Co2 during daylight and emitt oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.

If you have only a few plants or lots of fish there may not be enough oxygen produced by the plants to support the fish 24 hours a day, so in that situation I would be running an air stone through the night for that extra oxygen level, but if your tank is well planted it should be OK without it. Run an airstone through the night if you wish, but it may not be necessary.

If you have pressurised Co2 then install a solenoid valve to shut off the gas at night time to avoid gassing your fish, or if you have DIY either run the airstone or disconnect it.

Mulisha
Tue Jul 18, 2006, 09:05 PM
Sorry guys i might not have been to exact with what i have...
The tank has a full Dupla Co2 system including a shut off solenoid and diffuser etc etc and i don't inject the co2 at night only of a day time when the lights are ON so my question was at night is it needed for a airstone to be run becuase i never have had any problems with fish gasping for air or anything in the morning but i heard discus need high levels of O2 so i thought it may have to be necessary to use one.

Thanks for ya help and sorry about the confusion...

Rick. :D

Phlipper
Wed Jul 19, 2006, 12:01 PM
All I can really say is............my Co2 shuts off at night, and no extra air is pumped in that period and it's never given me a problem 8-)

JNS
Thu Jul 20, 2006, 07:21 AM
Ditto.

Mulisha
Thu Jul 20, 2006, 07:23 AM
ok sweet as guys what is a rough mesurement to know how much to add?

1 bubble per second?

Thanks Rick.

Davo
Thu Jul 20, 2006, 10:48 AM
The rule of thumb is 1 bubble/second but I have used 2 bubbles/second and my discus were fine.

If your plants do not thrive at 1 bubble/second you may need to increase the bubble rate but you also maybe lacking in something else ie. nutrients, lighting etc.

Dave.

Mulisha
Thu Jul 20, 2006, 11:15 AM
My tank is 400L and i have 252watts of light and i worked it out that i have 2.5WPG which i thought was good enough :)
I currently add Easy Life whcih claims to have enough nutrients so i'll see how i go :D

Cheers..

Rick.

fish_r
Thu Jul 20, 2006, 04:12 PM
if u have a kH test kit use this link
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm
to measure ur levels of Co2 to keep them @ safe levels for ur fish.
it really also varies upon ur way of diffusing the Co2 into ur tank to how many bubble per second u'll need...