Air Pump At Night: Worthwhile?

[DBridges]

I've read that an air pump at night can help even out any CO2 swings and thus help keep pH more stable and balanced. Any truth to this? Just wondering if I should include an air pump on a timer or not in my set-up.

David

 

[baron von bubba]

I've read that an air pump at night can help even out any CO2 swings and thus help keep pH more stable and balanced. Any truth to this? Just wondering if I should include an air pump on a timer or not in my set-up.

David

Nope. No truth to that. The opposite in fact is true.
Are airstone will create surface disturbance, this will gas the co2 off actually causing larger ph changes.
This however is nothing to worry about, ph changes caused by co2 will not harm the fish.
some would say an airstone at night is a good thing as you'll add more o2 at a time when it'll be lowest.
Thats presumeing you have pressurized co2?

 

[DBridges]

some would say an airstone at night is a good thing as you'll add more o2 at a time when it'll be lowest.
Thats presumeing you have pressurized co2?

Indeed, I have a pressurized CO2 system that I'll be using. So is that to say if I have pressurized CO2, that and airstone at night might be useful?

Looking forward to a week or two from now when I'll be able to put everything together, add water, and start putting all this information I've been learning into practice!

 

[8inary]

just a word to those that want to turn their airpumps off at night, ensure you have one way valves on the tubing, otherwise you could end up with a dead airpump and a bit of water all over the place...personally i leave mine on, and its a monster hiblow65 (4000ltrs/hour)

 

[baron von bubba]

some would say an airstone at night is a good thing as you'll add more o2 at a time when it'll be lowest.
Thats presumeing you have pressurized co2?

Indeed, I have a pressurized CO2 system that I'll be using. So is that to say if I have pressurized CO2, that and airstone at night might be useful?

yeah some ppl on ukaps positively recommend it, you will use a bit more co2 however, as you'll need to up the rate or start it a little earlier than you would have with out the extra aeration.
the ph drop will probably be somewhere between 1 and 1.3 to achieve 30 ppm. this will cause no harm to the fish,
its ph changes through the Kh being altered that is harmfull.

 

[Bobtastic]

Wouldnt you be better off getting a solenoid for you CO2 system? I would have thought turning off the CO2 would be better than increasing the aeration over night? It would definitley save on CO2.

 

[baron von bubba]

Wouldnt you be better off getting a solenoid for you CO2 system? I would have thought turning off the CO2 would be better than increasing the aeration over night? It would definitley save on CO2.

i was presuming the co2 was switched off at night! my bad, its too easy to jump to the wrong conclusions sometimes.
but doing both would be best as the worst time for the fishies in relation to O2 in the water is just before the lights come on, so getting more intot the water over night is good.
some ppl move their lilly pips or powerheads etc to aerate over night, better to have automation in my opinion tho!

 

[aaronnorth]

i would rather have constant suface agitation & CO2 injection, rather than switching an airpump on or raising the output. you know it will be the same constantly then.

 

[DBridges]

OK, I don't think I was clear earlier. I have a pressurized CO2 system that I'll be using, and it does have a solenoid and will be on a timer, so the CO2 will turn off at night. However, plants stop photosynthesis at night and this means they consume oxygen as opposed to producing it, yes?

So, with all of that said: airstone at night or no? Still confused here. I would think a little bit of increased surface aggitation at night to excess off any slight increase of CO2/decrease in O2 would be helpful. Just not sure if my thinking is correct or not.

 

[aaronnorth]

ok, get you now.

just turn the CO2 off 2-3hrs before lights off. there will still be plenty of CO2 left to aid photosynthesis during those few hours, but the levels will be also steadily deceasing for night.
the amount of O2 they use, will probably be equal too, or less than what they excreted during the day. so in affect it cancels out.
same with the CO2, the amount they produce wont ever become poisonous, they are constantly excreting CO2 aswell through the day.

if they ould produce that much, then there would be no need in having CO2 injection

 

[DBridges]

OK, I think I see what you guys are saying now. If I understand correctly, I should probably start CO2 injection about 2 hours or so before lights on, and have it cease about 2 hours or so before lights out.

ok, get you now.

just turn the CO2 off 2-3hrs before lights off. there will still be plenty of CO2 left to aid photosynthesis during those few hours, but the levels will be also steadily deceasing for night.
the amount of O2 they use, will probably be equal too, or less than what they excreted during the day. so in affect it cancels out.
same with the CO2, the amount they produce wont ever become poisonous, they are constantly excreting CO2 aswell through the day.

if they ould produce that much, then there would be no need in having CO2 injection

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I turned mine off purely because it was so noisy and you could hear it upstairs still; I've recently bought a new one and you can barely hear it - we still turn it off out of habit.

 

[aaronnorth]

OK, I think I see what you guys are saying now. If I understand correctly, I should probably start CO2 injection about 2 hours or so before lights on, and have it cease about 2 hours or so before lights out.

ok, get you now.

just turn the CO2 off 2-3hrs before lights off. there will still be plenty of CO2 left to aid photosynthesis during those few hours, but the levels will be also steadily deceasing for night.
the amount of O2 they use, will probably be equal too, or less than what they excreted during the day. so in affect it cancels out.
same with the CO2, the amount they produce wont ever become poisonous, they are constantly excreting CO2 aswell through the day.

if they ould produce that much, then there would be no need in having CO2 injection

correct

 

[baron von bubba]

OK, I think I see what you guys are saying now. If I understand correctly, I should probably start CO2 injection about 2 hours or so before lights on, and have it cease about 2 hours or so before lights out.

ok, get you now.

just turn the CO2 off 2-3hrs before lights off. there will still be plenty of CO2 left to aid photosynthesis during those few hours, but the levels will be also steadily deceasing for night.
the amount of O2 they use, will probably be equal too, or less than what they excreted during the day. so in affect it cancels out.
same with the CO2, the amount they produce wont ever become poisonous, they are constantly excreting CO2 aswell through the day.

if they ould produce that much, then there would be no need in having CO2 injection

correct

i still think an airstone could be a good idea, altho i dont personally use one as yet, but have been meaning to add one.
surely its a bit of a back up, if for example you messed the dosing up and the plants became deficient and slowed their growth, then couldnt there be possibility the co2 levels would then be too high and also the O2 levels be too low? or after a major trim, if you forget to turn the co2 levels down?
or if a tube failed one day and you didn't notice?
or would these things not matter?

 

[aaronnorth]

they would matter, but it depends on the type of setup. or example in a dutch scape where stem plants are rimarliy used then yes a large trim could mean less CO2 is used and therefore more in the water, but in general, most people dont have this issue.

If you did, then the CO2 levels would more than likley get too high during the day, rather than at night when they fall, resporation doesnt happen quick enough for CO2 levels to raise.