Diy C02, Discus, Heavily Planted Tank, Advice Please

[julioarca]

So, I have got a heavily planted tank, 180L, with diy C02, ph approx 6.3, kh approx 3-4, Nitrate approx 40, Phosphate approx 5.0, 0 ammonia and nitrite.

I got 80 plants 2 days ago and added them to my tank, it had a few plants in already. Now it looks absolutly fab. But wanting some advice from experts please.

I have a diffuser on my C02 and this runs from approx 8am till 10pm, it switches off outside these hours so just a bubble say every 7 secs is released into the tank. Prior to putting in these extra plants, fish have been fine when I see them on a morning. Today, they were all at the top of the tank and generally not happy chappies. I immediately thought lack of oxygen so turned on my aerator for a few hours, fish now swimming about as normal.

So..I wonder now with all these extra plants issuing C02 after dark, and my DIYC02 releasing into the tank too is causing this, would it be prudent to put my aerator on a timer too to come on the hours that the c02 diffuser is off?

Any ideas

David

 

[Themuleous]

Sounds like to much co2 but I guess if you've been running the tank like it for a while then it may not be. Did you disturb the substrate much when you added the new plants? This can release NH3 into the water.

Sam

 

[julioarca]

Sounds like to much co2 but I guess if you've been running the tank like it for a while then it may not be. Did you disturb the substrate much when you added the new plants? This can release NH3 into the water.

Sam

I disturbed some substrate but not a lot, just thoight the extra plants are putting out more C02 at night

 

[Themuleous]

Ive not heard of it being a problem before. I would think it would have to be a hell of a lot of plants.

You could put the air pump on a timer so it only runs at night? If it is the CO2 that would stop it getting to high. Just set it to turn off again an hr or so before the lights come on so the co2 level has time to build back up again.

Sam

 

[julioarca]

Ive not heard of it being a problem before. I would think it would have to be a hell of a lot of plants.

You could put the air pump on a timer so it only runs at night? If it is the CO2 that would stop it getting to high. Just set it to turn off again an hr or so before the lights come on so the co2 level has time to build back up again.

Sam

cheers, did that last night and all was fine this morning