How Long?

[sjolliff]

Hopefully in about 10 days time i will be setting up my tank ready for fish, after my fishless cycle,

Bulbs are T8 20W 24" Aqua-Glo and Power Glo ( was thinking of upgrading)

Im thinking of having the lights on for around 6hrs a day 3pm till 9pm, then probably have my moonlight on for 1hr after

Iv got a solenoid for my CO2 systems but not sure what times to have it on, i was thinking 9am till 9pm?

Using a glass diffuser.

I will also have an ceramic air stone in the back middle of the tank and was goin to have it on 2pm till 8pm

 

[Truck]

Hopefully in about 10 days time i will be setting up my tank ready for fish, after my fishless cycle,

Bulbs are T8 20W 24" Aqua-Glo and Power Glo ( was thinking of upgrading)

Im thinking of having the lights on for around 6hrs a day 3pm till 9pm, then probably have my moonlight on for 1hr after

Iv got a solenoid for my CO2 systems but not sure what times to have it on, i was thinking 9am till 9pm?

Using a glass diffuser.

I will also have an ceramic air stone in the back middle of the tank and was goin to have it on 2pm till 8pm

you dont need an air stone...the airstone will gas off the CO2 as it is very unstable in water.

you want the CO2 to come on at 1pm and go off at 7pm if your lighting is staying at 3pm-9pm (it should come on about 2 hours before lights on, and go off about 2 hours before lights off)

how big is your tank?

 

[sjolliff]

Cheers truck
Its
125L,
EX1200 filter with spray bar

Iv also got a Hydor Koralia 1 and nano, will cause any damage to the CO2
the airstone was more for looks it will be about 12" away from the diffuser

 

[Truck]

Cheers truck
Its
125L,
EX1200 filter with spray bar

Iv also got a Hydor Koralia 1 and nano, will cause any damage to the CO2
the airstone was more for looks it will be about 12" away from the diffuser

the hydors wont...but as the CO2 dissolves into the water it is distributed around the tank. CO2 doesnt like to dissolve into water and when it does it very unstable so it will gas off if it has the chance and the airstone gives it this opportunity

 

[sjolliff]

you want the CO2 to come on at 1pm and go off at 7pm if your lighting is staying at 3pm-9pm (it should come on about 2 hours before lights on, and go off about 2 hours before lights off)

from what you said above does that sound about right for the size of my tank?
its not goin to be a really heavy planted tank, but quite a fair bit

OK ill give the airstone a miss, just bought an ehiem pump too lol

 

[Truck]

heavy planting will be beneficial as it will help drive out algae by out starving them of nutrients

 

[baron von bubba]

heavy planting will be beneficial as it will help drive out algae by out starving them of nutrients

how do plants drive out algae by starving them of nutrients?

you want the CO2 to come on at 1pm and go off at 7pm if your lighting is staying at 3pm-9pm (it should come on about 2 hours before lights on, and go off about 2 hours before lights off)

from what you said above does that sound about right for the size of my tank?
its not goin to be a really heavy planted tank, but quite a fair bit

OK ill give the airstone a miss, just bought an ehiem pump too lol

some do use airstones after lights out for an hour or so. its probably a good thing to do! i have been meaning to do this myself!

also the co2 gassing off is all down to surface agitation so any filter/power head could potentially be gassing the co2 off. just try and keep a good ripple on the surface nothing to fierce!

 

[Gav935]

heavy planting will be beneficial as it will help drive out algae by out starving them of nutrients

how do plants drive out algae by starving them of nutrients?

I'm curious about this particular statement too, for if one was dosing EI, what with the massive oversupply of nutrients then according to this logic, algae would be rampant.

 

[Truck]

this is what i have been told by numerous people...i know nitrates an phophates dont cause algae etc

 

[Gav935]

But by saying that the algae is prevented by being starved of nutrients, that insinuates that it is the nutrients in fact causing the algae.

 

[Truck]

But by saying that the algae is prevented by being starved of nutrients, that insinuates that it is the nutrients in fact causing the algae.

if algea is present and nutrients are also the nutrients will accellarate its growth...however if you can get the plants going well they will produce alleo chemicals, these can help fight algae also

 

[baron von bubba]

But by saying that the algae is prevented by being starved of nutrients, that insinuates that it is the nutrients in fact causing the algae.

if algea is present and nutrients are also the nutrients will accellarate its growth...however if you can get the plants going well they will produce alleo chemicals, these can help fight algae also

while there is a slim possibily that may be true in maybe some cases. it is not the reason.

the plants "driving out algae by starving them of nutrients" statment is still much banded about as thats what ppl used to believe.
in actual fact it is partially true, but its ammonia that the plants take up before the excess ammonia in the water column can trigger an algae attack.
also the plants help the bacteria by keeping the substrate healthy with their roots etc

 

[RadaR]

heavy planting will be beneficial as it will help drive out algae by out starving them of nutrients

What truck means is that more plants will absorb ammonia more quickly so algae doesn't get a chance to use it (all of it).

 

[baron von bubba]

heavy planting will be beneficial as it will help drive out algae by out starving them of nutrients

What truck means is that more plants will absorb ammonia more quickly so algae doesn't get a chance to use it (all of it).

he did have time to qualify his original statement!

seems to me there are an awful lot of "myths" associated with this hobby and ppl blindly quoting things without being able to explain them is one of the things that perpetuate and continue the belief of these untruths.
just saying that plants out compete algae for nutrients without offering explanation can and will give ppl the wrong idea and some would then be scared to add nutrients, causing themselves even more problems!

 

[Gav935]

seems to me there are an awful lot of "myths" associated with this hobby and ppl blindly quoting things without being able to explain them is one of the things that perpetuate and continue the belief of these untruths.

Amen to that.