Pearling

[Fluval-1200]

Few things im trying to get me head around as ive had mixed results from google.
 
Ive noticed when my filter turns off once a day for its burp, my plants have a lot of pearling. My diffuser is under the outlet so when the filter is off no c02 is being pumped around the tank.
Is that good and would I benefit from cutting my c02 a couple hours before the lights go off?
 
Also when should my co2 be coming on and turning off? ive read on 2 hours before lights on and off 2 hours before lights off.
Currently it comes on when lights come on and then off 30mins before lights off.
 

 

[techen]

The 2 hour system is the best way to do it, Can I ask why you turn your filter off? You shouldn't turn your filter off ever unless cleaning it?
 
The pearling you'll be seeing will be the same with the filter on. Because there is lack of flow you can easily see the oxygen being pushed out of the plants where it's alittle harder when flow in the tank.

 

[BerryAttack]

you should always have your filter on, unless cleaning.
i turn my CO2 off around an hour- two before lights out.. and at night i have a very low flow bubblier going.. and in the morning i turn the CO2 on when i turn my lights on. and have around 1 bubble every 1-3 seconds. i have a faulty regulator... and don't want to change... ha.. expensive things.. so that is what i do and have no issues.
oh and the bubblier is on a timer.. goes on at 10pm, and turns off at 7 am.. and i turn lights on and CO2 on around 8am.
 
that is what i do, hope it helps. 
 
and as techen said the pearling is because the lack of oxygen for the plants.
 
plants at night release CO2 to then absorb the oxygen in the water... to cycle or something like that... i believe that is what it does, but not 100% sure. oh and i have the bubblier on for that reason and also so i don't gas my fish throughout the day.. at the beginning had a few scares (didn't know what i was doing lol) and not its all good.

 

[levahe]

You can use a liquid ph test to find out wwhat the co2 is doing in your tank and allows you to then adjust accordingly. Get a base reading of your aquarium water that has been left to stand overnight.
Then test the tank water every 30mins or every hour during the co2 on period, and write down the readings. You should aim for the ph to drop by 1 ph by the time lights turn on.(very important)
Set the co2 to turn off a couple of hours before light off or you can turn is off sooner if the co2 level gets too high.



Example - this is how co2 behaves in my tank

Baseline test pH 7.6
11am before co2 turn on pH 7.2. This tells me there is still co2 left in the water from yesterday.
12pm CO2 ON ph 7.2
1pm pH 7.0
2pm pH 6.8
3pm. PH 6.6 LIGHTS ON 30 ppm co2 - green drop checker
4pm pH 6.6
5pm. PH 6.6
6pm. PH 6.5
7pm. PH 6.5. CO2 OFF
8pm no test
9pm no test
10pm no test
11pm pH 6.8 LIGHTS OFF

 

[SO19Firearms]

Example - this is how co2 behaves in my tank

Are you sure....?

EDIT: I just noticed you said in your tank - so I'm sure you're sure. But are you sure you're theory is sound....?

 

[Lunar Jetman]

 Can I ask why you turn your filter off? You shouldn't turn your filter off ever unless cleaning it?

 
If he's using a Fluval FX5 it stops by design every 24 hours to allow any trapped air to escape. There might be other filters that do the same too.

 

[levahe]

Example - this is how co2 behaves in my tank

Are you sure....?EDIT: I just noticed you said in your tank - so I'm sure you're sure. But are you sure you're theory is sound....?

100% and its not my theory, I copied it from another forum. its tried and tested by many people and if you want to set your gas up properly, its a very good method far better than relying just on a drop checker.

 

[Fluval-1200]

Thanks for all the info, so 2 hours before lights come on and 2 hours before lights go off, is that the 100% best way for the plants?
Im using the fx5 which restarts every 24hours to release air, when it turns off I sit there for the minute and watch streams of bubbles coming out my plants lol.
 
Ive heard of quite afew ways people have there systems set up, im just trying to find a baseline which I can tweak to my needs.

 

[levahe]

The most important thing is to make sure you have enough co2 dissolved in the water before the lights turn on. So at the time the lights turn on the drop checker needs to be lime green or if following the method in post #4, a pH drop of 1 level. It could take 2 hours or 3 hours, you need to time it to coincide with lights on.

This is the most important part of setting up co2, the plants need to have the co2 available to them immediately when the lights turn on.
You should increase the co2 gradually even if it takes 1 week or even 2 weeks it doesn't matter, a little bit at a time until its set up correctly.

If you find that you get the gas set up so you have a 1ph drop at lights on , but after that the gas level rises too quick then you can make adjustments such as using a slower injection rate and start earlier and/or increase surface agitation to gas off co2 quicker and maintain a steady level of co2 in your water.

 

[SO19Firearms]

100% and its not my theory, I copied it from another forum.

I'd personally go with the drop checker - But I've got to ask, shouldn't hardness come in to it somewhere...?

 

[levahe]

Regardless of the kh level the pH drop will be around 1 level, alkalinity can resist pH change but still won't make a massive difference so the general figure to aim for is a 1ph drop or as near to

 

[SO19Firearms]

KH 4
7.2  -> 6.5 pH
7.6  -> 37.9 ppm CO2
 
KH 10
7.2   -> 6.5 pH
18.9 -> 94.9 ppm CO2
 
I take that to mean it kind of matters - That's why IMO a drop checker should be 4dKH so that lime green means 30ppm and so that you take out one of the variables by keeping the KH constant.
( I think the inaccuracy for 2 variables is the root of the sum of the squares - so better to measure one thing instead of 2)
 
I could be wrong tho

 

[Sophie]

 

 Can I ask why you turn your filter off? You shouldn't turn your filter off ever unless cleaning it?

 
If he's using a Fluval FX5 it stops by design every 24 hours to allow any trapped air to escape. There might be other filters that do the same too.
 

 
My FX6 expels air every 12 hours

 

[Fluval-1200]

Within 2 hours of lights on I have a lime green (bit towards green than yellow) drop checker, it does stay that colour all day.
 
My kh was 0degrees and gh was 5degrees a couple days ago, will re check these tomorrow.

 

[levahe]

Within 2 hours of lights on I have a lime green (bit towards green than yellow) drop checker, it does stay that colour all day.
 
My kh was 0degrees and gh was 5degrees a couple days ago, will re check these tomorrow.

The drop checker needs to be lime green when the lights turn on