When should I have my co2 on
- Thread starter Blake0509
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Hi which Co2 kit did you get and what is your source of Co2? Is it a chemical reaction or pressurised canister?
Hopefully as part of your kit you will have a regulator which has gauges and dials on to help you see how much is going into the tank. Usually you are able to attach (or it comes attached) with a solanoid which is magnetic clamp that is operated by a plug that you attach to a timer plug.
You usually only want the Co2 entering the tank for an hour before the lights come on to an an hour before your lights go off. Thats when the plants are going to be photosynthsising and using the Co2 to make oxygen, when the lights go off you want to be running an airstone overnight as with no light the plants start to use oxygen and produce Co2. This is also why you should turn the Co2 supply off before the lights so that the plants use as much of the Co2 up as possible.
In a new tank its really important to use the oxygen at night as plants wont be growing at their full rate as most of them will be transfering from their emerged state to their submerssed state.
Wills
Hopefully as part of your kit you will have a regulator which has gauges and dials on to help you see how much is going into the tank. Usually you are able to attach (or it comes attached) with a solanoid which is magnetic clamp that is operated by a plug that you attach to a timer plug.
You usually only want the Co2 entering the tank for an hour before the lights come on to an an hour before your lights go off. Thats when the plants are going to be photosynthsising and using the Co2 to make oxygen, when the lights go off you want to be running an airstone overnight as with no light the plants start to use oxygen and produce Co2. This is also why you should turn the Co2 supply off before the lights so that the plants use as much of the Co2 up as possible.
In a new tank its really important to use the oxygen at night as plants wont be growing at their full rate as most of them will be transfering from their emerged state to their submerssed state.
Wills
Thank you very much for this reply it has really helped, I am using a solenoid regulator I bought online, I will have to buy a timed plug for it, I am using 2kg fire enstuinuigsher for co2 it seems to be working only just set it up going for about 1 bubble every 2 seconds I'd say, I am going to dig out the old airstone, do you recon if I forget the air stone some nights it will be still be ok?
It is not a new tank and I was using a co2 kit before which was pressurised but by a little can I had to press myswlf which sat above the water slowly dissolving. I am also using ferts/root tabs just wanted to give it the boost I hope it needs
Which kind of regulator do you have? Until you get the timer plugs you can just unplug it - when its unplugged the magnets connect and stop the flow of gas which is important if you have fish in the tank as you dont want it running 24/7.
If you put the Co2 on a timer you can put the airstone on a timer too. So when the Co2 turns off the o2 turns on and when the Co2 turns on the o2 turns off.
The important thing with dosing Co2 is to always understand that there is a risk to the fish if you do it wrong so it is important to get it right. Do you have a drop checker?
Once you have the drop checker and are controling the Co2 and o2 supplies getting the balance right for the plants and avoiding algae are the next step. You need to get the bubble counter working so that the drop checker goes green, (I personally keep mine slightly turquoise just to be safe) and balance the Co2 with your fertilisers and the lighting.
I run my Co2 at about 1bps, with 4-5ml of tropica premium liquid fertiliser a day and a tropica soil substrate and a 66watt LED light at 70% for 6 hours. I have had some reasonably large algae issues but its worth persevering - each time I adjust and learn from it things seem to get better.
Wills
If you put the Co2 on a timer you can put the airstone on a timer too. So when the Co2 turns off the o2 turns on and when the Co2 turns on the o2 turns off.
The important thing with dosing Co2 is to always understand that there is a risk to the fish if you do it wrong so it is important to get it right. Do you have a drop checker?
Once you have the drop checker and are controling the Co2 and o2 supplies getting the balance right for the plants and avoiding algae are the next step. You need to get the bubble counter working so that the drop checker goes green, (I personally keep mine slightly turquoise just to be safe) and balance the Co2 with your fertilisers and the lighting.
I run my Co2 at about 1bps, with 4-5ml of tropica premium liquid fertiliser a day and a tropica soil substrate and a 66watt LED light at 70% for 6 hours. I have had some reasonably large algae issues but its worth persevering - each time I adjust and learn from it things seem to get better.
Wills
I have a drop checker which is currently still blue but I'm gonna give it a while to see if it changes, see I have my lights on for 12 hours at the moment but will probbaly decrease it as starting to get a black beard algae problem...
Do you have a fertiliser?
Its worth moving the drop checker around the tank to make sure you are getting consistent coverage. Inconsistent Co2 levels can lead to a variety of hair algae issues (like black beard). Most high energy set ups have lights on for between 6 and 8 hours I think at 12 you will have trouble.
What plants are you growing? Do you have any pics?
Wills
Its worth moving the drop checker around the tank to make sure you are getting consistent coverage. Inconsistent Co2 levels can lead to a variety of hair algae issues (like black beard). Most high energy set ups have lights on for between 6 and 8 hours I think at 12 you will have trouble.
What plants are you growing? Do you have any pics?
Wills
Not gonna lie I have no clue what plants I've been looking at a few and when I get my new tank I will probably think more about the selection here are a few pics I have taken, as you can see the left side of my tank is doing a damn site better than the right side I think this could be down to plants and where the old co2 was located
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This is a picture of it the other week before I cut it down
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