Should I Turn Off the Airstone for Better C02?

[DISCUS STU]

I'm definitely a novice with planted tanks but I'm trying to keep a 55 gal. with natural river sand, a few Radican Swords, and some Valisneria. I have about 5-6 full grown Discus, 25 mixed Cardinals and Black Tetras, 4-5 Plecos, and about 18 Sterbai.

Filtration: 50% water changes every 3-4 days, UV, canister filters, and an airstone.

Lighting is a full spectrum flourescent, nope I haven't gone to LED's yet, and the lighting cycle is form 8 am - 10 pm. (14 hours). Lately I'm adding Seachem Flourish and I'm not using a C02 device.

The Swords are doing ok, but the Valisneria which used to flourish before I added back the Swords just keep dying.

Would it be a good idea to only run the airstone at night so as to allow more C02 from the fish to be used by the plants during the day?

Thanks,

Stu

[Ryan925]

I'm definitely a novice with planted tanks but I'm trying to keep a 55 gal. with natural river sand, a few Radican Swords, and some Valisneria. I have about 5-6 full grown Discus, 25 mixed Cardinals and Black Tetras, 4-5 Plecos, and about 18 Sterbai.

Filtration: 50% water changes every 3-4 days, UV, canister filters, and an airstone.

Lighting is a full spectrum flourescent, nope I haven't gone to LED's yet, and the lighting cycle is form 8 am - 10 pm. (14 hours). Lately I'm adding Seachem Flourish and I'm not using a C02 device.

The Swords are doing ok, but the Valisneria which used to flourish before I added back the Swords just keep dying.

Would it be a good idea to only run the airstone at night so as to allow more C02 from the fish to be used by the plants during the day?

Thanks,

Stu

If you run your airstone during the day you are gassing off a lot of your co2. When I used to have my discus tank planted my plants were flourishing with co2 and proper ferts. I ran no air during the day and relied on the o2 produces by the plants.

Do you have a drop checker in the tank?

[DISCUS STU]

If you run your airstone during the day you are gassing off a lot of your co2. When I used to have my discus tank planted my plants were flourishing with co2 and proper ferts. I ran no air during the day and relied on the o2 produces by the plants.

Do you have a drop checker in the tank?

I'm not familiar with a drop checker. Is this a C02 measuring device?

[Ryan925]

I'm not familiar with a drop checker. Is this a C02 measuring device?

It is. It has a solution in it that will change color to indicate co2 level in the water. I really like the ones from Greenleaf. They are a but pricey but nice quality. I like the double ones they have that has a chamber for reference solution and a chamber for the indicator solution.

Some of the cheapo ones you find on Amazon and eBay will just come with ph solution as the indicator solution. What you want is a 4dkh solution which you can purchase or make your own. The Greenleaf pieces cine wth true 4dkh solution

[DISCUS STU]

Thanks Ryan. I assume that you have a planted setup. Can you detail it here?

[bluelagoon]

IMO,the Seachem Flourish could be killing your Valisneria especially if it's the American or jungle type.They just do not like injected/liquid CO2;they will melt if used.10 hours of light is long enough.If your not adding CO2 the air stone would not make much difference.CO2 and O2 have way of staying balanced in moving water due to atmospheric pressure.But if you inject CO2,best to use the air stone at night to gas off the extra CO2 that the plants make at night and a more stable PH.You can have a planted tank without added CO2,ferts and high lighting.It doesn't have to be high tech for plants to grow.Swords can be fed with root tabs.

[Ryan925]

Thanks Ryan. I assume that you have a planted setup. Can you detail it here?

I do. My discus tank used to be planted but no longer is so I have set up a planted 65 community tank for my son.

I run a a 5# co2 tank with a solenoid regulator. I have the co2 set to come on one hour before lights on and off one hour before lights off I'm running a current usa satellite pro plus for lighting. I have a green leaf bubble counter and a green leaf diffuser. My wife broke my nice green leaf drop checker so just have a cheap backup in the tank now. I run my co2 on the higher end so that my drop checker is a light green but not yellow. I also dose the Greenleaf pps pro ferts.

When my discus tank was planted my plants were not great until I got my ferts dialed in I was using the full line of seachem ferts but those liquid ferts get expensive real quick plus is a pain dosing this one day and that another. With the pps pro the dose of micro and macro are exactly the same everyday before lights on. Makes it very easy. 110419
That's a shot of the discus tank before I went to hardscape

That was actually after removing some plants. My pygmy chain swords grew insanely fast and took over one whole corner. The red sword on the right ended up getting huge before I got rid of the plants

[White Worm]

I turn off the air-stone during the day when running CO2 and turn it back on at night. Lights are on about 8hours a day and I also use the dry ferts.

[Ryan925]

IMO,the Seachem Flourish could be killing your Valisneria especially if it's the American or jungle type.They just do not like injected/liquid CO2;they will melt if used.10 hours of light is long enough.If your not adding CO2 the air stone would not make much difference.CO2 and O2 have way of staying balanced in moving water due to atmospheric pressure.But if you inject CO2,best to use the air stone at night to gas off the extra CO2 that the plants make at night and a more stable PH.You can have a planted tank without added CO2,ferts and high lighting.It doesn't have to be high tech for plants to grow.Swords can be fed with root tabs.

I agree with that. When I first started the tank i double dosed excel to rid the tank of algae and it melted the vals which had been growing like crazy

[jmf3460]

yes turn off your bubbler in the day (put it on a timer that is opposite your co2) and get a drop checker.

[bluelagoon]

I agree with that. When I first started the tank i double dosed excel to rid the tank of algae and it melted the vals which had been growing like crazy

I've had that experience with Vals.I have also had planted tanks in the past.Tried different methods of dosing.Lighting is the key,every set up is a bit different.What works for some ,might not for others.lots of ways to set up planted tanks,not all for discus.Google "EI dosing" this method will work with adult discus.

[DISCUS STU]

I just got back to my tank to check and after 4 1/2 hours of not having the airstone on my Discus were gasping at the surface. A quick 50% water change and putting the airstone back on has set things right.

[Ryan925]

I just got back to my tank to check and after 4 1/2 hours of not having the airstone on my Discus were gasping at the surface. A quick 50% water change and putting the airstone back on has set things right.

Definitely want a drop checker then

[Neptune]

Flourish Excel is glutaraldehyde. It is very diluted for aquarium use but what it really is, is a disinfectant used for cold sterilization in the medical industry.

It has a half life of about 7.5-8 hours. When I was using it regularly I would buy it by the gallon and dilute it myself.
Here are my thoughts on the stuff..
1. There are some human health issues, it can cause skin irritation, etc. But at the levels used for aquariums, pretty minor. But I was getting a little concerned with long term exposure.
2. Many Many stories where it melted Val.
3. And here is the biggy...it is no way a good carbon source for plant photosynthesis. It can't even come close to gaseous CO2 for plant growth. The plant has to essentially use energy to break down the Glut to get the carbon out of it.
The plant is using energy to use the glut. It does not have to do that with CO2.

AND
4. As an algae control......works great....my mission is to try to get people to understand that as a carbon source, not so good, as an algae control....great stuff..
OK< off my soapbox!!

[bluelagoon]

I have used this glutaraldehyde in planted tanks in the past.I honestly believe that this is where tumors came from on my sensitive fish like rams and Apistogramma species.I haven't had that issue since I stopped using it.Also molts vals and some other plants.If my memory is correct,I believe it also molted swords around the stem just above the root.It will get rid of algae in just a few days.