Experiences with CO2 injector

[Timinator]

My plants don't ever seem to do well.. I have plenty of light, I have fed plant food, I do however leave my lights on 24/7 but plants in my aquarium never seem to do well.. I wonder if this might help?? How can I test the CO2 level in my tank? Is this KH level? has anyone ever tried this and waht are your experiences?

Thanks.

T. C.

[ronrca]

Well, first thing you will need to do is set a day/night period. Plants need around 10-12hours of light however they do also require a period of darkness. I think that once you setup this day/night routine, your plants will do much better.

To test the levels of C02 in your tank, you need to test the kh and ph level. Then by using this link, you can determine the C02 level!

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

;)

[jules]

Thank you very much for this link, I had no idea how to calculate it. I've added it to my favorites. :D

[Timinator]

Yes, thanks for the link. I have tried shutting down my lights for the first time in a while.. I have the Walmart laser lights in the tank for a little illumination so my cardinals don't freak out well.. they freaked out and all huddled near the lights.. I watched for a little bit to see the reaction.. they eventually go off in their own way but I noticed that one of my discus was in the mood to "play" and as the cardinals aren't that "awake" in the dark, some of them were picked on.. (but none dead).. this is the reason i didn't turn my lights off to begin with.. What can I do to avoid this situation?? I ended up turning one light on while the other end of the tank remained dark.. If i added more of the colored lights for more illumination at dark, would that help??

I feel so nervous when i turn my lights off it's actually stupid! Can anyone help me?

Thanks
T.C.

[ChloroPhil]

T.C.

What size is your tank? A small incandescent bulb for a nightlight wouldn't hurt and would probably make your fish more comfortable. Leaving any large amount of light on 24/7 in a planted tank is generally a bad thing. Both fish and plants need a day/night cycle.

Best,
Phil

[ronrca]

I noticed that one of my discus was in the mood to "play" and as the cardinals aren't that "awake" in the dark, some of them were picked on.. (but none dead).. this is the reason i didn't turn my lights off to begin with.. What can I do to avoid this situation??

In my planted tank, when the lights go out, its pretty much pitch dark. My lights go off around 10pm so its dark outside already also. I do not have any 'night' lights and have not had any problems yet! ;)

[Timinator]

I have a 55G tank. I'm really paranoid about shutting off the lights especially after I seen one of the discus swim slowly to a cardinal resting near the plant and taking a shot at him.. I love my cardinals.. They are so nice and doing so well.. after I seen that discus take his shot, I turned the lights back on and all the cardinals were white as a ghost.. i just hate to see them that way! I have ordered 2 more lights for my Walmart special as I have 5 jacks to plug in.. these ones are orange in color so hopefully they will provide more light than the blue ones.. my brother has green ones and they are alot brighter than my blues.. If this idea doesn't work I will have to find another solution... Maybe shutting one canopy and leaving one on and alternating every night??

T.C.

[ronrca]

all the cardinals were white as a ghost
LOL! Most fish actually will lose their color in the dark! They will also become unactive and rest near the bottom listless. Once the lights do come on, the color returns and they starting swimming around again. Its natural! ;) If in total darkness, the discus will also 'sleep' and should not bother the cardinals. Of course, it will depend on how big the cardinals are compared to the discus.

Rule of thumb, if it will fit inside the month, it will eat it, lights on or not on! ;)

[lesley]

I have cardinals and discus. My discus are usually ready to "go to sleep" for the night before the cardinals. When the normal "lights out" time approaches, the discus all head to their normal resting area. Once all the lights go out here it is pitch black, we are in the country, no street lights, haven't lost any cardinals.

The cardinals are still young and could definitely be eaten if the discus desired.

[Timinator]

Thanks for the replies... My older discus, I can tell when he is tuckered out however, I have my younger one who likes to roam the bottom for food (I do feed them enough) and when he spots a resting cardinal he sneaks up on it and takes a shot.. sometimes he is succesfull and the cardinal gets away (haven't had any fatalities yet) will this discus eventually go into sleep mode or are discus hardly ever tired when young? I have only observed the tank for about 15-20mins.. there were still lights on in the room so they could still see.. Maybe having the tank pitch black is the key?

T.C.

[ronrca]

;)

Set up a timer that turns off the lights when you go to bed also and the room lights are off. I think you should be fine! ;)