Pressurized Co2 wasted on a tank with sump wet/dry filtration?

[seancj]

I may get lucky with a local used Co2 system but wanted to know if I should even bother with it taking into consideration my tank's system?
I'm using a sump wet/dry trickle filter filtration as well as a new Fluval FX5 canister filter to run the tank.
I've heard that with the sump wet/dry, there is too much O2 in the water and that pressurized Co2 would be wasted.
Is this true?
I'm really wanting to grow some nice plants in this tank as well as keep discus as well. I have 11 coming from Backyarddiscus in two weeks.
Currently, I'm dosing Fourish and Flourish Excel, 2 x weekly, as directed on the bottles, but the plants don't seem to be doing anything, some are losing leaves like crazy, and I have some hair algae starting to cover all the HC ground cover.
I'm running two 250 watt DE 6700 K bulbs and have cut back to 6 hours a day with those. I'll be adding two 48" dual T5 fixtures with 10K and pink bulbs each, 2 x 54 watts each for a total of 324 watts of T5 lighting over the tank (108 watts of 10K, 108 watts of 14K and 108 watts of pink). These I plan on running for a 10 hour period, less if advised to so so.
Anyway, should I buy the Co2 system or would it be a waste of money considering my tank's filtration set up?
Thanks all!
Sean

[seancj]

Well, I've just done a few searches and read many old threads on this subject. Found my answers there. Looks like the pressurized Co2 won't work with the sump trickle filtration.
I'll try lowering the light level a bit more, both frequency and intensity, being smarter with plant selection, continue with the Flourish dosing, and see what happens.

[calihawker]

Hey Sean, don't write off the sump/wet/dry with c02 idea to quick. I firmly beleive in the benifits of pressurized c02. It took a while to find this link but it should help and it'll lead you to other ideas the planted tank folk do.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/general-planted-tank-discussion/88350-wet-dry-co2.html


HTH!:D

[darbex]

CO2 will work with a wet/dry system its just not nearly as effective as a closed loop system. You will either have to increase the amount of CO2 your regulator allows or you will not get the full growth that you may want. But in the long run its cheaper than using Seachem Excel. So its just a matter of what you want.

[Chad Hughes]

I use sumps on all my pressurized CO2 systems. They work great!


I appen to run the FX5 and a sump on my 150. Just ike you are going to do. LOL!

Best wishes!

[pcsb23]

No reason not to use pressurised CO2 with a sump, you may use a little more CO2 depending on how the sump is configured but it is cheap enough. On large planted tanks requiring additional carbon pressurised CO2 is really the only way to go imo. Also with your lights you will need CO2 I think.

[fishfrenzy]

I'm using a sump wet/dry trickle filter filtration as well as a new Fluval FX5 canister filter to run the tank.


I know this is off the subject but I was just wondering why you use both a cannister filter and a sump filter. I'm a newb and I just use a sump filter for my 135 gallon.

[cyberhog05]

I cant imagine the amount of Co2 lost with a sump. Chad does your sump have a cover/lid to atleast trap the co2 before its lost into your living room or where ever your tank is? I know that just having 2 air stones in my tank I loose a considerable amount of co2. Let me rephrase that...It takes longer to reach desired co2 levels

[darbex]

I know this is off the subject but I was just wondering why you use both a cannister filter and a sump filter. I'm a newb and I just use a sump filter for my 135 gallon.

Not everyone is the same. But most people do it for better flow and use the sump for Bio and use Cannister for mechanical. The problem with sump and CO2 is that it causes more oxygen into the water by turning the water over which allows for the CO2 to escape.