CO2 + pH Question!!!

[rocklobster]

I'm planning to set up a high tech planted aquarium with pressurized CO2 @ 3WPG in my 75G. Unfortunately, I do not have any experience raising discus, so here's my question.

Would leaving the CO2 on overnight (with lights off) cause enough of an increase to harm, or potentially kill the fish due to a fluctuation of pH levels?

[lipadj46]

dont worry about ph worry about gassing your fish. most either shut CO2 off at night or if they dont have a solenoid turn airstones on at night

Sent from my LG-P505 using Tapatalk

[jimg]

It all depends on your water and amount of plants. I ended up leaving the co2 on 24 hrs stayed much more stable that way for my set up.
You have to adjust according to yours. my advice is to never run co2 without a ph controller and solenoid.

[rocklobster]

Thanks for the information.

I think I may run my setup with a solenoid to turn off the CO2 at night. I heard it's possible to kill your fish due to the pH swing, how likely is that for discus, and how big of a swing are we talking about?

[jimg]

Thanks for the information.

I think I may run my setup with a solenoid to turn off the CO2 at night. I heard it's possible to kill your fish due to the pH swing, how likely is that for discus, and how big of a swing are we talking about? it all depends on your water. your plants have to put out the same(stop using) amount of co2 during the night as the co2 being put in during the day. my reason for leaving it on is it took too long in the morning to get ph back down when co2 was turned on. Imo there is no set way, you have to see how your tank reacts to a certain amount of co2.

[rocklobster]

it all depends on your water. your plants have to put out the same(stop using) amount of co2 during the night as the co2 being put in during the day. my reason for leaving it on is it took too long in the morning to get ph back down when co2 was turned on. Imo there is no set way, you have to see how your tank reacts to a certain amount of co2.

How's your surface agitation?

[jimg]

How's your surface agitation?I had a trickle filter,so I had to up the co2 a bit

[rocklobster]

I had a trickle filter,so I had to up the co2 a bit

Nice :]

Were any of your discus acting weird when you did decide to attach the solenoid into a timer? I'm obviously going to experiment first (not with discus), just wanted to get more opinions. But I'm leaning towards leaving it on 24/7, and trying to keep my drop checker green to avoid any accidental deaths. I'll have a spray bar, plus a power head so hopefully there will be enough surface agitation so the O2 won't be depleted during the night - does that make sense? D:

[jimg]

you have to play to see! without the ph controller (milwaukee sms122) and solenoid, when my co2 tank got low it would dump whatever co2 was left in the tank into the aquarium, I caught it but just in time and prayed it didn't effect the fish down the road.happened 2 times. if your serious about it a scale under the co2 tank is good to have to keep ahead of running out on a weekend or thanksgiving as one of the times it happened here.
You may have to shut it off at night, remember i had the trickle filter that helped balance things in my tank too.

[tacks]

Hi I will through my 2 cents here. I have a planted tank with discus hi tech lighting. I keep my ph@5.5 with co2. I have it come on 1hr before my lights and go off 1 hr before my lights. My ph during the night may rise to 6.0-6.3. I dont feel this has any effect on the wild discus I have. This is just the way I do it and have never had a problems at all. thanks Ed

[jimg]

Hi I will through my 2 cents here. I have a planted tank with discus hi tech lighting. I keep my ph@5.5 with co2. I have it come on 1hr before my lights and go off 1 hr before my lights. My ph during the night may rise to 6.0-6.3. I dont feel this has any effect on the wild discus I have. This is just the way I do it and have never had a problems at all. thanks Edjust out of curiosity did you ever leave it on 24 hrs to see if it stays the same?

[lipadj46]

do you guys use drop checkers and a 4 dkh soln to ensure your co2 conc. is sufficient?

sent from my ti-85 during chemistry class

[tacks]

Hi Jim Because the plants are not using the co2 at night, I was afraid that I might have a build up of co2. I know in the morning my ph has risen a small amount, due too my ph controller. I do use a drop checker but after all these years I could do with out it. thanks Ed

[jimg]

I never used a drop checker, I relied on charts that use kh and ph. as long as my kh was the same(source wise) I don't think the charts are that bad,next time I set up planted I will probably try a drop checker.

I was always afraid of the ph swing so I always did whatever I could to avoid it, I know many say that it don't hurt, not that i disagree, just that if i could avoid it i always did, peace of mind i guess.

[rocklobster]

I'm most likely going to leave the CO2 on 24/7 and see how my HC Cuba reacts to that. From there I'll introduce shrimp, and smaller fish and see how they do (with CO2 on 24/7). I don't want to risk the pH swing, and I think I have enough surface agitation so I don't gas the fish at night.

[aztecdiscus]

So ph lowers with co2 ..?

[tacks]

Hi just a reminder that shrimp do not like c02 and plants will not grow at night with no light. Ed

[jerman]

Add an air stone/pump at night when the lights are off..on a timer... The Fresh air will offset the co2 that is not being used by the plants. A lot of the plant guys are doing this now due to issues with solenoids dining ...and it's a lot cheaper

[rbarn]

You need to get a PH controller. Period. Do not take short cuts with this.

1. Get a good drop checker Co2 concentration meter. (ADA makes a nice one)
2. Get a good PH controller to control Co2 injection.

Inject Co2 to the correct PH until the drop checker shows proper Co2 levels. Then set controller to hold that PH.

If you get a good controller it will control everything from heaters, lights to co2/ph. Every tank should have one in my opinion.