When should my CO2 come on?

36 comments

It's a good idea to start your CO2 roughly an hour or so before your lights come on. The reason for this is simple.

When your lights come on, you want your plants to hit for floor running. What I mean by that is you want your plants to begin growing instantly. As the CO2 build up over the 60 minutes before the lights are on your levels begin to rise (remembering the carbon dioxide has been off for maybe 16 hours) and your plants take complete advantage of this. Good levels of CO2 and lighting (don't forget your fertilisers) = happy planted aquarium.

By contrast, having your CO2 come on when your lights start up, you delay the growing process as it takes roughly 1 hour for CO2 levels to hit that perfect 30ppm level.

In addition, turn your CO2 off 1 hour before your lights go off. There will be sufficient CO2 in your tank for that time for your plants to continue growing.
When do you turn your CO2 on and off?

36 comments

Chris
Chris

Hi my co2 is on the same timer that my lights are on both come on at the same time and go off at the same time. I have my air stones come on when lights and co2 go off

Richard
Richard

you can – it won’t effect plants

Ian Mcburdis
Ian Mcburdis

Hello Richard, when my day light goes off can I turn on a red or blue moon light on or this harm the plant or co2.

Richard
Richard

it’s not the number of bubbles that count as all bubble counters are different

You need a drop checker to monitor the levels and you increase your CO2 flow rate according to the change of colour in the drop checker

Mano
Mano

Hi I’ve installed co2 n I’ve kept a bubble counter 2 bubbles per second but I’m unable to see any reaction in The diffuser ?

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