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
I admit – I am a total newbie to CO2 injection..though I had been running a
25 gallon tropical tank with a lot of plants, and guppies, mollies etc since the last good 8/9 years.
I am thinking of taking the plunge into the CO2 injection scenario, and would like help from you experienced team of aquarists.
I have few questions regarding the same :-
1) Do I keep running CO2 24/7 ? or switch off at night ??
2) Do I run aeration pump at night (while the CO2 is switched off?)
My photo period is from 6am to 10am then from 6pm to 10pm – Do I switch off the CO2 during the times in between ?? its not pitch dark in the room though!
Your help will be greatly appreciated..
Thanks
Sam
CO2 only needs to be on when the lights are on. Ask yourself this question – why would you need CO2 when the plants are expiring (releasing CO2, not using it).
You can run an airstone at night if your fish are gasping. They will only gasp if your CO2 levels, plant mass and water distribution are wrong.
Having a gap in your photo period is a total waste of time and has no effect on algae. It also WILL NOT help your plants. A certain company thought a gap in the photo period was a good idea in the 1990s. Let’s not forget 50 years ago, smoking was good for you and helped expand your lungs…
So have your lighting on for a max of 8 hours per day in one stint.
Not really. See how it goes and adjust only if necessary.
A lot of people get worried about CO2 but there’s no need. If you use a drop checker with bromo blue solution you can tell if you are using too much CO2.
We sell drop checkers and bromo blue on the site and if you buy them together you save yourself £££ http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/ae-design-drop-checker-p-1231.html
Hi Richard. Thanks for this.
Yeh, it does make sense. I have kept the CO2 low as I was a little worried about adding too much and it becoming detrimental the fish? Can you advise on this please?
I will up it when the lights are on and turn it off at night and see how things go.
Not heard of a drop checker before (by the way, I am a complete novice!). I will look them up!
Thanks
Tim