aquarium salt and tank issue?

[Johnstamos003]

On a timer or 24/7?

 

[jetajockey]

Was this the tank that had an issue with a high co2 level? Or was that something else.

Most people shy away from using salt as a preventative, and I agree, it's an old school method that really should be saved for use as a treatment rather than a remedy.

 

[allaboutfish]

the airator is on 24/7 why?

 

[Johnstamos003]

If it's not broke don't fix it. Running during the daylight hours usually causes CO2 to leave your tank - diminishing plant growth. I put all mine on timers to run with the lights of when the plants are no longer using CO2 and adding oxygen to the water. If you have plants that don't demand adding CO2 you should be fine.

 

[allaboutfish]

oh ok i dont have plants that need Co2 and i dont add Co2

 

[mfdrookie516]

All plants need co2... and running an air stone or providing adequate surface agitation will most likely increase co2 in a planted tank without co2 injection.

 

[allaboutfish]

im totally confused

 

[rich311k]

All green plants in fact anything that photosynthesizes uses carbon, usually CO2 as the building block for the sugars they are making.

Running an airstone on a tank without CO2 injection increases the amount of CO2 in the water my maintaining the dissolved levels of CO2 at the ambient amount in the atmosphere.

If you are running a CO2 injection system then the airstone would take the injected gas out of the water at faster rate than it would normally dissipate.

 

[allaboutfish]

ahhhh ok so adding the airstone will help my plants and my fish?

 

[rich311k]

Correct, it will not hurt anything and may help.

 

[mfdrookie516]

It won't hurt anything.. may not help if you have adequate surface agitation though

 

[allaboutfish]

yaya! is it ok not to use an airstone?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I have never used one... but, that all depends on whether you have enough gas exchange or not

 

[allaboutfish]

meaning?

 

[Johnstamos003]

Based on your description of fish behavior without airstone I'd keep it running, preferably only at night.

 

[allaboutfish]

ok so how do you tell if a fish has popeye? either my cockatoo male has big eyes or he has popeye plus he hasnt been moving much or eating much