24/7 co2 advice

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Kent2991

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 30, 2017
Messages
33
I usually run my co2 at 3 bubbles per second for 8 hours and I was wanting to avoid ph swings, so I was wondering if I ran my co2 at 1 bubble per second 24/ 7 if that would be fine for my fish. The lights would still be on for 8 hrs... just trying to avoid expensive regulators and etc. thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've never noticed any issues with the ph drop and then lift (with CO2 on/off) - are you seeing problems with the fish?
 
If you leave your CO2 on overnight, consider a bubbler for atmosphere. I've killed off a tank from leaving the CO2 on overnight. It was awful.
 
not really with the fish, just wanting to avoid that if it did happen. just recentlh started co2 as well as fertz
 
my c02 is a paintball tank diy so i have to turn it on manually and turn it off. i have the tine to do that now but i am only in high school and wont have that time soon
 
I usually run my co2 at 3 bubbles per second for 8 hours and I was wanting to avoid ph swings, so I was wondering if I ran my co2 at 1 bubble per second 24/ 7 if that would be fine for my fish. The lights would still be on for 8 hrs... just trying to avoid expensive regulators and etc. thanks!


this does not work. you will need a dual out put on your regulator to do what you want


You want your 3 bubbles per second when lights are on because plants are consuming Co2 during this time. If you want to avoid PH swings using CO2 you would need a solenoid to come on during lights on at 2 bubbles per second. You would plumb plumb a parallel circuit and a check valve to constantly provide 1 bubble per second 24/7.

SO at night the solenoid is off and by default you have a precision needle valve set up for 1 bubble per second constantly and on a branch circuit also providing CO2 to a 2nd precision needle valve that has a electrical solenoid that comes on 1/2 hour before lights on at 2 bubbles per second.


I do this myself, although it is not really necessary. I did this for my rabbit snail populations but they just don't adapt well to the acidic environment of a heavily planted tank.
 
Last edited:
so there is now way i coukd run it 24/7 i was thinking around 1 bubble every 3 seconds or so?
 
When I was running DIY CO2 it was running at 1 bubble every 2-3 seconds. Low output but it was on 24/7. Drop checker went from blue to bluish green throughout the day. Made no provisions for additional aeration during the lights off period. Plants did show increased growth with the addition of CO2 even at this minimal level (better than nothing).
I would say that this would be fine if the lighting is in the low to low medium range but no higher. If you do increase the CO2 output, I would put a powerhead or air pump on a timer to off gas the CO2 in the evenings.
 
ok thanks for all the advice, i will only use tge 24/7 as a temporary method until i get a better regulator!
 
Back
Top Bottom