Fish gasping and c02

[badbart]

I'm a little confused on how to read my co2 levels. I have pressurized co2 on my 75 gallon planted tank and a red sea drop checker. When the drop checker turns a light green the fish seem stressed and are gasping for air, the fish are not at the surface but seem to breath fast and gasp. But when I measure my PH and KH, PH 6.9 and KH 15 which gives me a co2 level of 57ppm. Could my drop checker be wrong? I ordered a new drop checker and solution: CAL AQUA LABS Double Drop Checker | Green Leaf Aquariums. My ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels are all in line. The only other problem I can think of is I used softened water, I wounder if the fish do not like softened water softened with a salt water softener. I'm in the process of doing 30% water changes per day to get rid of the softened water.

For now I think I will set my ph controller to kick on at 7.1 and see what happens.

[rkilling1]

What are you putting in the drop checker?

[badbart]

Originally Posted by rkilling1

What are you putting in the drop checker?

The red sea CO2 indicator fluid that came with it , its says to mix it with aquarium water.. Thats must be my problem, its cheap and not accurate with my high KH water.

[thatmagicguy]

Why do people inject cO2 when there are fish in the tank? This has always puzzled me. I understand the point of injecting it to get spectacular plant displays but it simply makes no sense when there are fish in the tank.

Also, is it not true that plants produce cO2 in the dark?

I would love to hear the simple yet logical explanation for this.

I understand it in a non-fish planted tank but considering the amount of people that I have encountered with fish suffering from high cO2 in tanks that have it injected it simply makes no sense.

And just for the record, going back in reference material dated 1930's-1940's it seems people had magnificient plant tanks without injecting gas into the water.

Bill

[ingg]

Originally Posted by CrazyPlantLady

Plants produce CO2 24/7. If given sufficient lighting for photosynthesis to occur, then they will consume CO2 and release oxygen as well during the lighting period.

That isn't true. During photosynthesis, net CO2 is consumed, not released. As a matter of fact, it is consumed in a far greater amount than any night respiration.

Net effect is a loss of CO2 in a given 24 hour period. Invariably, unless your plants are dying of course - and then you have some bigger things to worry about.


As to why we inject CO2 and why they didn't in the 30's, there are a myriad of reasons. Here are just a couple: They couldn't and didn't push the light levels and growth levels we can push now. They didn't keep many of the species we keep now. They didn't know/have the equipment to do it.

Do you have to push those light levels? No. And you won't have the tanks you see in an ADA journal, either. Nor will you keep a myriad of species widely available now. Certainly a option, however, if you are okay with a jungle of vals, moss, Anubias, etc...

As to the dangers of CO2 on livestock, it is invariably operator error or a gross malfunction of equipment. Fish don't gasp in 30ppm. CO2 is essentially an acid, and is essentially burning the gills of fish when they are gasping at the surface - and you have to hit some pretty high levels to do that, levels no one needs to push in any circumstance.

[mgamer20o0]

Why do people inject cO2 when there are fish in the tank?

some plants must have co2 to be able to grow in the tanks. though there not many the 10x growth rates and the colors it brings out is worth it.

Also, is it not true that plants produce cO2 in the dark?

yes... and fish produce co2 also.... though the amount is so low it doesnt help much.

I understand it in a non-fish planted tank but considering the amount of people that I have encountered with fish suffering from high cO2 in tanks that have it injected it simply makes no sense.

often people just blame the co2 for other problems. really have to dump a lot of co2 into the water.

And just for the record, going back in reference material dated 1930's-1940's it seems people had magnificient plant tanks without injecting gas into the water.

i say often so do many other people you dont have to have high lights and co2 to have a fully wonderful looking planted tank.

The red sea CO2 indicator fluid that came with it , its says to mix it with aquarium water.. Thats must be my problem, its cheap and not accurate with my high KH water.

thats the problem you are adding too much co2. a drop checker needs 4kh to work right. you did the right thing by moving the ph monitor up. watch your fish and if you see them gasping raise it up more.

[badbart]

The fish are fine now, I'll keep PH around 7.0 - 7.2.

[JustOneMore20]

Try to find a 4 dkh solution for the drop checker....you can't use aquarium water, as its not accurate.

I can't tell if the solution that comes with that Cal Aqua drop checker is 4 dkh or not, but most likely it is.

[mgamer20o0]

yes it does. green leaf sells some good stuff over there.

[ingg]

Semantics get you nowhere. The statement was at best misleading in the context of the post. Yes, technically, respiration occurs all the time.

The posts, however, pertained to rising CO2 levels.

Look - The guy is scared about gasping fish and your post sort of makes it sound like the plants are contributing, when they aren't... does that make sense?

I know the college lab work, too. But it should be put into context given the OP's concern and questions, no?