Should I stop pumping oxygen in my tank?

[NoMoreGoldFish]

Are oxygen and Co2 the only two dissolved gases in water? The reason I'm asking is, I'm planning to add pressurized Co2 to my tank but I also have an air pump running. So if oxygen and Co2 content in water always are relative (like 60/40, 50/50, 50/60, etc.), then it would be counter intuitive to pump and diffuse both gases into the water.

Thanks.

 

[Vircomore]

Partially correct. You do not want to run an air pump while running Co2, but not because the two gasses directly compete - but because of something called "off-gassing".

Basically, the bubbling from the airstone will cause the CO2 in the water to escape more quickly into the air. Think if it this way:

You have a bottle of soda, that is just sitting still. The soda is pressurized with CO2.

Without opening the bottle, you shake it - and it foams up. This is because the shaking caused some extra CO2 to un-dissolve from the soda.

Same thing with an airpump. The air bubbles cause extra CO2 to escape.

 

[NoMoreGoldFish]

Thanks for the response.

So I guess surface agitation is a no-no for planted tanks? That would make it difficult for me to add fish because my water temp hovers around 86 degrees without blowing a fan on it. I might need to find a compromise. Anyway, thanks for the information. Have a good day.