PerfectDepth
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2013
- Messages
- 607
I'm in the planning stage for a 20 long build with DIY CO2, and I'm wondering about whether or not I'll need to run aeration at night.
For lighting, I have a 30" Beamswork LED: 6500K, 57 X 0.5 watt LEDs (26W total)
Fish stocking plan:
8 harlequin rasboras
10 neon tetras
5 forktail blue-eye rainbowfish (p. furcatus)
3 or 4 otocinclus
RCS and ramshorn snails
...not overstocked, but a fairly heavy fish load. I'm kinda worried about the oxygen level possibly dropping too low at night. Should I run an airstone on a timer at night just to be safe? I have moderately hard water that is very well-buffered straight out of the tap. I don't know the KH since I haven't even bothered testing it for several years. GH stays between 130 & 150 mg/L according to the water quality data on the water works' website, and KH should be fairly close to that (plenty of CaCO3 and MgCO3 in our water). pH is quite high straight from the tap, but settles to around 7.6 - 7.8.
Questions:
1.) to aerate during lights-out or not?
2.) I've never used a drop checker before.. could someone explain the importance of using a reference solution in a drop checker? I don't think there will be much risk of adding too much CO2, so would using tank water instead give me a "close enough" reading?
3.) To diffuse the CO2, I thought about placing a small airstone inside a sponge that will hopefully trap some of the bubbles, and place this diffuser behind a small powerhead for dispersion. Thoughts on this method? Will the airstone create too much back-pressure for a DIY setup?
4.) any other advice or considerations I might be overlooking?
For lighting, I have a 30" Beamswork LED: 6500K, 57 X 0.5 watt LEDs (26W total)
Fish stocking plan:
8 harlequin rasboras
10 neon tetras
5 forktail blue-eye rainbowfish (p. furcatus)
3 or 4 otocinclus
RCS and ramshorn snails
...not overstocked, but a fairly heavy fish load. I'm kinda worried about the oxygen level possibly dropping too low at night. Should I run an airstone on a timer at night just to be safe? I have moderately hard water that is very well-buffered straight out of the tap. I don't know the KH since I haven't even bothered testing it for several years. GH stays between 130 & 150 mg/L according to the water quality data on the water works' website, and KH should be fairly close to that (plenty of CaCO3 and MgCO3 in our water). pH is quite high straight from the tap, but settles to around 7.6 - 7.8.
Questions:
1.) to aerate during lights-out or not?
2.) I've never used a drop checker before.. could someone explain the importance of using a reference solution in a drop checker? I don't think there will be much risk of adding too much CO2, so would using tank water instead give me a "close enough" reading?
3.) To diffuse the CO2, I thought about placing a small airstone inside a sponge that will hopefully trap some of the bubbles, and place this diffuser behind a small powerhead for dispersion. Thoughts on this method? Will the airstone create too much back-pressure for a DIY setup?
4.) any other advice or considerations I might be overlooking?