# Air Pump with live plants and CO2?



## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to be using the DIY method for CO2 injection when I convert to a planted aquarium until I can afford a pressurized system and so there is no way to shut off the CO2. What does concern me a little is the CO2 levels in the tank getting too high and the fish suffocating.

Obviously the plants will be producing O2 when the lights are on and they are photo synthesizing so I dont want the airpump on removing the CO2 from the water, but when the lights are off the plants will be producing CO2 themselves and the CO2 concentration will increase. 

Should I put the air pump on a timer to switch on when the lights turn off? My filter does produce quite a bit of surface agitation so that does help somewhat.

What should I do?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Almost all here recommend the use of a drop checker to keep track of CO2 levels.They are rather cheap and a good saftey measure(you'll have to have one if you go pressurised).Without knowing levels it's hard to say if the air pump is necessary.If you know your level is high(enough) than your solution is correct;a air pump on timer for night(lights out )time.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If your tank has good circulation with plenty of surface movement and gas exchange, I don't think you'll have much to worry about. If you gang multiple bottles, possibly. The tanks you have in your sig would not be threatened by DIY for the most part.

Some run bubblers when the light is off with DIY, because there is no way to shut it off. I think it is going a little overboard, personally. If you are diffusing the bubbles with a powerhead, just turning the powerhead would suffice and the CO2 bubble would just go straight to the surface before it is broken up into many tiny bubbles. Doesn't really matter though unless you are going to gang 3-4 bottles. Wouldn't hurt, but your choice.


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

I did the diy co2 on my 20 gallon tank before you start get a drop checker.amazon has them.i used a 2 litter coke bottle and a 16oz bottle as a bubble counter.the 16oz bottle works as a bubble counter and filter the co2 before it goes to the tank.its hard to overdose with diy.i used one 2 litter on my 20 gallon but that's was not enough but start out with one for a week or so.if its not enough add another 2 litter bottle with a T.its very easy.i would google it and look at some of the youtube videos.lots of good ones on there to show how to do it.good luck and let us know how it goes.ill post a link for the one I have.here it is.hope this helps.Amazon.com: Fluval CO2 Indicator Kit: Pet Supplies


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You'll still need 4dkh water to put in it that is mixed with the solution that is proovided. Mixing it with tank water, as the instructions state, renders the DC unreliable.


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

the link above the drop checker comes with the 4dkh solution in it in a bottle.just fil it up to the line on the checker and turn it over and install in tank.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Not according to Hagen's website

http://uk.hagen.com/Aquatic/Watercare/Additives---Supplements/A7551

The bottle that it comes with is what is added to the 4dkh. The 4dkh is just water with 4 degrees of carbonate hardness.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

What gets added to the 4dkh solution? A pH reagent? The add seems very misleading if this is true!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

coralbandit said:


> What gets added to the 4dkh solution? A pH reagent? The add seems very misleading if this is true!


Yes, that's right. You can use the blue bottle (API), 3-4 drops, and then fill to the line the rest of the way with the 4dkh water. You can also use the solution they send with it, which I think is the same as the ph reagent.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

very misleading info from manufacturer, which again confirms (to me) why I am such a skeptic of the industry that sells crap that won't perform as claimed or is just bunk to begin with.Also explains the bad reveiw I read as this product is not accurate at all.They obviously follwed directions(tank water....) and never got the tool to work properly!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If your tank water happens to be right at 4dkh, it could work. The odds are slim though. Before I learned better, I used tank water. What I found out is the tanks that had harder water would take more to turn color from blue, softer less. The danger is if you have something like really hard water, say 10dkh, and pressurized CO2. If normal practice is to keep tweaking up you could put your fish at risk just trying to get the green indication.


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

my fluval kit does not say you add anything else just what is in the bottle which is blue and fil it to the line.am I not doing it right?


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## Auban (Aug 8, 2010)

if you dont have a very powerful method of diffusion, you are probably fine. get the drop checker with the 4dkh solution to be sure though. if you are just running an airstone or the ceramic disk diffusers without sending it through a powerhead or filter or some such thing, i doubt you can reach levels that will harm your fish.

i have heard of one guy on TPT who told me that he gassed a 55g with a single 2 liter, but in order to do so he had to have used a method of diffusion that is FAR more efficient than normal.

if you overload your bottle with yeast, you can get it to produce up to about five times faster than normal, but it means it will burn itself out in just a few days. so be careful with your mix.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

rtmaston said:


> my fluval kit does not say you add anything else just what is in the bottle which is blue and fil it to the line.am I not doing it right?


If it only has that little dropper bottle and not another bottle with 4dkh water, maybe not. I would ditch the fluids they send with it, get the 4dkh solution and use it with the ph regeant that you test your ph with. Providing you use an API test kit. Put in 3-4 drops of the ph stuff and then fill to the line the rest of the way with the 4dkh.


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