Co2 System Question

[mark2109111]

Hi, i got a pressurized co2 system for x-mas and was wondering what my lighting schedule should be.I have herd that and ideal amount of light is 10-12 hours a day. And that you should turn on your co2 system 2 hours before the light comes on and turn it off 90 min before the light goes off. Is this correct. I am putting the system on a timer and i just want to make sure i have my facts straight. I am currently using a 103watt T5 on my 55 gallon discus tank, and because of the discus i want to be very careful about the co2 dosage.

 

[Primous]

When it comes to switching the co2 on before the lights come on it really depends on the size of your tank. I have a 180L and turn the co2 on an hour before the lights. Also I've seen the idea of switching the co2 before the lights turn off. I'm not sure of the science behind that, I've looked into it and found nothing. So I keep my co2 on for the entire light period because thats when plants use it.

10-12 hours a day will cause algae to bloom especially if your using a high light like t5-t8. 8-9 hours max (I'd recommend 8 hours) perhaps adding led moon lights which switch on a few mins before your t5's turn off. Running those for an hour or two.

Hope that helps.

 

[tribalbrit]

I'd cut the lighting down to 7 or 8 hrs max and make sure you have plenty of ciculation.
Start the co2 off at 1 bubble per second and see how it goes, keep an eye on the drop checkers and dont let them go yellow, green is what you are aiming at. If one bubble per second doesn't turn the checkers from blue to green increase to two per second and carry on till you get them green.. wait a couple of days each time before increasing the bubble's.
Times before and after are about right.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

+1 on what has already been said, but to help your confidence. I run pressurized Co2 on my Discus tank, I have mine come on 1 hour before the lights and kill it at the same time as the lights go out. It lowers my pH by about 1 degree(from 7.5 to 6.5), so keeps my Discus very happy. I don't notice any swings in the pH at all, because obviously the plants release Co2 through the night so the levels are lovely and stable. The amount of Co2 you need will not only be related to the size of the tank, but also the density of the planting. As an example my tank(450 liter) was very heavily planted before, and I was pumping about 4 bps in. Now my tank has a lot less plants and I am down to 2 bps, with the same reading on my drop checker.

Hope that is useful

 

[SO19Firearms]

Also I've seen the idea of switching the co2 before the lights turn off. I'm not sure of the science behind that, I've looked into it and found nothing.

It's just an efficiency/wastage/algae thing. CO2 on an hour (or whatever) before lights on so you're at/on your way to 30ppm as soon as the plants start using it. Turn it off an hour(or whatever) before, as it's a waste to maintain the levels at lights out...(you'll get away with it ramping down into lights out)

 

[mark2109111]

system is all set up thanks for all the help