[RAGEo2]

I have been Injecting [email protected] for about 2-3 weeks. Time flies when your acting like a mad scientist, anyways.

125 Gallon tank
20 gallon CO2 tank
Glass diffuser from DR Fosters
520 watts, 260 @ 5500K and 260 @ 12000K
10 hours of light

Here is my regimen. I dose Macros one day then Micros every other day according to my tank size in the morning before light ON. @7am my air pump that runs 2 air stones during the night turn OFF, 5 minutes later my lights ON then 5 minutes later my CO2 ON. I check my levels right before lights ON and I am at about 6.8-7.0PH. My KH is roughly 3.5-4. @ PM I test my PH again and it usually sits at 6.6 with KH about 3-3.5. I test once again @ about 5 right before lights OFF and I have been getting a PH reading of 6.0-6.2, KH of3.5 [email protected] 5:05 my lights go OFF, the CO2 turns off @ 5:15 and the air pump starts @ 5:20.

My concern is that I have German and Bolivian Rams including some Neons. I know they like 6.5 PH and I have read that a dip of .4 to .6 is a big swing for fish. Am I stressing my fish? Also my plants have been growing just fine and I have even had pearling everyday. I did notice some Algae today and that is rather new but I have been turning the light on for about and hour longer trying to replant the glosostigma that becomes loose. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[boink]

Given that youve been doing this for 2-3 weeks and the fish are alive and seem fine, i wouldnt worry about it. They can adapt, otherwise they will die.

 

[Green Leaf Aquariums]

What BPS are you @? That may be the issue with big PH swings, or driftwood
maybe?

 

[RAGEo2]

LOL, I like the answer but I still want to know if their is some thing that I am doing or can do to level things out a bit. Becasue if you look at the KH, PH chart, a KH of 3.5 and PH of 6 wich I get before lights out @ 5pm puts me @ 105ppm. According to the chart "above 25ppm can be harmful to fish".....

 

[boink]

well what instruments are you using to test those readings with?

 

[ianiwane]

pH swings due to CO2 do not harm fish.

 

[RAGEo2]

No drift Wood Orland, as for the BPM I am using a DIY syringe and it is rather difficut to count in such a small space, but I tried once and got 182 BPM

Boink, I use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

 

[danepatrick]

as ianiwane said, ph swings due to co2 are not going to harm them. ph with with chemicals will. the kh/ph chart is inacurate. it is used for estimating. learn how to read your plant and fish. they will tell you when you have too much co2. what kind of algae did you start noticing? most algae is from not enough co2.

 

[RAGEo2]

I believe it is diatom algae on the glass. I am sure it due to the fact that I had my lights on for an extra hour or two per day. Not bad just a few light blemishes. Also I just realized the light was touching the glass edge and could have cause the problem as their is no other presence of algae in the whole tank that I can see....

 

[Rex Grigg]

Hmm.... why not drop the bubble rate?

 

[RAGEo2]

Rex,That is what I was thinking but I guess if the PH swing caused by CO2 isn't horrible and the fish seem fine including the plants then I may just leave it alone. Though I did close the valve just a tiny little bit. But thanks for the input.

 

[Green Leaf Aquariums]

What BPS are you @? That may be the issue with big PH swings, or driftwood
maybe?

Yeah, BPS.. NOt bpm

 

[Loyal to the Oil]

Just a tought....

Does a person need to run an air stone if their CO2 is turned off at night ? I always thought that running an air stone over night was meant to drive off the excess CO2 for people who are adding CO2 all night when the plants arent using any. As with a DIY where the CO2 is on 24/7.

The way i see it if you are running CO2 all day at 30 ppm and then you turn off the CO2 AND turn on an airstone then that CO2 is going to be REALLY low by morning causing a pH swing.

On the other hand if you turn off the CO2 with the lights, and not use an air stone when the CO2 is off, then the only CO2 leaving the water once the CO2 i turned off would be the CO2 using up by the plants breathing. Which would lead to less of a pH drop over night.

Just a thought...

 

[bgoodwins]

Just a headsup, unless you plan on having all stems. Your lighting is extremely, extremely, extremely high. I would place a bet that algae problems will be in your future, very soon. Might consider using only half of the lights you have up now.

 

[tropicalfish]

Just a headsup, unless you plan on having all stems. Your lighting is extremely, extremely, extremely high. I would place a bet that algae problems will be in your future, very soon. Might consider using only half of the lights you have up now.

Not too high,... 4.16 watts per gallon. There is a person on the myfishtank.net and aquariumadvice.com forums that uses 520 on a 75 gallon.

 

[RAGEo2]

Like I said it is just new tank algae, it came right off the glass. I have had the lights on this timer for about 3 weeks with no real sign of algae outbreak. A scare maybe once or twice but soon found out it was just a plant nutrient issue.
Loyal to the Oil, I see what you mean and I have also thought about it but with the plants and fish using Oxygen @ night I rather keep the air stone on. But then again I have a rather light fish load. 10 rams 2 sm. pleco and a school of neons, roughly 18.... Note I lost about 10 already to mystery illness. Have been scoping them out every time I find one and have also had a glass shrimp die soon after a death of a neon..... Should of quarantine.....

 

[Rex Grigg]

There is a difference between a 75 gallon and a 125 gallon. The bigger the tank the less light (wpg) you need. You would be best off to use only half the lights.

 

[RAGEo2]

Thanks for the info Rex, So how much light should I keep on the tank since it is 125 gall.? I have also just planted some Glosso last week Tuesday and wonder if this is causing my stems to turn brown. Also on some plants. i know Glosso needs high light to stay low and am wondering if lowering light would affect it in a negative way. Any help on this would be appreciated Rex or any one else....

 

[RAGEo2]

Ha, I just read your guide. I read parts before but not the light part, So no need to answer the light question Rex.... As for the brown stems the jury is still out.....