How to solve the Co2 problem in a small tank?

How to solve the Co2 problem in a small tank?

Here is an answer to a customer's inquiry.

A 25*25*40cm small tank, with 12 Neon Tetras and Guppies, usually with the air pump turned on. Use a pre-filter tank plus a small water pump, customer questions:

1. Is the Co2 turned on with the light or 24 hours? Is it better to turn it on with the light with a solenoid valve or a manual switch?

2. Should the oxygen pump be turned off when the Co2 is turned on?

3. For such a small aquatic plant tank, how many seconds and bubbles are appropriate for the air output?

Answer:

1. For aquatic plant tank, is it turned on with the light or 24 hours? As long as the amount of Co2 added is controlled well, it is OK. If the amount of  Co2 added is not controlled well, it is easy to cause fish and shrimp hypoxia. For such a small desktop plant tank, it is easier to control the amount of  Co2 added when the light is turned on, reducing the phenomenon of fish and shrimp hypoxia; but because the tank is small and the water volume is small, if the light is turned on, the pH value of the water quality will fluctuate greatly. On the contrary, it is more conducive to stabilizing the pH value of the water quality if it is turned on for 24 hours.

The solenoid valve is combined with a timer to set the switching time, which can be turned on and off automatically with the light, without having to worry about it every day, which is more worry-free. But from a very long-term perspective, all electrical appliances are likely to break down, and none of them can be used longer than manual control.

2. It is recommended to turn off the oxygen pump while turning on Co2, otherwise they will offset each other and affect the effect of photosynthesis.

3. It is usually recommended one bubble per 4-5 seconds, about 5 hours a day. However, the number and variety of aquatic plants in the tank are different, and they can’t be unified. If the control is not good, it is recommended to use a Co2 indicator, which can clearly judge whether the Co2 capacity in the water is appropriate through color changes.