Sir Douglas Cook wrote:

I really enjoyed visiting your website http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua
although I would like to chatt about the difference between beautiful
planted aquariums and beautiful planted aquariums with a CO2 pump
and Fishkeeping.

"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 18 May 2004 18:38:02 -0700, "Sir Douglas Cook"
wrote:


Co2 pump are so easy to make why would anyone pay for one???????????????

Yeast CO2 systems do provide as stable a source of CO2. Additionally,
they require much more time and effort. With a compressed gas CO2
system, you can set it, and not touch it for a year or more. The
price of yeast and sugar isn't free. I pay $10.00 for over a year
worth of CO2 for my 75g tank. To do that with a yeast system would
require several 2L bottles, and constant work mixing and changing
them.


I am just suggesting that just one person out there might just want
to try this "FREE" CO2 PUMP before they fork out the cash.

Since I add baking soda one 2L bottle will last over a month,
and after all my homemade CO2 filter is simple to make and
did I say "FREE", "FREE", "FREE".
The nice part about it is most of my friends that have CO2 pumps
said to me that "If only they tried my method first they wouldn't have
bought a C02 pump" because they care about their fish primarily.

But, since they own it they have setup another tank with the CO2
which is ONLY used for plants. Now that make sense.

You won't read anywhere that MORE CO2 is needed BY THE FISH
in an aquarium!!!!!!


your undergravel filter where there is lots of surface area for the gas

to

exchange.

The buildup of CO2 in the UGF would probably negatively effect the
bacteria that are critical for proper UGF operation.


That's what they tell you, although it does work well with UGF.
Keep in mind that if you mix CO2 in the upper part of the tank
you are in fact drawing the waste and the CO2 through the
UGF (Under Gravel Filter), Right.
And since I mix the CO2 after the UGF as the water flow in downward
(most/more) of the CO2 is used by the plants before it gets to the UGF.

It is funny to me, that the reason that I put the CO2 after the
UGF is the same reason that you dispute it!

Please read on.


care, if at all. Remember that high CO2 levels may reduce the oxygen

uptake

of the water and lead to a risk of hypoxia in the fish, especially if the

Completely false at levels encountered in our aquariums. CO2 levels
elevated to the levels used for planted aquaria (40ppm max) will not
prevent any absorption of O2.


Wrong, it make sense that 40ppm could be oxygen which is replaced
with CO2. As stated above.


Additionally, when used correctly in a planted aquarium, with high
lighting, lots of plants, and CO2 injection, the plants photosynthesis
rate will be high enough to drive the O2 level over 100% during the
day. This is a cause of the "pearling" often seen in a healthy
planted tank. O2 bubbles are released into the water, because the
water cannot absorb any more.


Cannot absorb any more oxygen,,, Thank you for pointing that out.
Your right again, 40ppm is the CO2 that has attached itself to the
water making it impossible for the Water to accept the 40ppm of the
new oxygen.


In regular non-planted aquarium, using airstones or powerheads for
water movement/aeration, typical O2 levels are around 75%. In a
health CO2 injected planted tank, the O2 levels are over 100% during
the day, and during the night, only fall to 80% or so.



Are you telling me that the plant give off so much oxygen that your water
is 100%, that's like pure H2O, Wow, that's sounds impressive!

I better tell my science teacher, that a planted aquarium with a
CO2 pump using the same hardware and equipment has more Oxygen at night!
He would be so proud of me. ;-)

It is not only my opinion but it is the opinion of
Mary Bailey and Peter Burgess as I QUOTED their book
Tropical Fishlopaedia
Mary Bailey has kept tropical fish for more than 25 years, and is known
INTERNATIONALLY AS AN EXPERT on the cichlid family. She has
written several fishkeeping books, and the English editor of
AQUA GEOGRAPHIA MAGAZINE. She also contributor to
and CO-EDITOR of, the cichlids yearbook series.

And

you my friend are disputing with

A

Dr. Peter Burgess BSc MSc Mphil PhD,

Is a "FISH HEALTH SCIENTIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!",
with more than 25 years' experience as an aquarist. An
author of numerous articles and scientific papers on fishkeeping,
he is editor of the
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AQUARIUM SCIENCES AND CONSERVATION!
A visiting lecturer in aquarium sciences, he is also an INTERNATIONAL
consultant to the aquarium fish industry.

Can you tell me about your background?
I can tell your information didn't come directly off of the CO2 Pumps box.
But, for the listeners,,, Let them know strong your knowledge is.



dioxide, making the CO2 injection a rather pointless exercise! CO2

injection

should always be turned off at night - When the plants do not need it."

Tom Barr recently published some university studies that showed that
algae is better able to handle fluxuating CO2 levels better than
higher plants. So by constantly having the CO2 level rise and fall,
you are giving the algae a slight advantage over the plants.


Ok, great Tom has confirmed that even plants have a hard time with
fluxuating CO2.

And you want to put that into your FISH tank!


The only possible reason I see to turn off CO2 at night is to save the
cost of the CO2. But when I pay just $10.00 for more than a year, I
can't see adding the cost of a solenoid and timer to switch the CO2 on
and off. It would take decades to make up the cost.


Or simply keep your CO2 pump with your "Plants Only tank"

I must say I have visited http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua and
I was very, very impressed by your web site, you are a person that
I do respect. Your planted tanks and catfish information was overwhelming.
I will visit your page again.

I would like to add your link to my page for those in search of
the perfect aquarium.



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua




I have CO2 on my tank, and the plants love it. It's a hand-injected
system, so the CO2 goes in as and when I remember to do it.

I've carefully monitored my tank for problems overnight before the
plants kick back into photosynth in the day, and not seen any signs of
O2 depletion at all.

That's whether or not I give it another squirt of CO2 last thing at
night, or not.

Sometimes I get pearling, sometimes I don't. Currently, the plants are
suffering due to a faulty heaterstat (now replaced) which drove the temp
higher than they could tolerate, and I need to replace the tubes in the
lights.

Fish all doing wonderfully well - breeding pair of angels in a 28? us
gal tank, along with umpteen community fish (inc a betta and two pearl
gourami). I think much depends on *how much* CO2 is being injected into
the tank. Anyone with half a brain would have monitored both plant
growth and fish health and adjusted the CO2 to suit. It takes very
little CO2 to increase the plant health/growth.

Personally, yes, I would move to a 24/7 system at some point, if I could
justify it. Home-made yeast brews are too time consuming and run the
risk of dumping into the tank if it goes wrong (or exploding). Don't
see any reason why careful tailoring of the CO2 levels would be any
different to what I currently have.

--


Velvet