# Pressurize co2 (on or off at night)



## drunkenmastera (Oct 21, 2009)

How much are we really saving if we have it off at night?
Is the affect damaging to our fish if we leave it on all the time?

I'm confuse by all the information out there. Nothing seems to be concise.


----------



## cheaman (Mar 4, 2009)

I voted 24/7, but would like to add that it is 24/7 on a pH controller. It does go on at night, but maybe only 3-4 times to bump the pH back down and then runs more often during the day when the plants are sucking back the CO2.


----------



## psusaxman2000 (Dec 22, 2009)

The main thing that I remember reading about when I was transitioning to pressurized CO2 was that if you were leaving it on at night, it was recommended to have extra air circulation (bubbler or air stone) running at night so that it would allow some of the CO2 to dissipate and not hurt the fish. Since I didn't want yet another tube or line in my take, I purchased a solenoid for my tank and put it on a time to run with my lights.

Everyone seems to have their own preferences, you just need to find what works for you and stick with it.


----------



## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Unless its on a PH controller, turn it off about a hour before your lights go out.


----------



## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

24/7, with a pH controller (and no extra circulation, air stone, etc.).

Andy


----------



## sampster5000 (Jul 24, 2010)

I vote off at night because most people dont want to put air stones in their tank or oxygen injection. If you do not have a source of oxygen while the lights are off I would recommend turning the CO2 off. If you put in an oxygen source like an air stone I would say to just keep it going to save some time. I just lost some of my shrimp, most likely to CO2 poisoning, and am now keeping an air stone running overnight. I havent lost any shrimp or snails so far.


----------



## darkoon (Jun 7, 2010)

definitely turn it off, plants are not using any CO2 when the lights are off, why waste it by leaving it on. Make sure you turn it on 2 hours before you turn on the lights. And fish prefer less CO2 in the water.


----------



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

drunkenmastera said:


> How much are we really saving if we have it off at night?
> Is the affect damaging to our fish if we leave it on all the time?
> 
> I'm confuse by all the information out there. Nothing seems to be concise.


I run mine 24/7 with a CO2 controller. It doesn't make any dif if you use an air stone it just wastes CO2.

My 5# CO2 tank lasts about 6 months in my 52 gal tank.

My fish are great even bred difficult species in this tank like Oto cats and Neon tetras.


----------



## non_compliance (Dec 29, 2009)

Mine is on the timer with the light.. I think I should have 2 timers and turn it on 1 hour before light on and lights off... but i'm too cheap


----------



## nilocg (Sep 14, 2010)

I dont see why you wouldnt turn it off if you could? Its just a waste of co2. Co2 isnt that expensive but the fewer times that I have to run to the shop to get it refilled the better.


----------



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

nilocg said:


> I dont see why you wouldnt turn it off if you could? Its just a waste of co2. Co2 isnt that expensive but the fewer times that I have to run to the shop to get it refilled the better.


I run my system with a CO2 regulator 24/7. I run to the shop to refill my tank about every 4 months. How often do you run to the shop?


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

In the wild, freshwater fish are in water with around 3 ppm of CO2. We are cranking it up to around 10 times that. Adding CO2 when the lights are out certainly isn't needed. We would be giving our fish a break if we cut it off at night.


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

There's a choice in this poll to cut the CO2 on when the lights are off. Why hasn't anyone voted for that one?


----------



## Duckweed Hunter (Jun 3, 2010)

I said off because iv had fish die for no apparent reason.Other than what i wold assume to be the co2


----------



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

Left C said:


> In the wild, freshwater fish are in water with around 3 ppm of CO2. We are cranking it up to around 10 times that. Adding CO2 when the lights are out certainly isn't needed. We would be giving our fish a break if we cut it off at night.


Actually, in the wild, because of reduction in photosynthetic activity, CO2 levels increase at night.


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

ray-the-pilot said:


> Actually, in the wild, because of reduction in photosynthetic activity, CO2 levels increase at night.


Yea and O2 levels drop a bit. But not to 30 ppm of CO2 in a normal river, stream or lake system.


----------



## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

Left C said:


> Yea and O2 levels drop a bit. But not to 30 ppm of CO2 in a normal river, stream or lake system.


You have that right! I do not believe that any natural system has CO2 at 30 ppm.
But then they do not have N at 10 ppm, K at 10 ppm and P at .3 ppm either. So what is the point?

You set up your system so that it "revs up" whatever you have in your tank and that is what you want.


----------

