[Who has experience with the Tropica Plant Growth System 60 aerosol CO2 injection?]

On 8/31/2024 at 7:56 PM, Pepere said:

It has a 95 gram canister.  How much does a replacement canister cost?

 

 

It doesn’t matter what they cost, because they seem to be impossible to find in America. It’s kind of shady. I can find lots of kits with one aerosol can, but all the refills are in other countries. I read one review from someone who ordered the kit, maybe with refills because it cost $100, and it was recalled (they told him), it never came. He received no refund. I think I answered my question 😆

[Who has experience with the Tropica Plant Growth System 60 aerosol CO2 injection?]

I have a well planted Fluval Flex 15 gal, and I stumbled upon a product on the interwebs that is sometimes used with this tank. I’m wondering if anyone who has used the Tropica Plant Growth System 60 aerosol CO2 injection could share your experience with this product, and if you found it worthwhile. Thanks!

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/29/2024 at 11:12 PM, shawnkissed said:

I have a no tech tank and I never had a problem. This is my experience though. My tank is heavily planted.

I haven't had any problems either. I just research regularly and am always looking for ways to improve, and dial it in.

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/29/2024 at 1:52 PM, JoeQ said:

Not sure, what you were kidding about?

I posted a confused face on one of your posts, but it was a joke… caulk it up to a bad delivery…

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/29/2024 at 9:57 AM, JoeQ said:

Something that wasn't mentioned was the additional flow a bubbler brings. This is also an important factor to keeping healthy water, if you frame the aquarium hobby this way it takes the complexity out of plant/fish keeping. You keep healthy water, it just so happens plants & fish also thrive in the healthy water you keep! 

Just kidding… thanks 👍🏻

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/29/2024 at 9:47 AM, Pepere said:

I run air driven UGF plates in my CO2 injected tanks.  I dont see a noticeable difference in co2 consumption between that one, and my other co2 injected tank.

 

 

I feel running an airstone is a good idea in all tanks myself.  And I run them all 24/7

This might be a dumb question, as I’m just getting back into the hobby. I was quite knowledgeable with the information available at the time in the 80’s and 90’s. It’s a different hobby today, for sure! But how do you know what a plants CO2 consumption is? Just by its growth speed? Thanks!

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

So to confirm, besides not running an air stone when you ARE injecting CO2 due to off gassing it too quickly, the fish are getting all the O2 they need from just the plants and filter during the day from increased photosynthesis. And in a low tech aquarium, the plants aren’t giving off as much O2, to where supplementing an air stone is a good idea all the time. Correct?

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 8:10 PM, Pepere said:

In a non injected tank, I dont think it will amount to much difference…

 

Running an air pump at night will increase gas exchange increasing oxygen but also reducing CO2.  Normally with lights off the plants give up co2 to the water, but you will gas that off.  Normally when light comes on the plants take up available co2 pretty quick and then the tank doesnt have much anymore…. Abd if the plants cant take up co2, phtosynthesis slows and o2 output from the plants decrease as well…

I would keep one on continually…

That seems to be the consensus. That’s why I joined this forum. No need getting over technical in a low tech tank 😁 Air on 24/7 it is! 👍🏻

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

Keep in mind I wasn’t aerating at all up to this point; so, even aerating only at night is significant improvement 😆

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 3:31 PM, Tony s said:

Yeah, I got that. I just question the person that said only aerate at night. Unless you're pulling from a straight O2 cylinder, that makes no sense at all. Just by running a stone you're increasing gas exchange. Of all atmospheric gasses. I think a lot of people, me included, way over think this hobby sometimes 

Even if you were drawing from an O2 cylinder, it wouldn’t oxygenate your water anymore than what occurs through surface agitation; at least not significantly. 

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 3:01 PM, JoeQ said:

If you are injecting with co2 I do not know the results of running aeration along side. I have not run those comparisons. I do know from experience (not a Google search) in a non injected tank (low tech) running aeration 24/7 produces far better results than no aeration when lights are on

I’ll try doing air 24/7 and see. When I make a change, I wait 2 weeks to note the results. I just started this experiment. I’ll make that change after. I use google to search the topics, but there are go-to people on YouTube I trust, with tons of experience. 

On 8/28/2024 at 3:07 PM, JoeQ said:

Plants pearling should be your metric for o2 levels, not 'my fish seem fine'.

Read you loud and clear. Thanks.

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 2:53 PM, JoeQ said:

There's also something to be said about the benefits of highly oxygenated water not only to your inhabitants but also for your benifical bacteria

I don’t disagree with you. I’m just convinced I’ve got plenty of O2 during the day, just based on the activity of my fish. If the beneficial bacteria was suffering, the fish would indicate that as well IMO. Everyone is enjoying O2 at night, so I pour it on. I just wanted to avoid limiting CO2 during the period the plants benefit from it.

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 2:32 PM, Tony s said:

It might a bit, but I'm not sure it's enough to make a difference.

On One of our Flex's it's full of kuhli loaches. I gave up trying to keep them out 🤣

I’ve got a Yo-yo Loach in mine. He may end up outgrowing the tank, but the local aquarium store owner is a friend and will swap him out for a smaller one if the time comes. Sometimes they don’t end up getting that big, so fingers crossed 🤞

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 2:32 PM, JoeQ said:

In a low tech I would keep the bubbler on 24/7, reason being is the water will absorb a small amount of co2 as the bubbles rise to the surface. It will also help with surface agitation, again bringing in co2.

In a low tech aquarium your growth limiting factor will be co2. You must optimize surface/gas exchange.

 

Thanks. Although all the research online indicates that aerating, with CO2 supplementation, would dissipate CO2, not increase it. Wouldn’t that be even more the case with only naturally occurring CO2?

I do agree with Tony that the dim light is enough for photosynthesis with low/medium light plants. That’s what I was most concerned about, not aerating when plants are consuming CO2. As far as O2 levels. My fish are very active all day, so they’re breathing just fine. At night, I have no way of knowing that, so more O2 for everything: plants, fish, and bio filter seems like good insurance.

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 1:02 PM, Tony s said:

Nice setup. I like the flex. We have 2 for guppies.  Would have never thought of putting the plant there. but it works.

I don't believe dark respiration happens at all until it's quite dark. sunset dark or darker. low light plants are still going to photosynthesize in ambient light. But really, I'd just leave it going. It's not going to do any harm. And I doubt cycling like that is actually going to help much either. As for carbon dioxide, that is going to be a limiting factor, no matter what you do. 

Thanks! I actually saw a YouTuber who stuck a pothos in the feeding hole. Upon further research, I saw that there are 3-D accessories printed on Etsy to hold plants, but that seems unnecessary. 
 

So you don’t think aeration during the day will reduce the CO2 that much? I of course still have the back filter going and creating aeration. Chambers one and two are full of lava rock and other assorted biomedia, and three layers of filter floss. Chamber 3 has a pouch of Purigen next to the pump. I’m sure I have a large community of beneficial bacteria for the tank size, so O2 is certainly a good thing. 

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

On 8/28/2024 at 12:15 PM, Tony s said:

I run 14 tanks. I never aerate for the plants, only for the fish. Yes, there is a process in plants that occurs during the night called dark respiration. when photosynthesis shuts down, and standard respiration and growth occur. When they stop absorbing co2 and start using regular oxygen. But I real doubt the need to oxygenate the water for that. Now fish, on the other hand, always appreciate the extra oxygen

Well, I guess I didn’t specify that it’s for the fish as well. So, when the fish and plants are both consuming O2, I will aerate so there’s plenty to go around. When the plants are producing O2, I will cease aeration, because I don’t want to dissipate the CO2 for the plants (especially where I’m not supplementing CO2). So I’m just wondering what the plants are doing in a dim tank during the daytime, as in my picture. Are they consuming O2, or still CO2? Knowing this will answer when I want to schedule my air stone/pump to turn off on the timer.

[When exactly to add aeration in low tech aquarium]

So I’ve been doing a lot of research on when to aerate a planted aquarium. Most everything I’m finding is to aerate at night, about an hour after the lights are turned off, and the plants are breathing oxygen. Then turn off the aeration during the day when the lights come on again. My aquarium is low tech.

My question is: is this daytime/nighttime specific, or lights on/off specific?

I understand the “when the lights are on part”; but, I only run my lights 7 hours a day (4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, when I’m most available to enjoy the view). What about the daytime hours when the lights are off, and it’s quite dim in the tank from only ambient light? Should I be aerating during this time, or at least some of this time? The tank is in a room with a large window, but not in direct light of any kind. I guess I don’t know what minimum amount of light produces any significant photosynthesis, or how much supplemental O2 is needed in a dim tank without lighting during the day.

Thanks!

[Fluval 3.0 nano on 15g Fluval Flex]

On 8/1/2021 at 3:52 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

How do I word this without a backlash? I can't answer your nano questions, but I can answer how the 3.0's grow plants. 

Over priced, non RGB lights, with inferior PAR at current Fluval prices making them an absolute rip off. <---Is that a sentence? And they grow plants just, okay. Low light plants, sure, but demanding plants, err ummm. They can not create the better contrast that true RGB lights can. I'm selling all of my 3.0 lights and I've bought better lights for cheaper. 

Non RGB alone at a ridiculous price is a deal breaker.

Do some research but I would start here.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NW6LPG4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_QKQB0ZFZ6TGPXGGB4GVH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Just curious (honestly). But if a “Non RGB alone at a ridiculous price is a deal breaker”. How did you acquire so many that you are selling them? Wouldn’t you have known both of these before ordering even one? 

I’ve seen quite a few good reviews on this his light; Cory, from Aquarium Co Op, even has a video praising it, so what’s the deal? I have a friend who owns a pet store in town, and he siliconed the Plant 3.0 in place of the stock light under the fluval flex 15 hood. And he is very satisfied with it.

I’m thinking I will silicone suction cups to the back of a Plant 3.0 instead; and attach it with vaseline to insure a good grip, after it cures. Reason being, I don’t feel comfortable leaving the tank uncovered for the length of time it takes for the silicone to cure directly to the lid. I have nerite snails, a yo-yo loach, and a panda garra, all of which have escapee reputations. I’ve also had one of my rainbows do a suicide jump during maintenance that I didn’t notice until it was too late. R.I.P.This will make time on station for the light swap much shorter.

I’ll post again with results. I don’t have the light yet. Hope this helps.

 

[Difficulties getting cycling tank to 85 F]

I have a Flex 15 new setup that I’m trying to cycle (empty) at 85 F. I’ve read that it will cycle in half the time at this temperature range. I had a Fluval M50 set all the way to 86, but it never got higher than 80 (which was weird because it was turning off/on periodically, as if it was maintaining 80, instead of trying to achieve 86. So I figured I needed a more powerful heater. I replaced it with the M100. It did better, but topped out at only 81.5, set at 86 (still doing the on/off thing). So now I have both heaters in there, at opposite corners of the tank (the M100 is in the sump). We’re climbing again, currently at 82.4. I have 2 thermometers that agree with one another. 
 

Are the Fluval thermostats just plain inaccurate?

Thanks.

[Quick DIY flow reducer for fluval flex tanks (or any tanks with nozzle-style filter outputs)]

I purchased this reduced flow adapter off of Etsy, from FishGuildCorp. It works, due to distributing the flow in multiple directions; but, it actually must allow for more water movement. You’ll notice that chamber 3 (out-flow) of the sump is slightly lower than chambers 1 & 2. The pump is powerful enough to draw the water slightly faster than its flowing into chamber 3 via gravity. It’s stable and staying where it is now, but it’s important to make sure the tank is full so the intake is mostly submerged. I think I’ll put the original outlet back on if I’m gone for extended periods of time. Also, chamber 2 was low also when I first noticed it. Topping off the tank solved that.