Italia

can a co2 system on a planted aquarium be run 24/7 even when the lights are out on a 250g tank if it is run at a managble rate

i am having trouble getting my co2 system to start up againafter i turn it off any idea it is an ultralife system and does not have a needle wheel on it

is there any disadvantage or advantage to doing so

thanks

yildirim

Hi, mine is on 24/7 without any problem. Unless your fish are not gasping for air in the morning it will not be aproblem. If they are and you do not want to turn CO2 off you can consider running an air pump for night time only. Besides disconnecting CO2 will cause slight differences in the pH value which will be more harmful.

YILDIRIM

Aquaspot

You are just wasting CO2 if the lights are off! Your plants can't use them if there's no light.

trenac

Welcome to APC

If you have a pressurized system I would try running it only when lights are on. Try finding out way the system is not cutting back on when your lights turn on so you can fix it. If you post in the equipment section with info on your setup someone will most than likely help you solve the problem.

Italia

thanks guys

zeek

I have a 215gal, and I leave mine on overnight. I run an airstone for a few hours just before the lights come on.
I find it more difficult to get the CO2 levels back up during the daytime after it's been off all night, which is why I do it this way.
However, I didn't do this until I added a Ph controller to the system to avoid overdosing in the evening.

Ph swings are bad, but Ph swings due to CO2 changes do not affect the fish. I don't understand why that is, but it's what I've read here and on other forums from more experienced members like Tom Barr.


Isaac

sayembara

I leave the CO2 24/7.
Yes, it is a waste of CO2 when plants don't need the gas at night.
For cashflow minded persons, that waste of CO2 is nothing compared to the cost of CO2 regulator. The CO2 waste cost will take a long time to get even with regulator cost (10 years?). May be regulator is more economics for LFS owner compared to 1-tank owner.

Of course, ideally, and personally, I prefer regulator. I just want to remind that the 'wasted CO2' must be weighed with the regulator cost. Do not buy regulator yet before you considering all factors (i.e. are you quiting in 5 years time?

Both 24/7 and regulator systems have proven successful. It's up to your judgement.

Bert H

I run mine 24/7 as well due to my hard water. I tried the solenoid route during the photoperiod but found I wasn't getting enough CO2 into the system doing it that way so went back to 24/7. If you have hard water, it's something to consider.

BryceM

For me wasting CO2 isn't about the cost of the gas, its all the trouble of unhooking everything and dragging it to the refill place.