brackish low light planted with yeast Co2 system help please?

[invertebrater]

hey guys,

i have a 10g tank with two small green spotted puffers in it. it's slightly brackish with SG at 1.005 and i am growing some anachiris, java moss, and 2 rhizomes of anubias bateri eyes, which all of, i was told would do well in slightly brackish conditions. and im running two 20w CFL's for the lights. I have a nutrafin co2 natural plant system that is going about 0.25 bubbles/sec through a ladder bubble counter/diffuser. i have a aquaclear 20 powerhead with the air tube attached and a whisper 10i for filtration. my pH is at 7.0 and has been steadily dropping .2 a day for the past 4 days. my KH is at 9 dKH or 161.1 ppm KH and from my calculations that's 27 ppm of dissolved Co2.

should i be worried about continued pH decline? or just wait for it to settle and then see if i can raise the KH? another member recommended that i should disconnect the Co2 line when lights are off. would the pH swings be bad for the inhabitants? also they recommended i should add a brass restrictor valve to limit the Co2 into the tank or would be adding a supply of crush coral be a better solution? any help would be appreciated.

thanks.

 

[velanarris]

pH decline is expected when you start adding CO2. How long have you been adding it?

As a secondary, you shouldn't be turning your CO2 off at night. The pH swing will stress you inhabitants out more than the small amount of CO2 released by the plants at night. Since you're running a smaller tank I'd recommend upping your surface agitation at night with either an air pump or changing your filter output direction, then in the morning, when you flip the lights back on turn off the air pump or reposition the filter output.

Also, as an aside, messing with your kH will raise the pH, however, it will also throw off any current calculation you have for CO2 concentration, and increase the solubility of CO2, especially in a brackish environment.

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

i am growing some anachiris, java moss, and 2 rhizomes of anubias bateri eyes, [...] I have a nutrafin co2 natural plant system

I am not sure why you would use CO2 with these plant species That's a waste of money, they will grow just fine without CO2.

HarleyK

 

[velanarris]

Howdy,



I am not sure why you would use CO2 with these plant species That's a waste of money, they will grow just fine without CO2.

HarleyK

Not under that much light. With that much light and no CO2 he'd just burn up the plants.

 

[Tanan]

If I were u I ll switch off one light and CO2.Bcoz neither of ur plants need that much light nor CO2.So,y jst waste ur money I completely agree with harley.Even ur puffers ll appreciate it.

 

[HarleyK]

Not under that much light. With that much light and no CO2 he'd just burn up the plants.

Not true. I have the same compact fluorescents (I assume it's Coralife Mini-Compacts, because they are the main manufacturer) on my 10 gal, and plants are doing fine, even without CO2:

• Anubias
• Suesswassertang
• Java moss
• dwarf hairgrass
• Elodea

HarleyK