CO2 at night - yes or no?

[maxthedog123]

Just starting to use pressurized CO2. My regulator does have a solenoid, but I am inclined to just let the CO2 run 24x7.

Thoughts? I see conflicting information on the web.

 

[mgamer20o0]

i use mine 24/7 just cuz i like to change the lighting timing at times and not worry about it. just watch your fish at night to make sure they are getting o2.

 

[evercl92]

Plants don't use CO2 without lights. There's no reason to run CO2 at night. I have my solenoid set with my first set of lights. If you have adequate plant growth, there's no reason to worry about O2 levels. The plants will produce far more O2 than they will consume at night. IME, running an airstone at night (or at all) is far overrated - whether the tank is planted or not.

 

[WyldFya]

Biggest issue is the waste of gas.

 

[ewurm]

Stole my thunder. CO2 is not relatively cheap, why waste the money?

 

[mgamer20o0]

lol thats why you get the 10-20 pound co2 tank. only a few bux more to refill.

 

[WyldFya]

Other than the 50lb bottles, the cost to refill co2 bottles is the same where I get my co2, regardless of size.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Put the CO2 on the timer with the lights. That way, even if you are changing the light timing, it changes the CO2 timing with the lights as well.

As for cost, CO2 isn't expensive. It costs me 15.00 to refill my 10lb bottle, and I get it refilled about every 9-10 months. Cheap hobby, lol. And my 20lb bottle even less often than that, lol. And it costs 22.00 to refill.

 

[amehel0]

short answer is no.

 

[AndreR]

It depends....

Fishes need CO2 for respiration, according to the Bohr- and Haldane-Effect in Blood, but the demand could not be measured that easy.

I would never risk my fishes health for some plants...

It is quite enough to keep an aeration... low at day and starting at night, without any artificial CO2...