i dont think so, i think they need co2 during photosynthesis which of course cant occur without light. if i remember my botany correctly they actually need the lights out for a while in order to undergo other chemical functions.
do plants add oxygen to the water?
- Thread starter Prometheus
- Start date
actually after getting my botany book out i think i could be wrong. it seems like carbon is only used during the Calvin-Benson cycle which is a light-independent reaction process to for sugar. since light isnt needed im assuming this is what plants do at night. the light-dependent reactions seem to form a compound called NADP+ plus a hydrogen ion and NADPH. NADPH and NADP+ are used in the Clavin-Benson cycle... wait, maybe they are two coedependant reaction processes that happen symiltaneously... NADPH and NADP+ are produced with light and then those compounds get moved over to the choloplasts stroma where they combine with carbon to get sugar. ya, not sure about that. would make sense that they happen simultaneously but then again i could be wrong, im only skimming over my book not studying it lol.
that though applies to terrestrial plants, iv never study aquatic plants. they are liable to work differently.
During the day when the lights are on plants produce 02 as a biproduct of photosynthesis, but at night when there are not lights to drive photosynthesis they respire and actually consume 02. 
ok, thanks. im getting the impression that one more fish is not going to be a problem, atleast not enough to be something i would need to take care of so im just gona go ahead and get a single yellow tail zig zag eel and see how things go. if things work out for the first few months or so i might get another one or a peacock or two allowing the zig zag to have friends.
depends on the amount of plants, lighting, CO2 and fert.
fewer plants + fert+ higher lighting + co2 = lots of growth and lots of oxygen, probably enough to reach saturation and probably not cause oxygen deprivation during the off cycle (yes, photosynthetic plants do use oxygen durning non photsynthetic times.)
large amounts of plants + little fert + lower lighting + no CO2 = a lot of oxygen due to more plants, but less growth, possibly enough for saturation, but also uses alot more O2 during the off cycle becasue ther is more plant mass to use it.
once you reach saturation of O2, thats it, once the lights go off your using out of that bank if you aren't replenishign it. the more plant mass you have, the more O2 will be used no matter how much O2 production you had.
larger fish and various species will tend to be affected by lower oxygen sooner, temp will also have an effect. your bottomdwellers will probably be the first to show signs of low oxygen, so watch them in the hour or so before lights on. if you see abnormal behavior, gasping etc, you have a problem. I run three timers on my system normally. CO2 on 1/2 hour before lights go on, CO2 off 3/4 of an hour before lights out, airpump run through co2 diffusor on after i go to bed to shut off right before CO2 turns on. I havewoken up to fish showing distressed behavior and gasping before so I conside rit good insurnace. the airpump is simply to cause surface agitation since my canister filter outputs are placed to minimaze surface agitation during the day to prevent CO2 loss.
fewer plants + fert+ higher lighting + co2 = lots of growth and lots of oxygen, probably enough to reach saturation and probably not cause oxygen deprivation during the off cycle (yes, photosynthetic plants do use oxygen durning non photsynthetic times.)
large amounts of plants + little fert + lower lighting + no CO2 = a lot of oxygen due to more plants, but less growth, possibly enough for saturation, but also uses alot more O2 during the off cycle becasue ther is more plant mass to use it.
once you reach saturation of O2, thats it, once the lights go off your using out of that bank if you aren't replenishign it. the more plant mass you have, the more O2 will be used no matter how much O2 production you had.
larger fish and various species will tend to be affected by lower oxygen sooner, temp will also have an effect. your bottomdwellers will probably be the first to show signs of low oxygen, so watch them in the hour or so before lights on. if you see abnormal behavior, gasping etc, you have a problem. I run three timers on my system normally. CO2 on 1/2 hour before lights go on, CO2 off 3/4 of an hour before lights out, airpump run through co2 diffusor on after i go to bed to shut off right before CO2 turns on. I havewoken up to fish showing distressed behavior and gasping before so I conside rit good insurnace. the airpump is simply to cause surface agitation since my canister filter outputs are placed to minimaze surface agitation during the day to prevent CO2 loss.
