O2

[murphinvert]

Is having O2 on 24/7 a bad thing, or good? Will it raise my ph?

[mordalphus]

it can raise pH, but that all depends on the buffering power of your substrate. There is typically no negative for shrimp to run o2 24/7

[murphinvert]

Even in an planted aquarium?

[mordalphus]

What is your goal? happiness of shrimp, or happiness of plants? The water parameters they need are the same, however the gasses they need are quite different. Plants are happier with co2, while shrimp despise it. Whereas shrimp love O2, and plants have no need for it (except at night).

There is a balance that some people are able to achieve with high tech tanks, but I suggest getting plants that can thrive in an oxygen rich environment. Java ferns, anubias, moss, some stem plants, all can grow without co2, and with an airstone or air-powered sponge in the tank. I have many tanks that have air going but also have plants. In fact, all of my tanks. And I grow rotala sunset, anubias, all mosses, some bacopa, hygrophila pinnatifida, etc. They all grow fine, just not extremely fast like with co2.

So what is your goal?

[murphinvert]

The shrimps most defiantly. I had recently bought a Fluval Mini Pressurized 20g CO2 Kit Aquarium Plant System and used it for a few days and noticed each day I had a shrimp die. Total 3 CRS so far. It sucks. Apparently too much co2 was in my tank? My ph jumped from 6.9 to 8.2. Would the pressurized co2 cause my ph to spike? I was reading that co2 injection lowers ph. Is using pressurized co2 and injection the same or totally different?

[mordalphus]

nonono, pH should lower with co2, never raise. and unfortunately your story is the same as many other people trying to inject co2 into their tanks.

[triscene]

what amount of CO2 are u pushing to the tank? do u have bubblecounter? 1-2 bubbles/second shouldnt be an issue and it is fine for plants if distributed well around the tank. i had never issues with CO2 and shrimps. I have solenoid so I dont pressurize when lights are off

[Murad]

I have the FLUVAL EBI kit and installed C02 set up with solenoid and both light and C02 shuts off and on at the same time.

[triscene]

i would recommend you to set up timer to open solenoid 1-2 hours before lights and similarly in the end of the cycle to shut down solenoid 1-2 hours before shutting lights down in order to let plants consume CO2 and not let too much CO2 in water when plants are not using it (night, lights off).

+ buy bubble counter which u will fill with watter and see how many bubbles per second go into your tank, if u have small tank, u dont need to push 3-4 and more bubbles into tank and actually it hurts inhabitans.

[murphinvert]

I dont have a counter. But on the diffuser you can see the bubbles per second. So if the co2 didn't spike my ph so high then what did?