Am I overdosing CO2 to add shrimps/fish?

[EnderUK]

I understand, I'm pointing out that following one method is not the best way. They are tools to help monitor levels of CO2 but neither method is accurate. So we're arguing the same thing and as you said every tank is different.

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[ceg4048]

I am afraid that the pH drop from 8.2 to 6.3 is too much for the Amano shrimps and fish (Rasbora). Every day a pH swing of almost two points. I don't want to use the animals as test material to see if it's OK to add them to the tank. What is your opinion?

Hello,
As mentioned earlier it's best to stick with the basic numbers and use the tools at hand to guide you. Assuming you increased the CO2 injection rate to help the plants, you can now reduce the injection in order to accommodate the fish. This is normal. Instead of a 2 unit pH drop, aim for a 1 unit drop and also reduce the lighting by say, 50%. This slows the growth rate and allows the plants to adjust to the lower CO2 availability. This takes about 2-3 weeks and then you can slowly increase the lighting if desired.

Additionally, use the basic rule of thumb regarding the DC. If the DC is lime green or darker by lights on and if it does not drop into the yellow, then this is a sign that the CO2 levels are not too extreme.

Shrimp are more susceptible to hypercapnia so it would be better to add fish first.

Cheers,

 

[mede]

thank you for all advises guys, much appreciated!

At the moment my my pH is 8.2 in the morning (lights off) and is 6.7 around 18:30 (15:00 lights on). I will lover the CO2 injection a little bit more and add fish in stead of shrimps the coming weekend. I also put the lights a few inches higher above the tank. I'm injecting CO2 through the inlet of my filter (Tetratec Ex600).

It's hard to see, but my drop checker isn't yellow but more light green. I have doubts if I can trust my drop checker solution. I'm using a selfmade 4 dKh solution and add some drops of JBL pH 6 - 7,6 to it (10 drops). Does anyone know if I can get a ready to use solution which is accurate and is available on Ebay or a webshop that ships to the Netherlands?

 

[Andy Thurston]

thank you for all advises guys, much appreciated!

At the moment my my pH is 8.2 in the morning (lights off) and is 6.7 around 18:30 (15:00 lights on). I will lover the CO2 injection a little bit more and add fish in stead of shrimps the coming weekend. I also put the lights a few inches higher above the tank. I'm injecting CO2 through the inlet of my filter (Tetratec Ex600).

It's hard to see, but my drop checker isn't yellow but more light green. I have doubts if I can trust my drop checker solution. I'm using a selfmade 4 dKh solution and add some drops of JBL pH 6 - 7,6 to it (10 drops). Does anyone know if I can get a ready to use solution which is accurate and is available on Ebay or a webshop that ships to the Netherlands?

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