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Re: CO2 and O2



> While vacationing, my lighting fixture failed and the plants stopped O2
> production. 

Well having decent current and some surface turnover is generally good.
Still surface water is not good IMO. I always have good current in my tanks.

> With the summer time heat pushing the tank to 80-84 degC, the
> resulting lack of O2 (my hypothesis) killed several species of pleco (all
> that were in the tank).  All other fish survived without note.
> My concern is that in achieving the higher CO2 availability, I put the O2
> sensitive species at risk.  Has anyone else noticed a similar risk?

Well if the light goes out, the temp goes up etc, where is the risk then?
Suppose the pump/filter went out? Is it the CO2 that is causing the problem
here? Or the light? Or the increase in temp/lowering of O2?

I know what you are saying but try to have decent current, don't go so far
and reduce the current too far down, otherwise you'll lose fish if something
goes wrong. Add another CO2 bottle if you lose some to current induced
losses.

High fish loads are also bad for keeping high O2 levels. Some folks use the
airstone on a timer for when the lights go out and off when the lights come
on.

I use a timer, and when my lights come on, so does the CO2. No lights, no
CO2.

A wet/dry trickle filter is a great plant tank filter.

There's a few ways around this issue.

Regards, 
Tom Barr

> Thanks in advance.
> J Sullivan