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Circulation and Filtration questions
I am looking for any advice that can be offered about my current plan
for my 55 gallon aquarium. I have a KH between 2 and 4 and a ph of
7.4. Currently I have a H.O.T. Magnum in the right corner of the tank.
It is attatched to a single Marineland BIOwheel Pro 30 filter. The
BIOwheel successfully airates all water that passes through and results
in surface agitation; of course this drives off CO2. In the left corner
I have a submersed powerhead which has a turnover rate of 145gph. My
200W heater is in the center of the tank. The circulation is a bit
uneven throughout the tank. To create a uniform circulation I plan to
add two lenths of PVC piping to the back of the tank: one at mid hight
and the other a few inches above the bottom. I plan to start by
connecting the powerhead to the system of pipes. I will drill holes in
the piping to distribute the water. It is my hope that this will
circulate the water more evenly and provide more current through the mid
and lower levels of the tank where the plant leaves would be.
If 145gph isn't enough power to circulate the waters through the pipes I
have two options. I could connect the 250gph H.O.T. magnum to the
system or I could connect a second powerhead. This leads me to another
question. Since plants process CO2 during the day and less so in the
dark, would it make more sense not to run the BIOwheel during the day
and set it on a timer to run at night opposite the light? Or doesn't it
matter one way or the other. I plan to impliment DIY CO2. Will the
added airation during the night cause a harmful change in PH between the
day and night? Also, would it make sense to add the CO2 through the
venturi input on the powerhead or by a diffuser type device.
On a final note. What are your experiences with the following plant
suppliers? Aquarium Driftwood, Deleware aquatics, and the aquatic
greenhouse.
Thank you in advance;
Jason Light