If i use air pump, will the content of co2 go down?

TetraLover

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Jun 8, 2008
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I am keeping some cherry shrimp in my non co2 tank.
(the number of them is about 30)
And i am using air pump to add to oxygen into the water.
But now I am going to make the "diy co2",
if i keep using air pump, will the content of co2 go down?
And will the "diy co2" becomes useless?
Also i want to ask,
is the air pump that i must use to keep my shrimp?

Thank you :)
 

abcemorse

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Sep 8, 2008
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As far as I know, the air pump will only affect CO2 to the extent that it increases surface agitition and therefore the degassing rate. Shouldn't be much to worry about.
 

VaughnH

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DIY CO2 barely gives enough CO2 at best, so anything that increases the rate of loss of CO2 at the surface, as an air pump does, will make the CO2 concentration drop excessively. Cherry shrimp will live and reproduce under very bad conditions, such as inside a canister filter, so adding extra oxygen isn't necessary. You can use the filter return flow, aimed to slightly ripple the water surface, to make sure there is always enough oxygen in the water. Or, you can use a timer to turn on the air pump only during the lights off period, when CO2 isn't needed by the plants. Personally, unless the tank is a very small one, I wouldn't do anything that might reduce the amount of CO2 in the water.
 

TetraLover

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Jun 8, 2008
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Thank you abcemorse and VaughnH !
I think I know what i need to do.
I will buy a timer to control the air pump which opens at night.
I hope that shrimps won't die.
 

VaughnH

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abcemorse;29796 said:
shows how far I know...lol

No, what you posted is right, but only for pressurized CO2, or when you have abundant DIY CO2. Most people barely have enough CO2 with DIY, so it is only then that losing any of it can be losing too much of it.
 

Tom Barr

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Jan 23, 2005
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See non CO2 planted tank methods for a nice shrimp tank.
Cherries lives for the entire length of the tank's existence(2 years) with 2 water changes.

And it looked decent and was the easiest nano to take care of*(CO2 + Nano+ fish/critters= bad idea). Non CO2 methods are more stable and the plant growth is slow. This is more important as the tank size is reduced and you try and balance the input/output.

Larger tanks are always more forgiving there.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

TetraLover

Junior Poster
Jun 8, 2008
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My success of diy co2
PICT5713.jpg