It is interesting to know that 14 hours aeration after lights is turned off is daily routine in most of Amano's tanks. Aeration using ADA Lily-Pipe, raised above water line. The picture below borrowed from other forum


I wonder why. I think the reasons are :-

1. Obviously, aeration will degassed excess CO2 injected during photoperiod, allowing more oxygen dissolved in the water during the nights, as the plants using oxygen and producing CO2 instead.
2. To remove oily surface scum as ADA line of products don't have surface skimmer. With raised Lily-Pipe, the water surface movement is increased and breaks the oily surface.
3. To make the water cooler as to replicate as close as natural environment, cooler temperature at nights, and maintained higher oxygen levels. With enough oxygen saturation, the tanks seems to get the pearling effects much faster after only 1-2 hours after lights is turned on back.

What do you guys think?. Do you do aeration after lights is turned off?

Best Regards

I am not doing aeration after I turn off my light.... I think I need to start doing that as some of my fishes spotted graspping at the water surface during the morning(I never switch off my CO2..... DIY one ma...)

Aeration at lights off is good for the aerobic bacteria consume organic debris and keep the aquarium healthy. Less algae problems too.
I've starting to do this after some friendly advice from experts.
Put an aerator with air stone on a timer to come on after lights out.
The amano one does this method with their lily pipes because they don't want to add equipment into the tank.
Anyway, i don't like the idea of lifting and dropping thne height of the lily pipe everyday. [they have workers to do it]

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Will try it... anything to help in the constant battle with algae is worthwhile... don't like the splatter from the bubbles though...

At first, I am quite skeptical on aeration after the lights is turned off as advised by a guy from Aquatic Creation Tech (ACT), ADA product distributor here in Malaysia, I think, who have been helping setting up tanks at my nearest LFS. Oh, no, not another extra equipment in my tank, please. But then I decided to do it. I am using a small submersible pump with some elbow to water surface. This gives the same effect as raised Lily-Pipe. The pump is on a timer.

Best Regards

Hmmm......
I like the idea, and the theory behind it seemed convincing.

To qoute something that The MythBuster crew might say : PLAUSIBLE.

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Littar Tan

I aerate my tank 1/2 hour after lights off, and stop 1/2 hour before lights on - hence my co2 is on 24-7. i read somewhere (not sure where) that better not to start immediately after lights off to let no chance for algae to use the O2 - if i'm not mistaken...

damn i cant recall where... is this method proven? correct me if i'm wrong... 'saya budak baru belajar, kalau salah tolong 'jolokkan'... [i'm a learner, poke me if i'm wrong]

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I have been advised to aerate my tank since day 1 of planting my first plant. But never know that the it's called aeration. I aerate by tank with an air stone after an hour of timer setting after the light and Co2 are off. It will also timed an hour to off before the lights and Co2 are back on again. It was adviced by the local lfs (88 sunwaymas). So far algae has surfaced but manage to control the growth of algae. The main purpose is what mentioned by stan to help aerobic bacteria to consume organic debris to maintain a good health aquarium.

what i meant was, is this method of 'on and off' aerator an hour before and after lights to curb the algae really proven?

i'm can't say itmyself sincei started everything kinda in one go. high light, cylinder co2, aeration after lights off. i do notice no more brown algae, no more hair algae on leaves - less on pebbles, but a bit increase in green dust algae. not really sure the aeration method mentioned above did any help, or maybe does contribute to curb the algae...

so, really proven?

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hi all,
It is not a magic bullet for algae elimination if you have serious problems.
The method is a way to clear up organic debris quickly [mulm+proteins+amino acids] and it's by-products ammonia, nitrite into nitrate.

As we all know excess ammonia-GW then hair algae/staghorn.
More nitrate and higher DO[dissolved oxygen]-less possibility of BGA

So some ammonia and low DO related algae problems are minimised.

If you are getting other algae problems then you need to see the solutions other members posted.

Regards

Stan

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