# CO2 dillema with hillstream fish species (stiphodon sp. goby)



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I just picked up a great m/f pair (hopefully) of red fin Stiphodon sp. gobies. They are hillstream fish that enjoy fast moving water, plants, and high oxygen levels. I was reading up about them for a few weeks and was mentioning to my fish friend how I really wanted to get a pair.. low and behold I found them today!

I read that they do not do so well with CO2 so I have since exchanged my CO2 for an air pump.

My CO2 is still set up and being held to the tank with a suction cup and check valve so I can switch the hoses pretty fast.

At the moment I have decided keeping these fish and my micro rasboras happy is my top priority. I dose 2.5mL of Nitrogen, 1.5mL of potassium, and 0.75-1mL of phosphorus every morning an hour after the lights turn on and regularly get pearls from all my plants well into the evening. My dosing brings the nitrate levels from ~5 to ~10.

*My main question would be can I keep my plants growing healthy if I dose, provide good lighting, and DON'T pump in CO2?* or maybe gradually add in CO2 and monitor my stiphodon's response (they will dive up and down the glass when the CO2 levels are high)?

I have also removed my heater so that I can maintain oxygen levels. The gobies were diving up and down the glass but since I have changed to air pump they have settled down into the plants. It was a CO2 bottle about 2 weeks old that I added new yeast to today.. so the bubbles were every ~1.5 seconds through my impeller.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

BettaBeats said:


> .............................
> 
> The gobies were diving up and down the glass but since I have changed to air pump they have settled down into the plants.


If I were you, I would play with adding co2 and monitor their behavior.

What is your light? Having fertilization, high light and NO co2 injection, you can end up with a lot of algae.
What is your tank size?

I'm personally think that you can't make harm to fishes with one bottle of DIY CO2.
More co2 doesn't remove oxygen from your water. Moreover, it gives live plants ability to produce more oxygen and this oxygen will be added to your water. A lot of co2 in a water can be harmful by itself, but it should be really a lot.


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I have 28 watts of lighting (6400k and day light) over 10 gallons. 

If that's how I get algae (no CO2) then I might end up going that route as the stiphodon sp. loves algae. 

I think the fish were just getting used to their new home and were diving up and down the glass. I will keep the air on for a day or two. 

I always get excited, but I think the gobies are showing more colour 
I could be fooling myself though.


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I will post a pic for those of you who are interested:

this is the male I believe. noticeable by his higher intensity colouring. 
Hopefully me and Harold (menagerie) can find the scientific name for these.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Nice fish!

You have 2.8WPG this is not a low light. You can do not use co2 and keep your light for 8-10 hours, in this case algae can not come. But fertilization ... it can be not so useful without CO2 ...

There are different type of algae, you know  I doubt that your goby will enjoy 'green water' algae 

If your way of growing plants has been working well during some time, I would not change it. Monitor your fishes. You can run an air pump at night with a timer.


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

igor.kanshyn said:


> Nice fish!
> .............
> 
> If your way of growing plants has been working well during some time, I would not change it. Monitor your fishes. You can run an air pump at night with a timer.


Thanks! they are beauties! I am very much in luck with finding them today. I need to make them more hiding spots, but they have found some areas they like.

I will try the CO2 tomorrow and monitor how they react. I have turned the air pump off for now. I am usually home during the days so I can monitor the fish and make any changes such as disconnecting the CO2. I will most definitely disconnect it at night.

I have some green algae on my drift wood. I hope they like that stuff. It's just a thin coating, possibly diatom algae.

Who would have thought someone would WANT algae in their tank?! lol!
 
I also need some broad leaf anubis. Menagerie has great nana's in at the moment.

The female:


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

If I'm not mistaken, you could use Seachem Excel to dose carbon for your plants without lowering your oxygen levels. On a small tank, this makes sense, but I'm not sure how large your tank is.


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

It is only a 10 gal. I've just removed the CO2 for now while some algae grows, and I will add the CO2 back when I have enough food for the gobies.


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