What Is A Co2 Thingy...? [Plus More]

As you may now from my question, I have no idea how or what it is, it was mentioned to me when I said I wanted my plants to grow faster.

Like I wanna try it, but wouldn't it reduce the oxygen in the tank? I don't need to do that, my tank is a bit overstocked (but I'm keeping up with water changes so I don't find it that bad, it's 1-2 fish overstocked)

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Also how do I use the "3 watts per gallon" ?

I don't understand. Right now I have a fluorescent lighting but am trying to get a good one but the LFS always runs out...

but I was planning on growing them in a 2.5 gal or 10 gallon. And they get 10 watts bulbs made for plants. Is that what they're talking about or what?? I'm confused?
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And if a plant sends off run offs really good but only at a certain part of the year... (cryptocorne - although I'm told it looks more like Anubius or a sword plant.) is this bad? I've gotten near 12 run offs from one plant alone, and I like it, but it has stopped ? It was doing it great between August and January. Is it just tired??

I know half of my question seem stupid but I don't get the concept.

shadowangels27 said:

As you may now from my question, I have no idea how or what it is, it was mentioned to me when I said I wanted my plants to grow faster.

Like I wanna try it, but wouldn't it reduce the oxygen in the tank? I don't need to do that, my tank is a bit overstocked (but I'm keeping up with water changes so I don't find it that bad, it's 1-2 fish overstocked)

-
Also how do I use the "3 watts per gallon" ?

I don't understand. Right now I have a fluorescent lighting but am trying to get a good one but the LFS always runs out...

but I was planning on growing them in a 2.5 gal or 10 gallon. And they get 10 watts bulbs made for plants. Is that what they're talking about or what?? I'm confused?
-

And if a plant sends off run offs really good but only at a certain part of the year... (cryptocorne - although I'm told it looks more like Anubius or a sword plant.) is this bad? I've gotten near 12 run offs from one plant alone, and I like it, but it has stopped ? It was doing it great between August and January. Is it just tired??

I know half of my question seem stupid but I don't get the concept.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's not getting enough nutrients/CO2 (plants use CO2 to make energy when they photosynthesize, thats why you need it in a tank where otherwise CO2 is not added. Dont worry the plants use up the CO2 and pump out oxygen back into the water so your fish wont die from CO2 unless you pump in too much)What sort of substrate do you have, if its a soil or other nutrient rich substrate it may have run out of nutrients over the course of time.

ATK!!! said:

shadowangels27 said:

As you may now from my question, I have no idea how or what it is, it was mentioned to me when I said I wanted my plants to grow faster.

Like I wanna try it, but wouldn't it reduce the oxygen in the tank? I don't need to do that, my tank is a bit overstocked (but I'm keeping up with water changes so I don't find it that bad, it's 1-2 fish overstocked)

-
Also how do I use the "3 watts per gallon" ?

I don't understand. Right now I have a fluorescent lighting but am trying to get a good one but the LFS always runs out...

but I was planning on growing them in a 2.5 gal or 10 gallon. And they get 10 watts bulbs made for plants. Is that what they're talking about or what?? I'm confused?
-

And if a plant sends off run offs really good but only at a certain part of the year... (cryptocorne - although I'm told it looks more like Anubius or a sword plant.) is this bad? I've gotten near 12 run offs from one plant alone, and I like it, but it has stopped ? It was doing it great between August and January. Is it just tired??

I know half of my question seem stupid but I don't get the concept.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's not getting enough nutrients/CO2 (plants use CO2 to make energy when they photosynthesize, thats why you need it in a tank where otherwise CO2 is not added. Dont worry the plants use up the CO2 and pump out oxygen back into the water so your fish wont die from CO2 unless you pump in too much)What sort of substrate do you have, if its a soil or other nutrient rich substrate it may have run out of nutrients over the course of time.

Click to expand...

I use plain gravel? Like fish store gravel, but it gets nutrients in it... And the plants don't really complain.

BTW nice swordtail.

Thanks! Its not actually a swordtail but a Swordtail/Platy mix which means it has the same lovely tail but is smaller so you can have more of them. I'd really reccomend these to anyone wanting smaller easy fish! I'm sure everyone else will be able to help you out but it may be helpful to have a quick pic of the tank/plant so we can get a better idea of whats going on

ATK!!! said:

Thanks! Its not actually a swordtail but a Swordtail/Platy mix which means it has the same lovely tail but is smaller so you can have more of them. I'd really reccomend these to anyone wanting smaller easy fish! I'm sure everyone else will be able to help you out but it may be helpful to have a quick pic of the tank/plant so we can get a better idea of whats going on

Click to expand...

Yea that's my fish tank v or ^ depending on where it's at... Sorry about the corys (in the gravel) and the danios. Danios don't let you take pictures of them worth anything and the corys were fighting over a wafer.

the yellow plant and most of the plants are fake. Except for the large on in the back, and the tiny one near the boat (among the rocks which are spaced enough so that fishys don't get trapped) and the bulbs which are sprouting

large one in the back - (right hand corner) is cryptocorne... Looks more like a sword or anubius to me...

Branded CO2 systems are usually outrageously priced and sometimes don't supply all the stuff you need (I saw many going for £200) whereas a DIY Fire extinguisher CO2 system will cost roughly around £80-100 and will last a 200l tank one year(I don't know how much this changes on a smaller tank) Then you can get the Fire extinguisher/canister replaced for around £20. So it all depends on how much you're willing to pay. What type of lighting do you have btw T5 or T8.

ATK!!! said:

Branded CO2 systems are usually outrageously priced and sometimes don't supply all the stuff you need (I saw many going for £200) whereas a DIY Fire extinguisher CO2 system will cost roughly around £80-100 and will last a 200l tank one year(I don't know how much this changes on a smaller tank) Then you can get the Fire extinguisher/canister replaced for around £20. So it all depends on how much you're willing to pay. What type of lighting do you have btw T5 or T8.

Click to expand...

I have fluorescent lighting?

18" Bulb. That's all I know.

In the setup that you have just now, you don't really need CO2. By adding CO2 you are going into the region of a "high-tech" tank, which involves adding fertilisers, higher intensities of lighting, etc. If you were up for adding fertilisers, then you could do that on it's own without the CO2 which should give your plants a boost as it gives them the nutrients they need. The fact that your plants were rowing well before and then have stopped suggests that they have run out of nutrients in the water, so it may be a good idea to try dosing a good plant fertiliser like TPN+. Other ferts may be cheaper, but do not supply all the nutrients your plants need so you may not see a great difference.

+1 to above

Also you may want to consider Easylife Easycarbo or Flourish Excel as they are very good products for tanks that don't use CO2 and are basically a liquid that contains carbon (don't know the exact science behind this but I would like to!) These might be cheaper if dosed in smaller lightly planted tanks like yours and cost about £5 for a 250ml bottle. (You dose around 1ml per 50l every day depending on how heavily planted you tank is but 1ml would be fine for you) These products have the added benefit of stopping algae from taking hold so easily on a tank too!