Could Someone Please Explain Co2 Things To Me ?

[Em29]

I am a pretty novice fish keeper as shown up in my previous posts. Am trying to source the right CO2 for my 90 litre tank. I have a fluval Roma 90 and have just started to plant it up and realised that I haven't thought through the co2 requirements properly. So, I do not think I can afford the pressurised system yet so was going to choose the liquid form. Is this suitable? Reliable? Does everyone use co2 for their plants?
Please don't shout at me......

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

CO2 is of course nessasary for plants but you don't have to dose it unless your situation requires it-

Low-tech often does not; if you have low lighting no ferts and slow growth then you probably don't.
Less demanding plant species like java fern also don't require additional CO2
If you don't have a lot of plants it's most likely you won't need CO2

If you have higher lights it can be useful or if you have a lot of plants ect.

I use liquid CO2 in my 90L and it helps a lot I think.

I have used Flourish excel which worked but was more expensive than the one I'm using now; Aqua Carbon by AE design. I'm not sure the brand matters to much though, just which ever you can get hold of. Many people also use EasyCarbo (in short there's a number to choose from ) . Liquid Carbon does thend to work out cheaper on smaller tanks but you have to remember to add daily. It can also help reduce algea because the algea can't use it as a source of Carbon so it becomes toxic, at the same time there are also some plants that can't use it, i think eleoda densa was oen of them but I can't remember to be sure, but most plants seem able to use it. Liquid carbon can't entirly replace CO2 but it works pretty well.

Hope it helps a little bit I'm sure others can add

 

[justin85]

What plants have you put in ?

 

[Aqua Tom]

Ok, here is why plants need co2. All animals be them land or aquatic inhale oxygen & exhale co2. Plants on the other hand "inhale" co2 & exhale oxygen, so without plants we are in big trouble.

So, this means that plants "food" is mostly co2 along with some other nutriants that are taken from the air, water soil etc.

So if we can introduce a high co2 level into our aquarium then that is a nice big food supply for the plants leading to fast growing large plants.

There are various ways to do this, liquid carbon, low pressure co2 kits & high pressure injected co2 systems.

Tom

 

[Em29]

Fantastic replies - thanks for explaining this to me. I knew the basics but I have only ever had a fluval edge and minimal planting. Now I have

3x Large Cabomba
3x Large ish Echindorus
1 x small lilaeopsis Mauritius (Microsword?)

Thank you everyone

 

[minnnt]

The plants you list shouldn't be thriving for co2 so you would be fine dosing just a basic fertiliser. If you have a well stocked tank (with fish) then you would probably not even need to do that.

Ensure your lights are on for no longer than 8 hours a day as they are the main driver for plants additional nutritional requirements.

 

[Em29]

Oh thank you very much!! Much appreciated. Tank is almost ready for fish but my brand new bloody Heater is not working. I have tried it at a 45 degree angle and straight up etc so have to return it tonight and exchange. Hopefully if temp and reading are good tomorrow night my two platy's can go in and then after payday I can start to build up my platy population! (also my fry should be ready to go in soon if they are willing to hide in the plants for me )