Fluval CO2 kit

[FishHobby99]

Do red plant aficionados just grow plants because the light requirements are too intense for fish?

 

[StandbySetting]

There's a debate that rumbles on, aquascapers generally focus on the plant health, intensely bright light is not appreciated by most fish species. The aquarist generally puts fish health before plant health. It's an ethical debate, one I tend to not get involved in as there are usually differing opinions. I've used intense light previously but have always ensured there are places for the fish to take refuge so as not to become stressed by overly intense lighting.

 

[FishHobby99]

In my feeble attempt at red plants,I elevated them in soil pots and provided much shelter by way of green plants for the betta. I even occluded part of the LED strip. Ultimately I decided I preferred to see the purple fish swimming freely & threw the plants away. The only red plant I now have is silk & in the axotle tank where dim lighting and cold water presents challenges to live plants.

 

[reptilenotfish]

Do wild plants get pressurised carbon dioxide (CO2) added to their lake or pond?

Man thinks he is smarter than everything and likes tinkering with nature. Adding CO2 to an aquarium is not natural, nor necessary. There is plenty of CO2 in the atmosphere, and in the water. In the aquarium it is produced continuously by filter bacteria, organic matter decomposing in the mud or water, and by the fish.

Recent studies on terrestrial plants has shown they actually suffer when exposed to more than normal CO2 levels. This was on Catalyst (ABC science show in Australia last year). They were looking at how well plants function in high levels of CO2 so they could make theories about how the forests will tolerate the rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Aquatic plants will probably react the same way.

Plants only use CO2 when they get sufficient light and that means the CO2 produced by the bacteria and fish does nothing for the plants when it's dark.

The CO2 is normally encouraged out of the water by aeration. If you want a plant tank with CO2, you need to minimise surface turbulence.

They do indeed! In fact, many common aquarium plant would be found growing in a more riparian (out of water) setting, meaning they have increased access to co2, S. repens is a great example. When we as aquarists use high par lighting and ferts, it is almost necessary to use co2 to keep up with algae and plant growth. But, as you said, better lighting is needed. I don't really understand the issue to be honest, co2 in correct quantities very clearly accelerates plant growth, and tinkering with nature is the very essence of the planted tank hobby. of course, plants grow in no co2 tanks, but it is a slow process. either way, thank you for your contribution to the forum.

 

[reptilenotfish]

I have a finnex hlc that I was going to use on this tank. I also will then have a spare aquasky from my 10 gallon I could use as supplemental lighting. But from the sounds of it going hi-tech may be more than I wanna chew off.

If I could pull it off with a smaller all in one purchase I’d swing that way.

fluval seems to be a pretty risky bet, half the reviews I read claimed the regulator failed and put lethal doses in their tanks, either that or the cartridge blowing and smashing everything. Seems odd for a fluval product. I would recommend an aquario system, it is a cheap alternative to pressurized systems, and is very straightforward to use. it uses yeast fermentation to produce co2, and some people will even make drinks with similar systems! if bio sounds daunting, fluval actually has one co2 system that doesn't seem so risky. I believe it is the cheapest, it uses a bell diffuser to passively add co2 to the water, you just fill the bell diffuser twice a day.

hope this helps at all, a 29 gallon does seem like quite a large size for these options, and co2 would probably be more supplemental because of that.