So I thought I would start a thread concerning the significance of CO2 in a planted tank and my experience thus far as I am relatively new to this hobby.
When I first began my planted tank, i decided to dose Flourish and Flourish Excel, a fertilizer and a bio-available source of CO2. My plants did grow a bit better but it was still a very slow growth. I decided that I wanted to use real CO2 via a DIY method. I argued that although it may be less effective than a more elaborate CO2 setup, for now it was a cheaper alternative to introducing actual CO2. It cost me ~$30 for a few months supply of CO2 this way and in just a few days, already i can tell my plants are significantly better. I notice the color is stronger, the roots are growing insanely fast, the overall growth rate has increased, and my favorite was the pearling on some plants that I never had seen with Excel.
I feel that everyone who runs a planted tank and who is contemplating to run CO2 or not should think about investing ~$25 into a tube and nano diffuser of some sort and then $5 for the sugar and yeast. Real CO2 is far superior to organic Carbon imo. And DIY is cheap so if you don't like it, you can always just jettison that stuff.
Don't get all too happy with your yeast activated CO2 yet. If you have a chance, go order a CO2 drop checker and to measure the actual CO2 level in your tank. The recommend level is 35ppm with the drop checker color in light or yellowish green. People with medium to high light tanks would need more than 35ppm of CO2. You may be surprised that you may not have enough CO2 level in your tank. When algae kicks in for some reason, you would realize that you can't further increase your CO2 level without adding another bottle of yeast. Often times, increasing your CO2 level is the best way to combat algae, especially with BBA. Or you can also reduce your lighting. Well, $30 for few months? It only costs me $18 to refill my 10lb CO2 tank which can last me 3 months. For some, it can last as long as 6 months if they don't inject a lot of CO2 like I do. If you look at it this way, your DIY CO2 is no longer cost effective.
He spent 5 on sugar and yeast, not 30. While pressurized is supposedly the best, I see nothing wrong with him just trying out co2 by going DIY first. Either way is better than just dosing excel.
Devil's advocate: C02 is a useful tool for a lot of specific applications but much of what it can achieve can be done over a longer period, less expensively in a lower-tech setup. Rampant growth can be exciting, but it can also be a monumental PITA with the additional pruning and fertilizing needed.
If you decide c02 is necessary for what you want to achieve, I'd advocate for going pressurized from the start. Easier and simpler to start with the finished product than go thru multiple periods of adjusting and re-learning what works with DIY only to do it all over again with pressurized.
In a small tank, with low light plants, the CO2 isn't really required is it?
I am new to all of this and it is mind boggling the amount of info in these forums. If I am not expecting record setting growth, and my tank isn't large (say 10 gallons), do I really need the CO2?
All plants need it, and it is present in all tanks, however plants can only grow so much when you limit their needs (light, food, co2). Plants that need higher light will need more co2 than is in your tank normally so you would need to add it. Hopefully that makes sense
Yes, some plants NEED the addition of Co2 to even live. These are usually carpet plants. Otherwise "low-light" plants just grow slower without additional co2.
I disagree. I don't love this scape but here is an old tank of mine. 10 gallon, seriously underfilter, no real ferts, no excel on a regular, no co2 at all.
This is where I started:
This is where I ended:
Quote from myself in my thread:
"This has been the easiest tank I have ever dealt with"
I've got high-light recommended stems happily growing in low/medium light, no c02. Do they show the full potential of their color? Nope. But they're still very nice plants and this way I'm able to keep some relatively hard to find plants on hand until I *am* ready to set up a high tech tank.
My hygro sunset under c02/high light/ferts would have a bushier growth pattern, larger leaves, and brilliant pinks. Under my med light/med ferts set up the leaves are a little smaller, the sections between nodes are longer and the pink is diminished to a light blush on the upper half of the plant. Still a good looking plant that I'm able to regularly harvest clippings from.
My baby tears carpet (nearing 75% coverage after 2+months) doesn't get as much horizontal growth as it would hi-tech, but I'm willing to wait it out. Hi-tech I'd be pruning and tossing the clippings. Low tech I'm pruning and re-planting the clippings.
I do have a drop checker and it is green . i adjusted the amount of yeast to produce the right amount of CO2 for my tank. I run it at night so in the morning the thing is light green and then at the end of the day it turns turquoise.
And for the price, if we exclude the equipment, the sugar and yeast is like almost free since i use ~ 1/4 tsp yeast every 1.5 weeks, and 1 cup of sugar at that time. COSTCO sells a fukton of sugar for like $11. OBVIOUSLY, if your tank is larger, proper CO2 levels would be much harder to achieve than in my 10 gallon.
CO2 is not necessary unless you have a more particular plant. You can have a very nice tank especially small if you choose to not run CO2. I did that for a month but the picture of coming home to a tank that has air bubbles on every leaf is so cool. Also, tells me my plants aren't sleepin on the job.
Hey all,
It has been about 2 months since and with my DIY setup, i have been able to achieve decent CO2 levels but i have decided to move to pressurized CO2 for a few reasons. Recently i began EI, and the first thing i noticed was my CO2 indicator fluctuates from green in morning to blue green at the end of the day. From my experience, DIY output is not large enough at least with a plastic bottle. Second, There is no control i have over the amount of CO2 and consistent CO2 levels are key to preventing algae and promoting good growth. I have definitely been learning loads about plant health, the hobby, and where i want to go (aquascaping competitions) over the past 2 months. From common sense, i think my lights and ferts are good so the only thing that is stunting my growth from what i see is my CO2 and i will update how the pressurized system goes. Seems like its time to make a ton of desserts with all this sugar XD.
Decide what you have to commit to the tank. If you have the time to commit to pruning and the money to commit to the initial cost of tank, regulator, and solenoid then go for it. You would also need to invest in ferts and set up a dosing schedule because the accelerated growth from the co2 injection would cause a higher demand for nutrients. There aren't many plants that actually require high light and co2 and if you wanted to try those plants it would be worth the investment, but if you're a casual hobbyist, low light/no co2 is a pretty safe bet. DiY co2 is a happy medium where ferts are beneficial, but not as strict. My issue with DiY is the possibility of fluxuations in co2 levels that will lead to algae. For me personally, i work about 60 hours a week plus i have a toddler so much of my time is already occupied. I stick with low light, weekly fert dosing, no co2 and bi-weekly water changes, if that. Keep it! adequately stocked and your fauna will provide your flora with everything they need.
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