you don't have to do co2, i have a few planted tanks with just sand and good lights.. i dose flourish randomly but they are all super happy! i think lighting is more important. have you looked in the low tech section on here?
I was thinking about setting up a planted aqaurium, but i have never kept real plants before ive been looking on youtube and some people say dont use co2 and some say you do, some say use you can use sand some say you are meant to use aqua soil, this has got me really confused and now i debated weather or not to keep them or not because it is going to cost a bomb for the plants and soil and then for the co2 system. so i need some help on what i need to do as i dont have a clue
Unless you overstock the tank the fauna will not produce enough CO2 to keep up with a lush tank that has anything thick growing. In the case of wanting a carpet, unless its Java Moss, you will not have any luck. Some carpeting plants don't need CO2, but you will be waiting ages to have the carpet you want.The tank iam going to put my plants is in 4ft tank when i get this week its going to be at-least 2 or 3week before anything goes init because it needs a good clean and paint job going to do a before and after picture if anyone is in interested in looking at them ill post them. But alot of people say you dont need co2 because the fish produce it and if i just doni diy one will that be enough
He says he has a tank, so going a highball method wouldn't be the best idea for him. Volume differences and all.since you are unsure, you just need to take a deliberate path that will end in a predicted way thats guaranteed.
go to the planted nanos forum, search for a tank called Shrimp Highball and copy that exact setup. its the cheapest you can do to get your feet wet in a predictable outcome manner, you'll have crazy plant growth.
sure you want to start a larger tank, we all did, but trust me with this level of indecisiveness you just need to actually start a small planted nano and then cash it in later for the big one. at this rate, you'll pay for a big one and get not much. decisiveness is the key, and shrimp highball thread is what you want to copy because it will work great and is just about bulletprooof.
SJR without the overall specs of what you have we can't really give you feasible input. We need to know the following:Hi SJR,
what lighting are you using. T12, T8, T5, T5ho
high lighting no CO2 injection = algae.
Lets keep this simple. You're confusing yourself from the sounds of itI dont know what type of light this new tank has at the min iam running a 5w light in about a 2ft tank. When i get the new tank i was going to buy a new light anyways i was thinking t5 light so your saying if i went with a higher light i wont need co2. I was going to use some aqua soil for the plants. My plans was to put auasoil in the middle of the tank then sand round the outside to make it look like a island
Agreed. Please do a bit more reading, it will pay offIf you don't want to use CO2, then spend some time in the Low Tech forum looking at other people's setups to see how others have set up their tanks- equipment, plant species, etc.
This is a good thread to look through, a lot of info and ideas in this one thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=99729