Debunked: CO2-Myth --- See tanks without carbon dioxide fertilization

[HarleyK]

I was among early adopters when it became available in Europe about 20 years ago. That first generation of material totally wiped out kH in my 80 gal tank. For weeks, with regular water changes and really hard water to start with. It was insane. It took longer to stabilize hardness than it took to cycle the tank. And it was so light that Cory cats would swirl it up like feathers.
Great plant growth, though.

What's your experience?

 

[Fat Homer]

^ i found initally the DHG was actually one of the strongest growing plants in my tanks while i was running Co2...

In the 60G pictured above, at one stage it literaly went wild and covered the whole front area of the tank, taking over a lot of other plants growing space...

Even on my old 50G shrimp tank, it almost managed to choke out out other carpeting plants, which is when i decided to rip it all up and go full HC instead...

Personally, i do like the look of a nice Hairgrass carpet, but find mainting it to be worse than HC to be honest...

 

[Mike16T]

I agree to the OP. Plants can grow without CO2 injection, but in just slower rate and most likely not to it's full potential. I just started my first planted tank. I did took my time with the research.
I am on the process of adding a small CO2 system (Paintball system) since I've done enough research already. I am adding the system due to carpeting plant is having a hard time to compete for CO2 as you can see in the front of the tank. Monte Carlos are thriving but not as much as the S. Repens.

The tank is 2 months old.

15 Gallon tank with Current USA Satellite Pro+ LED running for 7 hours
Plants:
- Anubias Nana
- Anubias congensis mini
- Java Moss
- Christmas mos
- Bucephalandra Blue leaf mini
- Pogostemon helferi
- Micranthemum Monte Carlo
- Rotala macrandra mini pink
- Staurogyne repens
- AR mini
- Rotala mini butterfly
- Hydrocotyle verticillata

Daily dose:
Flourish Excel

Twice a week dose:
Aquarium Co Op All in one Fertilizer (Awesome stuff ^_^)
Flourish Iron

Also used root tabs..

First Month

Second Month

 

[HarleyK]

I may be misunderstanding this - you have a 7h light period per day? If so, all you have to do to boost plant growth is extending it to 12-14h.

 

[convict360]

I agree to the OP. Plants can grow without CO2 injection, but in just slower rate and most likely not to it's full potential. I just started my first planted tank. I did took my time with the research.
I am on the process of adding a small CO2 system (Paintball system) since I've done enough research already. I am adding the system due to carpeting plant is having a hard time to compete for CO2 as you can see in the front of the tank. Monte Carlos are thriving but not as much as the S. Repens.

The tank is 2 months old.

15 Gallon tank with Current USA Satellite Pro+ LED running for 7 hours
Plants:
- Anubias Nana
- Anubias congensis mini
- Java Moss
- Christmas mos
- Bucephalandra Blue leaf mini
- Pogostemon helferi
- Micranthemum Monte Carlo
- Rotala macrandra mini pink
- Staurogyne repens
- AR mini
- Rotala mini butterfly
- Hydrocotyle verticillata

Daily dose:
Flourish Excel

Twice a week dose:
Aquarium Co Op All in one Fertilizer (Awesome stuff ^_^)
Flourish Iron

Also used root tabs..

First Month
View attachment 1183528
Second Month
View attachment 1183529

That's a really sweet tank, nice job

 

[Mike16T]

I may be misunderstanding this - you have a 7h light period per day? If so, all you have to do to boost plant growth is extending it to 12-14h.

Trust me, i did that. I had to battle with algae so decided to turn it down little by little and 7 hours is the perfect duration to minimize algae. My ottos still can't keep up, they're always fat, but algae is controlled at this point. Amano shrimps are doing a good job also..

 

[Mike16T]

That's a really sweet tank, nice job

Thanks... ^_^

 

[HarleyK]

Sounds like you've got a good algae crew.
Have you tried 7h, then a 2h dark break, then again 7h light? It's how I run all of my tanks, and have been for over thirty years. It keeps algae in check. They can't deal with the dark.
Not my idea, I read it in Mergus.

 

[Mike16T]

Sounds like you've got a good algae crew.
Have you tried 7h, then a 2h dark break, then again 7h light? It's how I run all of my tanks, and have been for over thirty years. It keeps algae in check. They can't deal with the dark.
Not my idea, I read it in Mergus.

Yup. Good crew. Thinking about adding 2 orange ottos soon.

It's all about balance and I'm getting there, but CO2 system will be installed soon because I want to see the plants to it's full potential, especially the Micranthemum Monte Carlo.

 

[Dieboldly]

Howdy,

it seems like mostly people with CO2 experience post here to rebut my claim, which is perfectly fine. It shows that a few MFKers actually push planting tanks to a new level.

But let's keep it real: Most hobbyists do not need CO2. Just search this forum here for "CO2", and you will get 937 hits. Search it for

• "lighting" (852 hits)
• "fertilizer" (219 hits)
• "species" (282 hits)
• "chemistry" (42 hits)
• "parameters" (101 hits)

and you can easily tell which single factor members consider to be most important. This is wrong on so many levels.

Indeed, CO2 can boost plant growth if everything else is perfect. But that is the exception in our hobby, and you have to prune your plants more often than you have to mow your front lawn. I do not consider that a healthy, natural stage, either.



CO2 is an essential carbon source.
I use Kent Freshwater fertilizers.

HarleyK

Can you list everything you use as fertilizers? I've been using excel and flourish but is there better product or do I need other stuff too? New to this.