CO2?

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Low/medium/high light is pretty subjective, so it can be a tough call to make. In general, high light will need CO2, low light won't but will still benefit from Excel. Medium light can be a crap shoot depending on a lot of factors (circulation, stocking, ferts, etc), but it tends to be much more of a balancing act with Excel only.



The best way to tell if you need CO2 is if you have algae growing without it, depending on the type of algae. Unfortunately, this is after the fact, so I tend to like to err on the side of CO2 for the sake of sanity. It's entirely too common for people to underestimate their carbon requirements and end up fighting algae in their tank because Excel wasn't enough.
 
No tank is algae free, nor should it be.

The CO2 in any form helps the plants out compete the algae. In the case of Excel, it actually kills some kinds of algae, like black brush algae.

Almost all planted tank owners also employ algae eating critters like algae eating snails, fish and shrimp. Even the master of planted, Takashi Amano, uses algae eaters.

Currently, some of my best critter based algae control comes from the lowly pond snails that came in on my plants. I actually love them for the job they do.

I have alway used Excel in my low-medium light, low tech tank. I just added DIY CO2 with Excel. I believe that CO2 can benefit any planted tank. It helps with but does not eliminate algae. It definitely and dramatically promotes plant growth. Without it, algae can run rampant as it did when I got lax with my Excel dosing last August.
 
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No tank is algae free, nor should it be.

The CO2 in any form helps the plants out compete the algae. In the case of Excel, it actually kills some kinds of algae, like black brush algae.

Almost all planted tank owners also employ algae eating critters like algae eating snails, fish and shrimp. Even the master of planted, Takashi Amano, uses algae eaters.

Currently, some of my best critter based algae control comes from the lowly pond snails that came in on my plants. I actually love them for the job they do.

I have alway used Excel in my low-medium light, low tech tank. I just added DIY CO2 with Excel. I believe that CO2 can benefit any planted tank. It helps with but does not eliminate algae. It definitely and dramatically promotes plant growth. Without it, algae can run rampant as it did when I got lax with my Excel dosing last August.
Thank you for your feedback! :)
 
Co2 is not really required unless dealing with high light plants.

But co2 will help any tank, it comes down to what your goals are for your tank.

Want to do low maint and not have to worry about spending a lot of money of co2. Hate pruning? Stay low tech

Love fast growth and growing high demand plants? Like to prune weekly? Have spare money? Go full pressurized co2.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Even some high light plants can survive and flourish without CO2, though they generally won't exhibit their best coloring.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
How do you measure the amount of CO2 in the tank? Please point me to a reliable FAQ if one exists.

Is it possible for plants to need more CO2 even when your CO2 infusion has already caused the pH to drop from 8.2 to 6.5 over a couple of months?

Why is algae a big problem if you have algae eaters that can polish everything within one day? Even green water algae is easily cleared after 5 to 6 partial (50%) water changes within 2 days.

Thanks in advance.
 
How do you measure the amount of CO2 in the tank? Please point me to a reliable FAQ if one exists.

Is it possible for plants to need more CO2 even when your CO2 infusion has already caused the pH to drop from 8.2 to 6.5 over a couple of months?

Why is algae a big problem if you have algae eaters that can polish everything within one day? Even green water algae is easily cleared after 5 to 6 partial (50%) water changes within 2 days.

Thanks in advance.

The way most of us measure it is a drop checker. Here is an article about how a drop checker works.

mralgae: How Drop Checkers Work

Drop checkers aren't perfect but they are good enough for most of us in most cases. Why don't we use something better? It is a cost vs. benefit thing. Something better is cost prohibitive to most of us.

Algae being a problem is dependent on the kind, amount, and the ability of the aquarist to manage it. It is more of a problem to some than to others. Personally, I embrace my algae as well as my pond snails as being part of this little ecosystem I manage.

Green water can also be cleared with UV; but can be indicative of an imbalance in the tank that needs attention.

The pH drop over several months may be due to something other than CO2 injection. I don't know enough about your tank to give an opinion.

While I believe that algae eaters are an essential part of algae control, the number and kind of algae eaters can be very dependent on the other occupants of the tank and on what kind of algae control is needed. Certain kinds of critters eat certain kinds of algae and none of them eat all kinds of algae.

Algae management is part art and all science. We really should call it management and not control, IMO. And to me the definition of a healthy tank mean that there is some algae in it. It is the amount and sometimes the kind of algae that becomes problematic from time to time.
 
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CO2

Hello Plat...

I use aquarium plant bulbs from the hardware store. Just a couple of 32 watt, T8s is all low light plants need. Any of the dark green varieties will do fine under 6500K bulbs. I keep Anubias nana, nangi, a couple kinds of moss, Hornwort, Java fern, Pennywort and Anacharis. I don't use commercial ferts, only what the fish produce and change a lot of tank water.

Pretty easy.

B
 
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