Why are aquariums so unnatural?

[aqua_chem]

Diffusion is really slow, especially if you're diffusing past plants that are actively consuming CO2 as well.

 

[Caliban07]

So we know that plants enjoy having all there needs met through dosing and co2 injection but how would this impact an ecosystem?


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[RedDevil83]

Smaller mass requires more maintenance. As opposed to open water that has time and space.

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[aqua_chem]

So we know that plants enjoy having all there needs met through dosing and co2 injection but how would this impact an ecosystem?

My guess is pretty minimally. As long as nothing is eating the plants and the plants aren't eating anything (which at least one species does), it's a pretty isolated effect, especially if there are any fish.

 

[PerfectDepth]

I read this article today and it reminded me of this thread.

In nature, however, CO² levels are usually much higher than can be explained by animal respiration or atmospheric equilibrium alone — and true aquatic plants have evolved to this higher concentration of dissolved CO² in water. Unlike terrestrial plants, which absorb CO2 from the air through their stomata, aquatic plants take up CO2 directly from the water by passive diffusion. In fact, their evolution as water inhabitants delivered them with epidermis cells that contain chloroplasts, since this reduces the distance from their CO2 source to their photosynthesizing cells and their energy processes. The reason for this is that groundwater rich with Carbon dioxide often feeds the streams and water habitats of true aquatic plants, and in these habitats natural concentrations of CO² up to several hundred times atmospheric equilibrium are common.

Source: Understanding CO2 for planted Aquariums