jac_france
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hello everyone.
I’m hoping for some clarity on CO2 (groan) because I’ve been reading up on it so much as I’m upgrading my tank, and can’t find an answer to the question I have, which is… do I really need it if the water in my aquarium sits naturally at pH6.8 and KH5.5, as it has done for nearly 10 months or so. From looking up these figures on the CO2 tables, that gives a result around 24 – so do I need to add any more CO2?
Currently in my 20-litre nano, the substrate is JBL Aquabasis+, with JBL Manado on top. 50% water changes every 10 days, Dennerle 11w light. Fairly heavily planted with plants and moss. They don’t produce bubbles, but my pogostemon helferi is hardly a low-lying rosette – it’s about to pop out of the aquarium. My plant book says it needs 20-30 mg/l of co2 to do well. But then again it also says it grows to c. 10cm and mine is nearly double that.
The larger, 43-litre aquarium will have a similar set-up as regards substrate, rocks, some of the same plants (cuttings from the pogostemon h. for a start). Lighting is a Solar Lux 26W, White 6500K. So I’m expecting the water parameters to be similar.
The question arises because I want a carpeting plant like eleocharis parvula or acicularis, and everyone suggests successful carpeting growth comes only with a CO2 system. I don’t want to spend on a CO2 system unnecessarily, but then again I don’t want to waste money on a carpet plant that stands little chance without one.
[FONT="]My neons and shrimp, who have been eyeing up the larger but still waterless tank sitting next to them, would be very grateful to anyone who could advise on whether I actually might have an okay supply of CO2, or whether I’m just kidding myself.
Thank you, thank you.
Jac
[/FONT]
I’m hoping for some clarity on CO2 (groan) because I’ve been reading up on it so much as I’m upgrading my tank, and can’t find an answer to the question I have, which is… do I really need it if the water in my aquarium sits naturally at pH6.8 and KH5.5, as it has done for nearly 10 months or so. From looking up these figures on the CO2 tables, that gives a result around 24 – so do I need to add any more CO2?
Currently in my 20-litre nano, the substrate is JBL Aquabasis+, with JBL Manado on top. 50% water changes every 10 days, Dennerle 11w light. Fairly heavily planted with plants and moss. They don’t produce bubbles, but my pogostemon helferi is hardly a low-lying rosette – it’s about to pop out of the aquarium. My plant book says it needs 20-30 mg/l of co2 to do well. But then again it also says it grows to c. 10cm and mine is nearly double that.
The larger, 43-litre aquarium will have a similar set-up as regards substrate, rocks, some of the same plants (cuttings from the pogostemon h. for a start). Lighting is a Solar Lux 26W, White 6500K. So I’m expecting the water parameters to be similar.
The question arises because I want a carpeting plant like eleocharis parvula or acicularis, and everyone suggests successful carpeting growth comes only with a CO2 system. I don’t want to spend on a CO2 system unnecessarily, but then again I don’t want to waste money on a carpet plant that stands little chance without one.
[FONT="]My neons and shrimp, who have been eyeing up the larger but still waterless tank sitting next to them, would be very grateful to anyone who could advise on whether I actually might have an okay supply of CO2, or whether I’m just kidding myself.
Thank you, thank you.
Jac
[/FONT]