Does My Medium Planted Tank Need CO2 Injections?

[KelsoMike]

Hello,

This is my first time posting, so please excuse me if I have broken any etiquette rules here.

Based on the photo of my tank, do you think that this many plants requires CO2 injections? I’ve added fertilizer and there is 11 fish (zebra danios and neon tetras), 2 Bristlenose Plecos, 2 Nerite snails, 2 assassin snails (there are pest snails also), 3 Amano shrimp, and 4 red cherry shrimp, so I figured the high bio load would provide sufficient nutrients for the plants, but I would like your opinions too.

The plants include water sprite, java moss, java ferns, Marimo moss balls, Aponogeton crispus, nomaphila stricta, and another I’m not quite sure the name (tall stem with lots of short leaves). Also, if you think my tank is overcrowded (not enough space for the fish), please let me know - the tank is about 17.5 gallons.

Thank you for any and all advice. If you would like additional information, please let me know.

[Trashpanda49]

Originally Posted by KelsoMike

Hello,

This is my first time posting, so please excuse me if I have broken any etiquette rules here.

Based on the photo of my tank, do you think that this many plants requires CO2 injections? I’ve added fertilizer and there is 11 fish (zebra danios and neon tetras), 2 Bristlenose Plecos, 2 Nerite snails, 2 assassin snails (there are pest snails also), 3 Amano shrimp, and 4 red cherry shrimp, so I figured the high bio load would provide sufficient nutrients for the plants, but I would like your opinions too.

The plants include water sprite, java moss, java ferns, Marimo moss balls, Aponogeton crispus, nomaphila stricta, and another I’m not quite sure the name (tall stem with lots of short leaves). Also, if you think my tank is overcrowded (not enough space for the fish), please let me know - the tank is about 17.5 gallons.

Thank you for any and all advice. If you would like additional information, please let me know.

The short answer is no. But it depends on your ambitions as an aquascaper. If you want to maximize growth, color and health then yes. But you can have healthy plants without it. I have a 20 cube with no CO2 and I’m always trimming and plants look good. Not a show tank but it looks good.

[Trashpanda49]

Originally Posted by Trashpanda49

The short answer is no. But it depends on your ambitions as an aquascaper. If you want to maximize growth, color and health then yes. But you can have healthy plants without it. I have a 20 cube with no CO2 and I’m always trimming and plants look good. Not a show tank but it looks good.

What Fertilizer do you use?

[Delapool]

As above - it’s not needed. The CO2 in water naturally is say 3 to 4ppm and injection lifts it to say 30ppm which provides a lot more carbon to the plants. So faster growth (along with greater algae risk perhaps). But natural setups can do just as well for many plants, look as nice and less pruning work.

[Brookster123]

Tank looks pretty great as is. Co2 is only going to speed up everything related to growth, algae, deficiencies.

[KelsoMike]

Originally Posted by Trashpanda49

What Fertilizer do you use?

Aqueon Aquarium Plant Food (17.4 oz) is the fertilizer I use. Thanks all for the replies! It looks like I am safe for no CO2 injections for now.