What CO2 setup?

[maestromad]

Okay so I am re-scaping my tank and adding more plants etc..The assistant as my LFS has said that I will need a CO2 set up to ensure my plants grow effectively etc.
I have no clue and they seem to vary in price from reasonable to very expensive.

I have a 110L freshwater tank, I am going to have a red tiger lotus (which is why they have said i need CO2) and have just ordered the planted tank set up in the following link
http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/a...e-choice-plant-collection-aquarium-plant.html

My questions are:
What is the easiest/most cost effective set up - Ive seen the Aqua Gro CO2 starter kit, which looks easy?
Do I have to use CO2? I dose with excel/flourish and APi Plant?
I suffer from algae in the tank due to the excess light into my room also.

 

[maestromad]

Sorry posted wrong link, amended now!

 

[Old Scales]

Other then the red Tiger Lotus what other plants do you plan on growing? Remember, the store guy is also out to make a sale. Many people have great-looking tanks using just glut(Excel) as the carbon source. Although not quite as effective as pressurized CO2 it can still give you great-looking plants. Good light, balanced ferts, clean filtered water and a good plant friendly substrate can grow some wonderful planted aqua scapes. While pressurized CO2 can be an ultimate goal, not having it doesn't mean you can't grow plants. OS.

 

[maestromad]

If you look at the link above that's the plant set up I've ordered. Just until I get more confident with plants, in all fairness to the guy he didn't wen show me their products. My lfs is really good and no pressure to buy at all. Even told me it would be cheaper to get my lotus online rather than from them!

 

[maestromad]

Anyone with any input/advice

 

[Mebbid]

Need for co2 goes hand in hand with the amount of light you have. What light fixture do you have? You can easily use just glut for carbon up to the lower tier of high lighting.

 

[maestromad]

I have two 24" interpret daylight bulbs in the tank

 

[NYgiantsRP]

You dont need co2. I dont use co2 or excel. I use NOTHING. I treat my tank no different then a non planted tank, I just have plants. My plants dont grow like crazy, and I cant keep a lot of the fany smancy plants but I still enojy it. I keep java fern, anubias, swords, anacharis, cambomba, and cryptocoryne. I have a t5 light fixture with plant bulbs. Even with a basic lights that come with the tank you should still be fine with all those plants.

 

[Mebbid]

Are they T8, T5, T5HO?

 

[maestromad]

I think they are T8's

 

[Mebbid]

That will probably put you at the low end of medium light. Pressurized CO2 will be beneficial, but is not necessary.


If it were me personally, I would dose dry ferts and excel in the tank to help the plants along. If it's actually needed or not, it's hard to tell. You will have to see how the algae is in the tank. If you start getting algae growth then I would absolutely start looking into ferts and excel.

 

[maestromad]

Thanks! I'm hoping to get the plants delivered Monday/Tuesday so will get it all set up and fingers crossed they do ok!

 

[maestromad]

If need be I'll look at changing the bulbs to plant ones

 

[Mebbid]

If need be I'll look at changing the bulbs to plant ones

It's not the color of bulb that really matters for planted tanks, its the intensity. Anything from 5000k to 10000k is perfectly fine for growing plants. But if you have too much light and don't supplement that with fertilizers to allow the plants to grow faster then the tank becomes an algae farm. It's happened to me when I was sorting out both of my planted tanks.

 

[maestromad]

Ahh that's probably why I have such a problem with algae now. Just need to find the right balance if plants that I can look after without them dying!

 

[Mebbid]

Well, take a look at ferts and glut then.


Ferts:
PPS-Pro | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums


glut:
Cidex Metricide Omnicide 14 Day Sterilization Gallon | eBay

Can be dosed up to 1ml / 2 gallons. It is the same as excel just twice as strong. I would start out at 1ml / 5 gallons and see how it responds.

 

[maestromad]

Thanks for the advice what is glut for it appears to be a sterilisation aide?

 

[Mebbid]

Thanks for the advice what is glut for it appears to be a sterilisation aide?

It's a complex carbon molecule. Plants can use it for a carbon source as opposed to actual CO2. Its far cheaper than pressurized co2 but is guesstimated at around 60% as effective.

 

[maestromad]

Ok. I shall keep it in mind, hopefully with the extra plants the algae issue will level out, at least the fish will have a nicer environment it's very bare in there right now.

 

[maestromad]

So here's the final product!! Rather pleased!