what's the purpose of a C02 reactor?

[keiferd]

Ok someone please explain why you would want to buy a C02 reactor. I'm interested in starting a planted tank and I'm a bit confused. Fish take oxygen from the water and convert it into C02 right? and plants consume C02 and expel oxygen for the fish; Furthermore, fish produce waste that fertalizes plants. Why would you want to put C02 in your tank from a reactor that will deplete oxygen from your fish? Why don't you just stock the tank with more fish to produce more C02 and fertalizer?!?

[canucksfan1]

some people have plants that can consume alot of c02, i would venture to guess that there are probably some people who have tanks that could consume more c02 then a tank stocked to the brim with fish would produce, for that reason people inject more c02 so they plants get what they can take

[keiferd]

why not just buy more fish and overstock the tank then? If these plants are clouding the water with oxygen and starving themselves, it's the perfect reason to buy more fish; unless you like staring at underwater plants...

[toddnbecka]

Most of the plants used in planted aquariums aren't actually aquatic to begin with. The additional CO2 is necessary to keep them alive, along with relatively high light levels.

[keiferd]

so why not just plant them in a pot and put them on a windowsill? Seems a little redundant.

[jflng]

The added Co2 helps the plants grow faster. When adding more light and ferts, plants can take in more Co2. Also, if a lot of light is used, algae can take over your tank. The Co2 helps the plants outcompete these algaes.
Fish do not produce much Co2. You will never get high levels of Co2 by overstocking your tank with fish.
Co2 is not mandatory. You can have a nice "low tech" tank without Co2, high light levels, and ferts. The addition of Co2 however is noticeable. Plants will definitely grow faster, look better, and pearl more often.

[keiferd]

will the C02 reactor harm your fish though?

[Bk718]

will the C02 reactor harm your fish though?

all a co2 reactor will do is inject the co2 into the tank water in an efficient way, it will not harm the fish at all, unless you use pressurized and od on the injection

[jflng]

Yes it can harm the fish if too much is used. This is generally easy to avoid by testing or using a cheap drop checker.


all a co2 reactor will do is inject the co2 into the tank water in an efficient way, it will not harm the fish at all, unless you use pressurized and od on the injection
yep

[gvildawg]

The reactor helps the CO2 better combine/mix with the water. At least that's the purpose of mine.

[TwoTankAmin]

The need to suppliment co2 in a tank is a funtion of the plant needs. Certain plants will uptake the co2 faster than it can be replaced by normal aggitation methods. In the flowing waters of the wild there is a constant supply of new co2 being delivered by the flowing water.

Co2 does not displace O in water nor vice versa, they function independently. Moreover, plants do not produce O 24/7. At night O production and co2 uptake basically stops.

Water has a saturation point for O. Once reached that is it. Co2, on the other hand, creates carnonic acid- which is what causes pH to drop. Too much co2 can cause a drastic pH crash and can also be deleterious to fish.