Co2

[mpx]

Hi, i have 37 high gal w/eclipse hood retroffited w/55 watt cf & was thinking of cutting up the back side of the eclipse (I don't use the eclipse fileter, I use a canister) so that I can fit a 15 watt standard flourescent (from old 20 gal aquarium). Of course, i'm gonna need to get a class cover for this too.

Anyways, w/total of 70 watts on my 37 gal, I plan on getting several java ferns, a bunch of corkscrew vals, dwarf sag, an amazon sword, green wendtii, and anubias nana.

Would this setup require DIY CO2?

I've had experience before on planted tanks. I've done a 20 gal. w/30 watts lighting & same type of plants & DIY CO2 but I was never sure if the CO2 made much of a difference if at all. My Amazon grew wonderfully well at first, but I'm not sure if it was the CO2 because after a couple months, the amazon lost it's leaves & its growth slowed tremendously although it still lived.

Also are fertilizers recommend? If so, which kinds?

[djlen]

CO2 will aid any planted tank by enhancing growth and aiding the plants out-compete the algae for nutrients. However there are many successful tanks that do not use CO2. For your particular situation, I would say it is not as necessary as it would be with a higher wattage.
Most plants come to your tank loaded with nutrients which they have stored from the grow tanks that they were raised in. They have the ability to store nutrients and do well until the stores are depleted. Then it is helpful to add nutrients for them to continue their growth. This may have been the problem you spoke of with your sword.
For this reason, I would recommend starting off with light fertilization and then increasing if needed. Watch the plants and they will tell you if they need something.
Seachem makes a good line of all the nutrients you'll need with their Flourish line. They even make Flourish Excel which is a substitute for CO2 injection if you desire.

Len