No need for CO2? They claim it.

L

lozgod

AC Members
Sep 7, 2006
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I found a place that has a "Hard To Kill" pre-grouped plant scheme.
Hard to Kill Package



27 plants
20 to 30 gallon. Double the order for 40 to 60 gallon

2 Java Fern
2 Anubias nana
3 Java Lace Fern
4 Cryptocoryne spiralis

6 Cryptocoryne wendtii small

1 Hornwort

2 Wisteria

10 Dwarf Sag (1 bunch)

1 Java moss

Value 51.53

savings: 5.15

lighting requirements: 1.5 to 2 watts per gallon

C02 requirements: suggested but not required

water conditions: hard or soft water

temp: not critical

fish compatibility: resitant to most plant nibblers



Would the plants on this list survive with no added CO2?

Tank would be heavily stocked. 55 gallon with about 15 1-1.5 inch fish, and 6 1.5-3 inch fish. Also was considering adding FW micro-organisms.

plankmix2 - Freshwater plankton - 500 ml culture - Ostracods, daphnia, rotifers, ceriodaphnia, copepods, tubifex worms, amphipods, a healthy helping of duckweed is added to make this a neat little aquarium plankton starter!....a nice varied selection.
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Not sure if they help with the CO2 concentration in the aquarium. Wouldn't add the duckweed.
 
those are low-medium light plants, therefor the less light you have, the slower the metabolism of the plant is and less nutrients or co2 it needs. Very basically speaking.


+ I'd like to know what kind of filter/ circulation you will have in this tank b/c that duckweed can get pretty messy with any surface agitation.
 
As mentioned, slow Growth low light situation do not require additional co2 to be added. The key is having a low tech set-up that doesn't use co2 faster than the atmosphere can provide it.

The key to the entire co2 discussion is the plants need for carbon. Plants are roughly 85% carbon, so if you give them high light and high levels of nutrients, you had better add a carbon source. If you are content with slow growth and low light plants, the atmosphere and the fish will provide enough carbon. You'll know quickly enough because algae takes over when carbon is the limiting growth factor for plants.
 
DevonBlaine said:
that duckweed can get pretty messy with any surface agitation.
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Duckweed can get pretty messy WITHOUT surface agitation. I have a canister filter with the outlet about 2 inches below the surface. I got a few pieces of duckweed with some fish from the lfs. I thought it would be cool to have some floating plants on the surface so I left them in there. I did my regular water changes and fed my fish every other few days. Well, as the months went by, those few little pieces (I swear it was only 3 or 4 pairs of leaflets at first) bloomed into a mat of duckweed about 1/2 inch thick in some places. It actually managed to sneak up on me, too. It took at least 3 months to start covering portions of the surface. By 6 months, it was getting out of hand. At the last water change I was thinking about removing some. Then, the next week, it was waaaaaay out of control. It grows exoponentially. I removed all of it, about 3 lbs of plant material, and will never have it again.
 
Yeah I had duck weed too. Defiently won't use it. I would like to have some micro-organism action going on but not that.


Now I need to plan on how to avoid losing all the micro-organisms to the filter.
 
that co2 system isnt bad for $20 (its the same one I got, but I paid $30), however, it is pretty much a comercialized version of a DIY co2 system. The canister is so small I am actually going to add an additional DIY sys to this one.
All you need for DIY is an empty 2 liter, air hose, airstone (i would use limewood), sugar, baker's yeast, baking soda, and tap water. you can also add a 1way check-valve to the air line if you wish.
Hell, for a 55 gal I would put two 2 liters together with a gang valve (T valve).
 
a small tank like that can get a DIY co2 or you can add excel.

You won't really neeeeeeeeeed it but your plants will grow much better with it and theres no reason why even undemanding plants cant have it to flourish.
 
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