Is it possible to have plants in a tank w/out using the CO2 cartridges? I'm planning to add swords to my tank and using fertilizer tablets or liquids
CO2 cartridge necessary?
- Thread starter damion
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I don't see a problem adding a couple root tablets (one under each plant), but you definately do not want to add fertilizer to the water without using CO2. You have to understand that fertilizer does not make up for the lack of CO2, it is simply another thing needed for fast plant growth. You will need decent lighting (probably about 1.5 watts/gallon without CO2), not any higher. You only need to add the root tabs about once every 3 to 6 months. Probably the latter, since you are not doing CO2 or high light. CO2 is a REQUIREMENT for plant life. You will have small amounts in your water all the time, just as you will have minor amounts of trace elements in your water. If you have too much of any one thing (light, nutrients, etc), proportionately to the other needed areas, you will get algae problems. If you don't have CO2 added to water, don't get high light or add nutrients, or things will get out of balance. It's hard enough some times to keep them straight anyways!
That depends on your lighting and the plants you wish to keep. Carbon is a major component of plant mass, and other than a few specialized plants, in submerse aquatics it comes from dissolved CO2 in the water.
If you have high lighting, add plenty of ferts, and do not have supplemental CO2, you have an imbalance and will have problems. If you low to moderate light, little supplement, and settle for slow to moderate growth, you will be okay. Balance is the key.
If you have high lighting, add plenty of ferts, and do not have supplemental CO2, you have an imbalance and will have problems. If you low to moderate light, little supplement, and settle for slow to moderate growth, you will be okay. Balance is the key.
Thanks for the help. I started with the basic light wattage that came with hood set up and tablet initally. My swords slowly turned yellow. I then changed to higher wattage but it got worse. The leaves began to fade quickly.
Aqua glo lamp 30w for planted tanks, 46gal 20" h
Would siphoning the gravel and removing the waste have anything to do with it? So far my swords are the only ones disintegrating. Have another plant which is stalk with narrow light green leaves that has white outline that seems fine.
Would siphoning the gravel and removing the waste have anything to do with it? So far my swords are the only ones disintegrating. Have another plant which is stalk with narrow light green leaves that has white outline that seems fine.
I assume you have the 46 gallon bow-front tank. I hope you have a glass top for it because I would say you need another strip light on top for a total of 60 Watts. Most swords need moderate to high light. 1.3 Watts per gallon of water would be very moderate, but like a previous poster said, you dont want to go much higher than that because you will run into algae problems.
I believe this is the root of you problems. Maybe someone else with more experience with swords will confirm my suspicions.
-Chuck
I believe this is the root of you problems. Maybe someone else with more experience with swords will confirm my suspicions.
-Chuck
Actually, when I got the 30w lamp, brown patches began to grow on the leaves as it died. Maybe initially there wasn't enough light (leaves turning yellow), then too much light. Is that a possibility? How many hours of lights is required?