considering co2 input.....

brendyb123

brendyb123

AC Members
Feb 15, 2009
30
0
0
49
Surrey, UK
hi guys, have just purchased a 260l bow front and am seriously considering heavily planting it - i've seen some photos of tanks which look amazing and natural with lots of plants but obviously this would need some serious co2 fertilization. Don't think i'd go silly will plants but with a reasonable amount, does anyone have experience of using a tetra co2 optimat?
Have researched it a bit and it looks like a simple, cheaper way of introducing co2. I appreciate that if i want to do it properly, a pressurized cannister and solenoid etc would be best but with a tank this large, would i not need 8-10 bps? If so this is going to get very expensive with refills to keep so could i get away with a simpler setup such as the optimat?
If i were to go this route i would also add a substrate heater which would help plant health.

thanks for advice on this or any simple plant keeping advice - know not every one goes for live plants but i'd love to and think i could really get the most out of my tank with real green!!
 
Last edited:
DIY co2 with 2 2-liter soda bottles sounds like a better route. you say you dont want to be refilling canisters but from the picture i found you will have to buy brand new c02 stuff evertime you run out. wether or not you need co2 also depends on a few different things like your lighting and the demands of the platns you want. keep reading the planted forum a lot and youll get teh hang of it slowly....much like i am
 
I have found that the items that one purchases to make CO2 fail. They hardly make any bubbles at all and I ended up making my own CO2 mixture for them and modifying the original stuff. I attach an airstone to the plastic tubing and wrap a weight around it to keep it in the bottom of the tank. You can also just take a small aquarium stone and push it into the end of the tubing in order to force the bubbles out in a smaller size. Also I would recommend using a very large juice plastic container (like gallon size) when you start to make your own CO2 mixtures. Just drill a hole into the cap that is smaller than your tubing and cut the peice of your tubing at an angle and pull it thru the opening inyour cap. This way you have a tight seal with no messy silicone needed.
 
DIY is not cut out for larger tanks (most say over 30 gallons) unless you want to make several mixtures. I need 3, 2-liter bottles on my 30 gallon alone to keep Co2 levels stable. Pressurized would be easier and more cost effective in the long run.
 
ya any thing over 30 gallons DIY CO2 becomes impractical, so probably the best bet is if you go with pressurized.
also it's debated weather a substrate heater actually does anything for plants. also refilling a CO2 canister is relativly cheap though you probably want a 20lb canister (big but last a long time). i have a 5lb canister that costs about $4 to refill at a local welding store and last around 4 to 5 months on my 30 gallon.even with as big a tank as you have i think it would be the best way if you want CO2.

also you could also try doing a low light planted tank. you still get alot of good plants but don't have to deal with alot of firtz and CO2 issues that high light hi-tech setup have.
 
Last edited:
thanks very much for all the tips, i'm now thinking look closely at low-light plants, but i'd love to have a growing wild, pearling mass of greenery. So i need to save up more cash for more equipment ! Poxy aquarium LOL ! !


aman74 said:
Substrate heater is not necessary or even recommended.
Click to expand...


is this right? quick poll from any aquascapers pls - substrate heater or no substrate heater
 
brendyb123 said:
thanks very much for all the tips, i'm now thinking look closely at low-light plants, but i'd love to have a growing wild, pearling mass of greenery. So i need to save up more cash for more equipment ! Poxy aquarium LOL ! !





is this right? quick poll from any aquascapers pls - substrate heater or no substrate heater
Click to expand...

I have never heard of anyone from anysite reccomend them. The best aquascapes ever made don't use them, so why should we?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom