Help With plants? Enough CO2?

[jocko007]

Do I need anything else to have heathy plants and fish, do you think I am getting enough CO2? Please see below my tank set up. Thanks for any help with this.

My set up:
100G tank
2 Rena XP3 Canister Filters
1 AC 50 power head
2 250 Watt Stealth Heaters
2-30 watt florecent lights.
1-whisper 40 bubble maker

4 Java Ferns
2 swordtails (want to add another)
Like to add some moss to the driftwood.

1 Blood Parot
1 Gold Sevrum
3 Clown Loaches
3 Angels
1 Bristle Nose
1 Cory
1 Pitcus

 

[Leopardess]

Are you injecting any CO2? I don't see it listed...so right now you only have what the fish/atmosphere provides, which is quite minimal. And, if you were to add co2, you'd want to stop using that bubble wand because they off-gas co2 into the air (a lot of surface agitation means gas exchange and because you want more co2 in the water than there is in the air, it tries to equilibriate).

Also, Co2 has a definite relationship with lighting. If you have higher lighting, it is more imperative that you have a decent level of co2. How much light do you have?

And finally, there doesn't need to be any worry about whether or not you have enough co2 because it is easy to check. You use this website (or any other similar one) :
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

to measure your co2 levels. You simply test your pH and your kH and it gives you your co2 levels in parts per million. Down past that, there is a chart showing an acceptable range for co2. Generally, in higher light, you want between 20-25 ppm, but in a tank with less light, this become much less important.

I'm not exactly sure what a sword tail is, though.

And, the best way to plant a tank is to stock it as full as possible with plants at the start, to avoid algae outbreaks. And, if you're really serious about growing plants, a nutrient rich substrate should be had (Eco complete, Flourite, Onyx sand, Schultz's Profile, etc).

 

[jocko007]

No I do not not have a CO2 injector, would it be sufficent if I turned my bubble maker off during the lights on stage?

 

[carpguy]

You've got very low light so CO2 may not be all that important.

Not sure what a sword tail plant is but java ferns may be OK. I didn't have much luck with moss at low light.

If you're not adding CO2 then you have ambient levels: just the natural balance between the air and the water. Bubbles and surface agitation won't drive off the ambient CO2: it stays at the natural equilibrium. If you increase the CO2 in the water beyond that point, it wants to return to that point: disturbing the surface makes it easier for that to happen.

 

[Lauren]

You NEED more light first and formost. You have to have at least 1wpg, above 2 is prefered. Even for java fern, that is really low. If you are having issues with your plants not growing, that is your problem right there. I wouldn't worry too much about co2. True, Co2 really increases the growing, but it is tied in with lights. If you get more light, and the growth is still slower than you want, go Co2. But it is quite a task, especially on a tank that large. I'd recommend getting a pressurized system, instead of doing something like 3 DIY soda bottles. You'd waste so much money in yeast and sugar it would be rediculous.