Is lighting related to the need for co2?
- Thread starter Jspigs
- Start date
Also another thing to keep in mind, especially for new folks to planted tanks. The limiting factor should always be the lighting. Purchase or build your CO2 system first, then worry about upgrading lighting.
Co2 at the highest fish-safe levels will even accelerate low/med light levels, basically the lighting should always be the gas pedal or catalyst in the equation.
Co2 at the highest fish-safe levels will even accelerate low/med light levels, basically the lighting should always be the gas pedal or catalyst in the equation.
So I should get some flourish excel? I am not able to inject co2 so if I am going to use co2 I would have to use flourish excel, I have checked and it is safe for all my plants.
P.S. This is urgent because my dad needs to know if I should get some so he can pick some up on his way home from work.
P.S. This is urgent because my dad needs to know if I should get some so he can pick some up on his way home from work.
Adding CO2.............will most certainly improve growth at any light value that is able to grow plants at all, in fact, and it is a fact.............you are able to use less light and get more growth since the plant has a higher light use efficiency when you enrich CO2 than without.
So in other words, you can grow plants at lower light levels with CO2, than without.
Plants need to allocate less to acquiring CO2, and can therefore divert all resources to gathering what little light is available.
A good paper for hobbyist is on Tropica's web site.
Why do folks buy lots/too much light, then try and skirt and get by without adding CO2? It's not like this has not been mentioned by folks for decades now.
If you want good managed growth than you get without CO2, then add CO2, not more light.
Regards,
Tom Barr
So in other words, you can grow plants at lower light levels with CO2, than without.
Plants need to allocate less to acquiring CO2, and can therefore divert all resources to gathering what little light is available.
A good paper for hobbyist is on Tropica's web site.
Why do folks buy lots/too much light, then try and skirt and get by without adding CO2? It's not like this has not been mentioned by folks for decades now.
If you want good managed growth than you get without CO2, then add CO2, not more light.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Well my dad could not find any Flourish Excel but this weekend we will got to a place that will probably have it.
Today I went to my usual LFS (the other ones I mentioned are chain stores that we don't usually go to) and got some Flourish Excel and put the recommended amount in so we will see how it goes.
Maybe you could try Excel for a couple weeks and do a before and after picture. Then stop the Excel and try DIY CO2 for a couple weeks and compare.
This is kind of what I did, minus the before and after pictures, and I could not believe how much better the plants grew with CO2 vs. Excel. The Excel kept the algae away but not much else. The CO2 increased the growth significantly and kept the algae away, a little better than the Excel did. The growth is crazy and I spend a lot more time pruning than I'd like but it looks awesome.
It really depends on how often you want to trim the plants but adding carbon will help you either way. Maybe you could run CO2 until you got to the growth amount you want, then switch back over to Excel.
This is kind of what I did, minus the before and after pictures, and I could not believe how much better the plants grew with CO2 vs. Excel. The Excel kept the algae away but not much else. The CO2 increased the growth significantly and kept the algae away, a little better than the Excel did. The growth is crazy and I spend a lot more time pruning than I'd like but it looks awesome.
It really depends on how often you want to trim the plants but adding carbon will help you either way. Maybe you could run CO2 until you got to the growth amount you want, then switch back over to Excel.
