Need some CO2 System advice

[slakkr2]

You do not have to have C02 to start a first time plant tank, and have a nice selection of plants. Just stay away from most of the stem plants and stick with swords, Anubias, crinums, ferns and Cryptocorynes. Lighting is the first thing to address and then having the right substrate. The biggest mistake people make with C02 is not understanding it before they get into it. You need to understand a little about water chemistry and why you are adding C02 in the first place and what your target range should be. Until you are comfortable with that, stay away from C02! Just stick with moderate light and slow to moderate growing plants. You would be surprised how impressive a looking tank you can have!

Wow...you must be reading my mind! After reading some other posts I was begining to wonder the same thing and it would have been my next question. I totally agree about not messing with CO2 until one understands it better. That's primarily the reason why it makes me a little uneasy. Maybe once I get my 125 up and running I'll use my 29 as a trial tank to get a better "hands on" understanding of it.

If I stick with moderate light and slow to moderate growing plants will I still need to add fertilizer and Flourish Excel?

 

[slakkr2]

One more thing...what plants should I avoid with my Pleco?

 

[Robert H]

I cant take credit for that tank, it belongs to one of my forum members. Thats a toughy. Plecos can be unpredictable when it comes to plants. Sometimes they will leave them alone, other times they will shread them. I had a small pleco in a 20 gallon tank a few years ago that after several months of never touching a plant one day decided to bite thru every stem in the tank. It looked like Paul Bunyan had leveled a forest. It is much easier to simply get rid of the pleco. There are other algae eaters much more plant friendly.

Don't get me wrong, C02 will help any plants grow better, but the most delicate stem plants are the most dependant on it.

If you want help picking out plants, contact me, I'd be glad to help.

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

You can get c02 regulators fro your welding supply company for $50. U.S. Then you only need a needle valve, tubing, and a reactor. The welding supply store will also have tanks and will be able to refill yours when it is empty. Bigger bottles(20#) last longer than smaller bottles and are not that much more expensive.