New Planted tank, CO2/Oxygen

[Winterose]

Hi guys,

I've just redone my tank to add plants and junk, but my questions is, Im assuming I need to take the oxygen bubbler out because the plants need CO2 not oxygen, and they will provide oxygen for the fish themselves. But I'm thinking I need to provide CO2 for the plants?

how does that work? its a 20 Gallon tank, what do you recommend?

I'll get pictures once I get everything settled, Right now I kinda have plants just in there, not really landscaped at all.

 

[calivivarium1]

If you are not injecting CO2, the more surface movement/air introduced into the water column is a good thing. The plants will use up your CO2 during the daytime and leaving your bubbler on will help increase the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere put back into your water column.

Unless you are setting up what many refer to as a "high tech" planted tank; you don't NEED CO2. An alternative is to dose liquid carbon such as Flourish Excel/Metricid (glutaraldehyde)/etc

 

[Winterose]

thanks,

Even if I eventually get heavily planted I shouldn't need a CO2 tank? as long as I use a fertilizer and keep the oxygen running to move the water around?

thanks!!!

 

[67chevelle]

Your lighting and types of plants you have determine if you need CO2 or not. The amount of plants does not matter.

 

[tanker]

Your lighting and types of plants you have determine if you need CO2 or not. The amount of plants does not matter.

This is mostly correct, but any plant will grow better with CO2 added. But... adding CO2 will require adding ferts, ect.

 

[67chevelle]

This is mostly correct, but any plant will grow better with CO2 added. But... adding CO2 will require adding ferts, ect.

Mostly correct? CO2 is not needed based on the AMOUNT of plants in a tank. That is what was being asked.

Yes having high light and CO2 will also require adding fertilizer too. But that is not what the OP was asking. So there was really no need to add something that was not being asked or addressed.

 

[Winterose]

thanks guys

 

[sumthin fishy]

Like anything else, research before you buy. Some plants are next to impossible without CO2. I made the mistake of trying a lot of plants at once with needs that exceeded what I could provide. The massive amount of dead plant mater was enough to crash the tank pretty fast. If you do it right, you can get away with just decent lighting and a cheap bottle of ferts. Or if you like, you can go full blown hi tech. A nice middle ground is DIY CO2. You won't get to high levels unless you do a lot of it (and then the cost kind of outweighs the benefit) but it does help. Check the article section of the forum for the how to on it, or you can search the citric acid method online, which is a bit longer lasting.

If you went with full compressed CO2, you are looking at least $300. http://greenleafaquariums.com/products/gla-gro-1-co2-regulator.html that's a good regulator, on top of it you need the tubing, a difuser or reactor, as well as the bottle itself. A new10 pound tank is probably $150, and $20 to fill. Although I have seen used tanks as low as $25, you have to be careful they are not too old and out of certification. Normally you would trade out the bottle much like with propane tanks, and they will not take a trade or refill an expired bottle. I would guess a 10 pounder would last 6 months or longer in a 20g.