do i need c02 to have some plants in my tank?

Moss will be fine. Most low growing carpeting plants need high lighting and you'll need CO2 to combat algae.


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Hmmm. I don't know of any ground cover for a low tech tank off the top of my head. Maybe some kind of dwarf chain sword but even that gets taller than typical ground cover.

anubias barteri, crypts, java fern all good low tech plants that dont grow tall

Drwaft Anubias for foreground cover look awesome IMO, it's create a mini jungle for smaller/bottom feeder fish to hide and swim around down there...but I don't think that ideal gonna work with your Odoe pike

monte carlo grows low tech and is a ground cover, but idk how well most ground cover plants would do with a larger fish in the tank, they swimming to close might uproot them once you plant them

Most ground cover plants require very high lighting, as well as co2 to match the high light. Especially if your tank is above 18 inch. It's difficult to find lighting that will reach 24".

I'm currently about to jump into high tech planted, but it seems lots of equipment and research is needed to find a good balance so you don't have green soup for an aquarium.

if you want a ground cover but not so little like a carpet plant, why not try some cryptos? how tall is your tank? you have to take in apreciation that big fish of yours... some more gentle plants could get unrooted by it...
also you have smaller types of swords, that stay alot smaller that amazon swords