Hi. All my tanks are low light planted set ups and up to now I've had pretty good results bar one tank which just won't settle and I've lost quite a few plants. I was thinking of adding liquid Co2 to give it a boost and just wondered what you guys think! Does it work or will I be wasting time/money?
Liquid Co2? Your thoughts.
- Thread starter Outlander
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Co2 is a fairly inexpensive way to make your plants liven up, although its not instantanious, it does take time for it to start working and your plants to perk up. Co2 is a gas though not a liquid. There are a few options to introuduce co2 to your tank. There are diy systems that you can set up that use yeast and water to create a chemical recation that produces co2. The other way is a automatic or semi-automatic system. The auto and semi-auto systems range in price from 100.00 to 300.00 dollars, and that doesnt include the tank and fills. Your local welding store will have co2 tansk that you can buy with the gas inside that you just hook up to the regulator of the semi auto system.
If you introduce co2 to a tank it severly lowers your ph level so it will need to be monitored alot more closely than other non co2 tanks.
If you introduce co2 to a tank it severly lowers your ph level so it will need to be monitored alot more closely than other non co2 tanks.
I don't think they use liquid CO2 for tanks. To liquefy, CO2 needs at least 5 atm pressure, so it'd just turn back into a gas the moment it went into your tank, anyways.
If all your other parameters are good, then you might want to check into CO2, but usually the amount naturally in the water is enough, you just need more light or more nutrients.
If all your other parameters are good, then you might want to check into CO2, but usually the amount naturally in the water is enough, you just need more light or more nutrients.
Juxtaroberto;4951071; said:
seachem excel. it's like a chemical carbon or something that the plant uses. their website claims "bioavailable organic carbon". The active ingredient is Glutaraldehyde. Kills algae too, i have read.
Juxtaroberto;4951071; said:
Not true. Some plants will do ok with low levels of Co2 while others demand it. And adding more lights and/or nutrients leads to problems. In fact, adding more lights drives the demand up for CO2 by plants. And this causes algae problems too. About 90% of plants will grow with low lights but they grow slow with lower light.
I would personally use Excel on any planted tank that doesn't have pressurized co2. I've noticed significant improvements in plant growth even in low light setups.
I even use it in my tank that has pressurized co2.
I even use it in my tank that has pressurized co2.
cichlid_king;4951066; said:
Juxtaroberto;4951071; said:
You guys are giving advice on the planted tank section and you haven't used or apparently even heard of "liquid" co2 supplements? Tsk tsk.
Thanks for all the feed back guys. Much appreciated. I've not seen SeaChem products on the shelves over here otherwise I'd get some for sure. Setting up a DIY Co2 system is an option, but I saw the 'liquid Co2' and thought I'd give that a go first depending on whether it works or not. The actual product I'm thinking of using is by Aqua Masters and is a carbon ion (?) Co2 -3? Here's a link which explains how it works. What do you think??
http://www.jpd-nd.com/en/aquamasters/waterplants_co2.html
http://www.jpd-nd.com/en/aquamasters/waterplants_co2.html
They have a liquid CO2 made by API I believe. It is very similar to excel. I assume that other product is the same. They have very similar formulas to excel but in my opinion are probably less potent. Look up some reviews if you can about it. Then give it a try.