Fish_wise_man

Yes I know. Most people think that C02 isn't so important for our plants in the aquarium, and others think it is because it brings out the color in the plants. Other aquarium plant carers say that they get along just fine with plant fertilizer and good light.

So what do you people think about it? Do you people think that C02 is worth getting? I honestly think it's a waste of money. Like the C02 system at my local pet store sells it for $50.00 which is just a piece of you know what! I know I would NEVER buy it. I have better luck making my own, but even so.. I wouldn't want to go and use it because I have a whole bunch of aquatic plants with me in my aquarium and I just put in Flourish twice a week and I can get around with just using it.

So tell me what you people think.

Thanks.

Iron waffle

you're better off making your own co2. i wouldn't buy a co2 system unless i was a professional fish keeper (for a living) and the plants i had required co2. i too think it's a waste of money. I think good lighting and some occasional fertilizer is good enough for the average fishkeeper.

Butterfly

It all depends on what you want in a tank I personally don't use CO2. I just really don't have time or the desire to mess with it at this time. As a consequence there are certain plants I will never grow.
Carol

MissMTS

CO2 really is only necessary with high light tanks that have over 2 WPG because it helps keep the algae at bay. I agree with Spider....if you do need it in your tank, make your own. There are a lot of great DIY CO2 articles on the internet. Most of them can be made with airline tubing, a check valve, yeast, and a couple 2 liter bottles.

mathas

To answer the question exactly as it's been asked here, yes, CO2 is crucial. Photosynthesis is the act of turning water molecues and carbon dioxide molecules into sugars the plant uses to live. With no carbon dioxide, plants would not survive.

To answer the question as I assume you mean it, carbon dioxide supplementation may or may not be crucial. As Carol said, it depends on your plants and your goals. If you have enough naturally-occurring CO2 in the water (through respiration, organic decay, etc.) to allow your plants to keep up with the photosynthetic demand imposed by your lighting, then you don't need to supplement; conversely, if your lighting drives your plants to photosynthesize beyond the naturally-occurring CO2 levels in the water, supplementation becomes necessary.

dking271

I have run tanks with over 4 wpg, and the only way to keep the algae at bay is to run C02. Even the do it yourself C02 units would not suffice as the C02 output diminishes over time and consistent output is crucial. The use of a compressed tank of C02 and a pH monitor can make for some awesome aquascapes, however I find running these tanks is about as demanding a tank as you'll find in this hobby.

If you do try to run a high wattage tank without C02 or really heavy doses of Flourish Excel, you will be amazed how fast your can be over run with algae. If you have not had the pleasure of fighting black beard algae...you don't know what you're missing.