Aerated is carbonated

[Shaihulud]

Hello, given that a tank is not provided with CO2 via tanks, i wonder does aerating the water through agitation or airstone helps? Normal atmosphere contains much more CO2 than water, that is why emersed water plants can do much better than the submerged version. By agitating the water, we allow much more CO2 and oxygen to dissolve in the water than normal. Is having a powerhead a good option for someone going low tech?

[bossteck]

Interesting.
My guess is, no, aeration is a bad idea.
Keep more fishes (but not to the point of overstocking your tank), repiration would provide more dissolved co2 in your tank.

[oblivion]

Hello, given that a tank is not provided with CO2 via tanks, i wonder does aerating the water through agitation or airstone helps? Normal atmosphere contains much more CO2 than water, that is why emersed water plants can do much better than the submerged version. By agitating the water, we allow much more CO2 and oxygen to dissolve in the water than normal. Is having a powerhead a good option for someone going low tech?

it helps in dissolving more co2, but at the same time it allows co2 to escape as well

i am sceptical as to will the increased co2 dissolve rate > co2 excape rate due to increased agitation

[Shaihulud]

At anytime, there is always more CO2 in the air than in the water, a well planted tank would be even worse in this regard. Water doesn't have a good capacity to hold gaseous CO2, hopefully by providing agitation, it would bring it closer to atmospheric condition. I have to say that this is my wishful thinking on my part, you can propably guess that my filter is too strong.

[StanChung]

It's also quite a mystery how come nature don't need CO2 tanks with diffusors/reactors on timers???

[bossteck]

Because nature doesn't need to see its plants bubble

[KeIgO86]

My guess is yes. Plants take in CO2 much faster than fauna can exhale it, considering a heavily planted tank with moderate stocking of fauna. Thus we end up with the concentration of CO2 being less than the equilibrium concentration after a period of time.

The process of aerating the water will tend to keep CO2 at the a constant equilibrium concentration while plants are taking them in. If we compare the whole disturbed water surface + air bubbles from airstones striving to achieve equilibrium gas concentration versus all the tiny little gills of the planted-tank-suitable fauna exhaling CO2, I would put my money on the aeration process for providing more CO2 to plants.

Then again, nothing beats the good old pressurised CO2 with reactor/diffusor.

[StanChung]

Because nature doesn't need to see its plants bubble