CO2 for live plants

**otakbun** · 14th Sep 2006, 01:32

1)Is it really neccesary to put liquid co2 into my fish tank?
2)hw do i keep them "alive"?
3)i did not use any gravel for my tank, juz normal stone liked pebbles, is it fine for the plants?
i am having a 2m tank .. thanks

**XnSdVd** · 14th Sep 2006, 03:18

Originally Posted by otakbun

1)Is it really neccesary to put liquid co2 into my fish tank?
2)hw do i keep them "alive"?
3)i did not use any gravel for my tank, juz normal stone liked pebbles, is it fine for the plants?
i am having a 2m tank .. thanks

First off, welcome to AQ! and from the looks of your post, planted tanks! I can't really answer any of your questions though you've got a HUGE tank compared to the rest of us

Anyway, it'll help us help you if you told us what exactly you're trying to keep.

1) Do you have any specific plants in mind? or are they just for your fish? And you aren't putting liquid CO2 into your tank. That's physically impossible. And would also freeze the water. "Liquid CO2" is found in the CO2 tank as it's under high pressure. It then goes into the regulator where it is brought to normal pressure and becomes CO2 gas. Then it's pumped into the tank where is dissolves into the water to be absorbed by the plants.

2) Enough light is the bare minimum. 2 watts of lighting per US galon of water is enough for most tanks.

3) How big are these pebbles? and how deep is it? pictures would really help. But for now, i think you'll need to buy substrate. A cheap one would be "lapis sand" most shops should carry it. Try to get grains between 2 and 5mm Usually anything bigger than 5mm will have gaps between them too big for the plants to root. Anything smaller will compact and crush the roots of the plant.
After you but it, wash and then fill your tank to about 3 - 10cm deep and start planting. There are more things you can do like base fertiliser and things like that but.. that's really quite optional.

**otakbun** · 14th Sep 2006, 11:31

erm, thanks for the info. i rearing some tropical fish like angel fish. i cant realli identify the plants cos i juz get them from some LFS yesterday. i read up in the FAQ, hw to make the DIY CO2 reactor work? where shld i place the tube to?

**otakbun** · 14th Sep 2006, 21:03

bros out there, i need some help on DIY CO2. do i need a diffusor at e other end of the tube? where do i place it?

**FishFan** · 14th Sep 2006, 22:15

Hi there.

A diffusor would help you to "atomise" the CO2, i.e.,make the gas into smaller bubbles so as to aid dissolution into the tank water. Place it near the bottom of the tank and if possible where there is some water outlet so as to distribute the CO2-rich water throughout the tank. This is also known as "misting".

**otakbun** · 14th Sep 2006, 22:36

meaning tat it is needed? currently i am juz place the tube under the water, does it work in this way?

another problem is tat, i am not too sure whether my DIY reactor is working.. but i saw bubbles on top of the solution in the btl. does tat consider the solution is fermenting and producing CO2? thanks

**taz_boy** · 14th Sep 2006, 23:26

yup. got bubbles mean it's fermenting, but whether enough or not is another thing. best i get a bubble counter.

and u need a reactor, those green cylindrical with 3 bio balls inside will do.
are u using canister filter?

**otakbun** · 14th Sep 2006, 23:41

hmmm, i think it is fermenting ba.. wat reactor? wats the use? bubbles count from? sorry, kinda newbie to this hobby.

i am using 3 tray OHF
DSC00068.JPG

DSC00071.JPG
the tube frm the btl is under the plant... is it alright?

**|squee|** · 14th Sep 2006, 23:42

Placing the tube under water works, but you get the worse efficiency of dissolving CO2.

If there are bubbles coming out of the tube under water, that means your DIY concoction is working.

To dissolve CO2 more efficiently, consider a ceramic diffusor or a CO2 reactor.

Edit: I saw that you're using a OHF. That effectively negates your injection of CO2 because of all the water turbulence, so it's either you change the filter or don't inject CO2 at all.

If you choose not to inject CO2, plants still can grow, but at a much slower rate. Amount and frequency of fertilisation are also reduced.

**otakbun** · 15th Sep 2006, 00:00

thanks for the info.. but the water flow frm the filter is directed to e side of the fish tank, will it still affect? frm my past experience, my plants always die

so i was hoping CO2 would help... can advise me?

**|squee|** · 15th Sep 2006, 06:55

Having a OHF means subjecting the water through turbulence; if I'm not wrong as the water drips down from top to bottom tray it already loses CO2 since there's a lot of exposure to air.

There can be many reasons why your plants die. Plants need light, temperature, fertilisers and CO2 in general.

From your pictures, the light green plant in the first pic is not aquatic and will die off. The others next to it is most probably aquatic and will live.

You can try buying Java Fern and Nanas for starters. They are tough and will live in almost any condition. Do you buy your plants from LFSes specialising in planted tanks?

**Ibn** · 15th Sep 2006, 07:07

Also, are those plants still in the rockwool/container? If they are, pull the plants out and remove the rockwool and container and plant the roots down.

**valice** · 15th Sep 2006, 08:13

The cockscrew vals are definitely still in the rockwool and container from the looks in the picture...

But he might have a problem planting the plants given the round fat gravel he has...

Anyway, otak, given the plants you have in the tank, you don't need the CO2 at all...

**Justikanz** · 15th Sep 2006, 09:14

Oh, that light green plant (with a dark streak in the middle of each leave) at the right side? That is not an aquatic plant. It will die very shortly, no matter what you do. Remove it now and plant it in a pot on your corridor.

For the nanas (the dark green plants infront of the light green ones) are also best planted tied on to a piece of wood or something. Remove it from the pot and if you insist on planting it on the substrate, plant it such that only the roots (NOT the horizontal stem, which is the rizhome) are buried.

Oh, and lastly, change the substrate. You will need something more neutral and smaller grained. Colour is personal and no one can fault you but this substrate you are using looks like it can harden the water. The main thing is, however, that the grains (pebble size) is too big. Check out 'Lapis sand' from the LFSs and look at the grain size. That would be the ideal size.

Sorry if it seems OT, but if you did not get these right, then it would be pointless to start on the DIY CO2 project as it will not help the plants at all...

**kemp** · 15th Sep 2006, 10:25

Originally Posted by Justikanz

Oh, that light green plant (with a dark streak in the middle of each leave) at the right side? That is not an aquatic plant. It will die very shortly, no matter what you do. Remove it now and plant it in a pot on your corridor.

Bro, you're very sure it's not an aquatic plant? Because i've sen many LFS selling it as aquatic plant. I ever bought it before but of course it didn't do well in my tank, i thought it was because i didn't have co2

**Justikanz** · 15th Sep 2006, 10:32

You will be surprised the amount of plants sold as water plants that are actually terrestrial plants.

Others include some ferns and the rushes,

It might help if you get the Plant Handbook (from Oriental, I think, and sold in some LFS). I find that book useful as it actually has a list (with pictures), of terrestrial plants sold as water plants.

As a general guideline, most, if not all, plants with mulit coloured leaves are not aquatic. However, this as a guideline is now being challenged with the variegated varieties of some aquatic plants.

**valice** · 15th Sep 2006, 10:45

Under the Oriental book, this plant is classified under Terrarium (sp?) plant... It is really not an aquatic plant... I tried it with Co2, EI fertilisation, good lights, all other plants fluroish and this plant just turn brown and rot...

**GaspingGurami** · 15th Sep 2006, 12:34

It's a Dracaena sp, Chinese people believe it bring good feng sui.

You can plant it with the leaves and stems above the water level (in the Overhead filter will do) and it will survive.