What plant can survive without CO2

[limct]

Planning to setup a planted tank without co2. What are plants that can do without Co2 ?

[marle]

bro, no plants can survive without c02, but i think i get what you mean. Some plants you might want to try are nanas, java fern, java moss, cabomba, bacopa.

There are many threads that shows tanks with low tech setups, you can take a look at them and get more information.

[williamng]

Personally, I have experimented and managed to grow both E.Tennulus, Nanas and spiky moss without CO2 but with Seachem excel dosing. I believe the plants will grow better if your tank temperature is cold.

I just visited Biotope yesterday night. I observed that there are 2 nano tanks without CO2 injection but the moss and plants are growing very well. After talking to Thio, I believe there are many factors involve: temperature, base fertilizer, soil, water condition and sufficient dose of seachem excel are needed to make them grow well.

If your tank temperature is at 25-26deg C (ie, with chiller), you will see the difference.

[Aquaculture]

CO2 is like O2 to us during photosynthesis. All plants need them, only some plants require enriched CO2 more... heehee sounds like 'All animals are equal, only some animals are more equal' .....

[limct]

Thanks for the reply. I visit a friend who keep plants tank without any co2. The plant seem to grow quite well. He told me that plant can survive without co2 but need light and low temperature. That why though to setup one with low maintance.

[williamng]

Yup. Low temperature. Did you ask your friend whether he dose any seachem excel (Carbon)?

[cs_sg]

Thanks for the reply. I visit a friend who keep plants tank without any co2. The plant seem to grow quite well. He told me that plant can survive without co2 but need light and low temperature. That why though to setup one with low maintance.

Welcome to planting
I think most of us understood what you mean by 'the plants can survive without CO2'. It would be clearer to the reader if you had said 'Plants which can survive without any additional CO2 injection'.
Note the plants your friends keep, what is the fauna population of his tank set up?

My current CO2 cylinder has long depleted and has been running for 12months without any CO2 injection. The CO2 it gets are mainly from the fauna I keep in there.
The plants are doing better at this time of the year when the weather is cooler. (I have a clip on fan blowing on it 24/hr)
Plants which managed to survive are some moss, bolbitis, nanas, crypts.
Surviving plants and thriving grow are quite different though.

With higher lighting and additional CO2 injections, your plants will grow faster but its quite different from maintaining a low tech tank where it will be quite 'self-running' after the tank stabilizes.

[Quixotic]

The CO2 it gets are mainly from the fauna I keep in there.

Actually, the bulk of CO2 from the tank comes from the biofilter. Carbon Dioxide in Planted Freshwater Aquaria by Karen Randall.

[rwalker]

Most plants can survive and grow well without CO2 injection, though a bit slower.

You can read the Tom Barr's Non-CO2 method sticky thread at this forum for more info.

I have a low tech, non-co2 injection tank and the plants are happy and healthy.

If they are not growing well, it could be other limiting factors, eg need stronger lights, lack of nutrient, etc affecting them.

[godprint]

can i deduce from here, so many replies that the most crucial factors would be:
-sufficient lighting
-suitable temperature
- occasional dose of fertilizer?

[uklau]

Actually, the bulk of CO2 from the tank comes from the biofilter. Carbon Dioxide in Planted Freshwater Aquaria by Karen Randall.

Thanks for sharing this interesting link, Quixotic .

[limct]

Thank for the reply and advice. Now I got more confident to setup a plant tank without co2

[krabbie]

My personal experience is not to use Seachem Excel unless you can diligently add it on a regular basis. If not, the swing of CO2 is bad for plants and good for algae. Actually most plants can be conditioned to adapt to atmospheric CO2. Just need to reduce the light and nutrients accordingly so that it follows the pace of the slow plant growth. I have got hairgrass, downoi, algae ball, various types of mosses surviving very well in my low tech tank. Have fun experimenting with the various parameters to get the optimal one for your tank.

[smurf75]

sorry to hijack , newbie also , just to ask how about co2 pill ,saw them in lfs.

[Quixotic]

smurf75,

Are you having difficulties starting a new thread? There are no restrictions whatsoever for new members to start a thread in this forum and in fact, most of the other sections.

It would really be much better to start a new thread as this would facilitate better discussion on your query.