Do I need CO2 or is Flourish Excel Enough ?

25 posts • Page 1 of 3

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

Do I need CO2 or is Flourish Excel Enough ?

by nicholas542

I have a pretty large amount of plants in my 38 gallon tank now. Am I going to need to go to CO@ injection or is dosing 15ML of Flourish Excel daily good enough ? My plants seem to be doing well without CO2. I also am adding Seachem Flourish Tabs into the subsrate, and adding Seachem Flourish micro nutrient. I also have 10 hours of T5HO and T8 lighting going on daily for a total of 2.9 Watts per gallon.

Here is a list of my plants in the tank so far:

Wendtii, Bronze (Cryptocoryne wendtii )
Red Melon Sword ( Echinodorus barthii )
Brahmi ( Bacopa monnieri )
Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae)
Kyoto Grass (Ophiopogon japonica )
Banana Plant (Nymphoides aquatica)
Anubias Nana ( Barteri v. nana )
Tiger Lotus, Red (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)
Ozelot Sword (Echinodorus ozelot)
Waterlily (Nymphaea Lotus Green)
Onion (Crinum Thaianum)
Aponogeton (Aponogeton Ulvaceus)


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

leave well enough alone...if the leaves are not fading yellow or have brown spots all over them, then that means their roots are very sturdy

why add something more to a tank if all looks good...just to do something?

by the way, you have a great list of plant life, your fish I am sure are very happy with your assorted foilage


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

I noticed a yellowing leaf on my banana plant, but it could just be sheading that one leaf. All the other plants seem to be doing well. What do you think about the light time ? I tried the natural light thing, and the plants didn't respond well.


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

upon further inspection of some of the plants the leaves are starting to dis-color.


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

What you're missing are your macro nutrients: potassium phosphate and potassium nitrate. I think your lighting looks good. I keep mine on for 10 hours a day and they do great. Which plants are starting to discolor? I tried micro sword once and couldn't keep it alive. And i've heard that apons are usually short lived too.


dream2reef
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am

by dream2reef

So classy natalie. My macro is some cheap iron and manganese Not sure whats up but it was cheap


cwilkin
 
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:35 pm

by cwilkin

In my opinion CO2 is a must!! If you have a air bubbler take it out too. Herees why!! Plant eat carbon monixide (CO2) when they eat CO2 they photosynazie and make oxygen. You plants will love you for it!! I use a Co2 kit from Petco thats 30.00. You drop a tab a dayy and watch them grow its real easy


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

I made my own with a 1" Glass Defuser it seems to be working so far. I got rid of the ocean spray bottle, and am using two 1 gallon water bottles.


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

thing about yellowing leaves is not C02 rather it is iron

Fish poop, mulm, that builds up in sludge under your gravel, contains high amounts of nitrogen and phosphate. Both of which are major nutrients plants use in small amounts, but plants also need what is called minor nutrients which are minerals like iron. Micro nutrients important to plants include copper, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, and calcium. These elements are needed in only the smallest amounts, and excess can prove harmful. If the leaves yellow starting at the tips or the leafs seem especially brittle, an iron deficiency should be suspect. Evidence of an over fertilization of iron or a manganese, phosphorous, or potassium deficiency is yellow spots on the leaves. Never overdose with a fertilizer because plants and fish can be damaged.

Iron rich clay fertilizers like laterite added to the gravel (especially under the gravel right below the plant roots) is the best way to go about it.

As for lighting, here's a basic chart:

Type Lux Watt/G Examples

subdued 100-500 1-2 Cryptocoryne, Vesicularia dubyana
moderate 500-1000 2-2.5 Sagittaria, Echinodorus
bright 1000-1500 2.5-3 Aponogeton, Bacopa
very bright 1500+ 3+ Cabomba, Lemma, Salvinia

so as long as the lighting and fertilizer are okay you should be fine...personally, I consider the C02 business hogwash, but hey, that's just me and what do I know (((smiles)))...place laterite in the gravel and considering you are not using natural sunlight, the lighting you have appears fine, just leave well enough alone...as you cut away any dying leaves you should get plenty new leaves in return

but you do what you like, experiment until you figure what is best for you and the tank...so let us know how it all goes...figure if the leaves stop yellowing in month then you are doing something right for your tank, if not, check back with us on this site and we'll go from there


cwilkin
 
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:35 pm

by cwilkin

I have a question. I dont have the CO2 system in my 125 gallon tank and my plants arent doing as good as my 25 gallon tank. I want to put CO2 in it too but I dont know what to get that will work for a tank that size and be affordable. Got any suggusetions?

Do I need CO2 or is Flourish Excel Enough ?

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