# Is CO2 worth it...



## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Is doing CO2 really worth it? I keep thinking about it after seeing it all over the forums.. 

Yes stuff grows better but does that mean its more work to tame it... or is it just overall more lush and healthy?

Is it worth the investment?!...


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

It really depends on your objective. It definitely can help with growth and is easy to limit. Personally I would never do without it on a planted tank. This is my personal opinion though.

Best regards,

Stuart


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

It's your call on how much co2 you want to inject. But careful with getting sucked in to certain plants, you may find yourself pushing more and more co2 as they look better and better. Plants will always look better with co2. As well as grow better. I am starting to learn to stay away from certain plants as they will simply turn your tank into a jungle within a week. But you've seen my set ups. I am a sucker for planted tank, I'm not weary of the work yet. I will always try to keep co2.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

I may keep an eye out for a good deal on a tank/regulator... Ill just have to keep the flow dialed back


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Well Shift, CO2 certainly provides a WOW factor - plants grow so much bigger and faster that it'll simply amaze you !
You just need to use it & regulate it properly, or you may experience some little 'problems' - not usually serious though.
For example, it can cause some swings in pH, which your fish may not care for. And if you should have the misfortune of the system dumping a load of CO2, e.g. when the canister is nearly exhausted - you could lose fish - which can happen if you're not careful.
Overall, the benefits far outweigh any potential negatives.


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## Mykiss (Apr 22, 2010)

In my opinion I find the plants in a tank with CO2 looks better than one without CO2. I know that a lot of people have noticed the difference when using no CO2 and then switching to CO2. Keep in mind that when using CO2, it's also dependent on the lighting. It is correlated with the amount of light as the plants require 3 major components when undergoing photosynthesis: 1) light 2) water, and 3) source of carbon. There's no point using super bright lights and not adding a source of carbon as the carbon will be the limiting factor. Even if you lights are not super bright, with any light absorbed, the plants will also need a source of carbon. Now, there's something to be said about the type of light but that's another can of worms.

Anyways, if you're heading this way, I've got CO2 setups available as well and can show you how to use/set one up. It's easy


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Well my light now is 2x 54W T5HO's about 19-24" ish from the substrate which i believe is medium light.. I'm doing a dosing about 3ml of metricide 14 as a carbon source (when i remember to do it.. good thing i'm going to build an auto-dosser!)


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## trout (Mar 21, 2012)

worth it for sure....

like mykiss said, the three limiting factors in a planted tank/photosynthesis are: light, fertilizers (h20 params) and co2

your light is prob as you mention, in the med range. your planning on dosing soon i believe, so unless you go pressurized, i'd likely think co2 will be your limiting factor. it will be worth in the long run vs excel/metricide, especially on a tank of that size. when the three get out whack, it tends to lead to algae issues. just my opinon though, it's currently my problem atm since i ran out of pressurized several months ago. there is a big a difference. not to say a low-med tech w/o co2 cant be done, but if a lush planted tank is what your after in the long run then definitely consider it. you could avoid the auto-doser for the metricide if you do, no need then for it then.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

CO2 is like steroids of plants. Once you tried it, there is no turning back. :bigsmile:

I started my CO2 addiction about a year ago and I'm not going back. Please check my 90G tank and check my previous setup in there, it's night and day :bigsmile:

CO2 gives you the opportunity to grow plants (esp red plants) that would not do well on a non CO2 tank setup.

Warning! Once you popped you can't stop...:lol:


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm dosing some metricide daily, and have DIY co2. Since I've added this to my tank, the algae is lessening and the plants are going nuts.

I can only imagine what a finely tuned system complete with pressurized co2 would accomplish.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

effox said:


> I'm dosing some metricide daily, and have DIY co2. Since I've added this to my tank, the algae is lessening and the plants are going nuts.
> 
> I can only imagine what a finely tuned system complete with pressurized co2 would accomplish.


Great plant growth, great color, no algae 
(except for GSA, I can't figure it out)


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Then what will the shrimp and snails eat! Hhaha 

Is it generally. Cheaper to get a kit or price parts together ?


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## Fltengalan (Feb 21, 2012)

I've got the same 2x54 w on a 55 and all I'm doing is adding flourish and excell and I can see a difference in growth from the morning to when I come back after work. I don't need more than that so I'll stick with this for a while, may add some of the trace and equilibium later.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Well I'm biting the bullet and going for it!


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Won't regret it  I look forward to seeing your addiction grow.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

Reckon said:


> Won't regret it  I look forward to seeing your addiction grow.


Bwahahaha! :lol:

Welcome to our world shift!


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## Tommy72a (Jan 6, 2013)

I have had both set ups and here are the differences.

Low tech tank: people will say... That's a pretty fish tank, are those plastic plants?

With co2: People will say.. OMG! Your tank is unbelievable! I've never seen anything like it... Are those plastic plants?

For some reason everyone I know never seen real plants in captivity. 

Tommy


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

Been there, done that. I got bored and tired of Co2.. too much trimming, too much maintenance, too much work, kind of a hassle selling plants so a lot of times, the trimmings ended up in the garden. I have since shut down all my Co2 equipment. In general plants will grow faster and "better" with Co2, all other factors not taken into consideration here, but not without saying that you cannot achieve a very nice planted tank without it as well. It really is up to you to decide what you want to do. Ask yourself these questions: How much time do I have? How much time will I realistically want to spend? What kind of plants do I want to grow? Are you trying to achieve that ADA look? When I started with plants a few years ago, I started with the DIY Co2 then I became more serious and went with pressurized Co2 and I learned a lot over the years. Now I don't think I will switch back to Co2 and my current setups are low tech. Just a little nutrients once a week or so and I change the water every 3 weeks, sometimes 4. My tanks don't look as lush or as nice as they were before when I had the Co2 going and I even lost quite a few species of plants in the process but then again I am only spending a fraction of the time in maintenance. I am just trying to be honest and echo my sentiment. Sometimes though there is no better way to find out and learn and experience it unless you give it a try. Who knows? You may find out that Co2 is the best thing for you. Happy growing!


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