# IS CO2 Absolutely Necessary?



## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

okay so what I want to know is CO2 necessary to successfuly grow live plants? If not, what plants thrive well without CO2?
I realize light has a lot to do with it, but I dont want the hassles of CO2


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Depends what you want.

if you want no co2 but excel/metricide is fine, then you can grow medium light plants

if you want neither, then you limit yourself on plant selection. Crypts, ferns, anubias and mosses will be your best friend, aswell as floaters. A few stems can also take the lack of light.

Lighting is the key with non co2. Too little plants wither and die, too much = algae. Java ferns, anubias and several mosses pretty much grow in any light.


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## szavi (Nov 21, 2010)

I have had great success with Hagen yeast reactors. If your tank isn't too large then one or two of these units can be beneficial. Like Tom Barr said the at VAHC meeting, CO2 is the surest way to achieve great results without the risk of algae.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

I love CO2 . 

Am I biased? *YES*. 
Would I go back to non-CO2? *NO (only because I have the equipment to set my tanks up as such)*. 
Is CO2 absolutely necessary to have a beautifully planted tank? *NO*. 
Can you have a beautifully planted tank without CO2? *YES*
With that being said:

One can achieve very good results with.....
proper plant choice
good lighting
substrate selection
EI dosing
and an alternate source of Carbon (Excel/Metricide)
Hopefully that helps.

Stuart


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

You can get away without using CO2, but the balancing act to keep algae at a minimal is much more challenging in a moderate to high light tank. CO2 helps increase plant metabolism which relate to increase in nutrient uptake. If there is a spike in ammonia from fish food and fish waste, plant would not be able to absorb the ammonium fast enough without CO2, which can and will lead to algae.

I love using Oliver tanks as he has some amazing scape with low light setup

http://www.pbase.com/plantella/60_liter_shrimp_
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/jblka07tank_by_oliver_knott


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