Co2

[murray]

Hi,

I'm just about to set up a 3foot tank for the first time and would like lots of lush plant growth. Do I really need to add Co2 or can I get by without it ??? Also can anyone suggest some hardy plants for me to begin with.

cheers

[scrimman]

It really depends how much light you're going to be using, but pretty much all live plant tanks could use it.  You can tell the difference.
How much light is going to be on your tank?  How many watts? ???

[ryanp15]

Murray is this your first tank ever ??? If so then there is much you need to know about it. Or is it just your first tank with plants in it? ;D

[murray]

Hi guys,
Firstly, thanks for the replies. This is not my first ever foray into fish keeping, however I haven't had a tank for 10 years or so...and it seems that the knowledge base, and technology, have advanced quite a bit in that time. A decade ago, here in Sydney, Australia we hadn't even heard of Co2 injection (or at least I hadn't.)

I plan to use two 3 foot fluorescent tubes over the tank...not sure of the wattage. Is this practical ??

Out here all the hardware costs about twice what it does in the US so I'd prefer not to overcapitalize on my setup. Having said that I also want to make sure that the fish and plants have every chance to reach their full potential. Am I making sense ??

So on to the Co2...If I really need it I'll get it, but it'll have to be a commercial system. My job takes me out of town for a few weeks at a time and my girlfriend, while happy to sprinkle a few fish flakes in each day, is a little reluctant to take responsibility for home made Co2 generation. Can't say I blame her.

So finally...any suggestions for plants, or ideas in general will be greatly appreciated...I think I'll be needing all the help I can get with this one.

Thanks again.
cheers,
Murray

[ryanp15]

I think kitten will be happy to hear that there's another australian on the board. ;D

To your question. I think you need to first know that your tank needs to be cycled if you don't know what that is start a thread in the general discussion. To the lights that sounds fine to me. I have just recently started plants and they are doing great. I don't use CO2 in my tank either. I have some plants that are very hardy though. My major plant is giant hydrophyllia. It's doing great in there. The others I'm not sure what they are. Sorry. One other kind of plant that you can definitely grow withour CO2 or anything is Java fren and Java moss. I have had trouble finding both but maybe you'll have better luck. ;D I think maybe you should try some post in the general discussion to answer some of your questions about fish and stuff. I would start there and ask anything you want to know. Hope I could help. ;D

[hmgonzalez]

I'm also using CO2 injector, because my plants were getting brown, i use 40 watts in a 35 G tanks, is this enought?, the tank gets some light during the day, not directly but the room where it is, is iluminated by the sun, i have heard that it should be 2 watts per gallon. but this appreciation includes the help from the sun?...
also , if i put more light bulbs, there will be an increment on the water temperature, or not?, these could be bad, beacuse the temp in my tanks is over 27 C without a heater at this moment...

[scrimman]

‘Lo Murray, and welcome
Yeah, being closer to Java like you are you shouldn’t have any problems getting Java Fern or Moss, but if you go over there, be careful. *I understand they’re not real happy with life right now. :-/
I don’t know what to tell you about your lighting. *I’ve never seen a 3’ tube, or tank, for that matter. *(Not a surprise for down here) My SWAG is you’ve got 1.5 to 2 watts per gallon, which is low to medium light strength. *Just aim for plants that can handle that. *My own recommendations are Java Moss, Java Fern, Annubias, and maybe a crypt or two. *All of them can handle low light if that’s what it really works out to, and just seem to grow better in the med light strength. *Amazon swords would work, too, but they can get BIG. *Anacharis is a fast growing alge killer that would work, too.
At low light you don’t really need CO2, but the plants would do better with it anyway. *With medium light, you might be fighting algae more often than you’d like. *My own DIY rig gets filled every 2 weeks. *Actually, if you’re like any of the other beer-killing Aussies I’ve met (they were sailors) you could do the home-brew beer thing and have the waste gas from the brewing process dump to the tank. *Do ‘ya think she’d mind helping with that? *Just a thought……;D 8) *

[scrimman]

‘Lo HM
Yeah, my clover grows better where the sun gets it more, but it’s awfully hard to judge sun wattage.  
What kinds of stuff are you growing?  1watt/gal isn’t that much.  Are you using florescent or incandescent lighting?  I’ve got 160watts total over my 55gal, and it only raises the temp to 2 or 3 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient.
8)

[hmgonzalez]

I have 3 diferente types of plants, most common in monterrey,mexico aquariums....  i think they are cabomba, tape grass (Val), and elodea...  they look good, but they star to have brown spots wintin 3 weeks...  i cut those is that OK?

[hmgonzalez]

ohh, and the temp in my tank is not that high beacause of my light bulbs (flouresent), is beacause of the environmental temp, that raises over 40 C in the summer, and i read in the discussion of summer temps, that to turn off the lights will decrease a little the temp, but what to do in a planted tank...?

how do you get 150 watts, the most common light bulbs here are the 20 watts you can find 40 watts lamps only in total home (mexican home depot), do you use several of that type or how do you get 150 watts?...

i bought a tank cover with two biolux light bulbs, and they are 20 watts each for a 35 G tank, it seems bright enought for humans at least, should i change them...?