Moss + CO2

[lludu]

I ordered some Java Moss + Flame Moss and was wondering if these plants will need a CO2 diffuser added to my 20 gallon tank in order to grow correctly. I also wanted to know if i ordered a moss ball and hornwort would these need anything as well.

Currently there is nothing in my cycled tank besides a gravel substrate, which if needed i can change out for the plants. I am adding my rootwood back into the tank and might attach some of the moss to it. my canopy light triggers on for about 7-8 hours each day.

[lludu]

i was thinking of using a mixture of these two as my substrate, would that work?

Seachem's Flourite and Aqua Terra Natural Gravel

[Newman]

any substrate for plants will work.
Um what wpg do you have and what type of light? if this is a low light-low tech tank then none of the plants you mentioned actually need the CO2. having fish in there will also help.

[lludu]

Originally Posted by Newman

any substrate for plants will work.
Um what wpg do you have and what type of light? if this is a low light-low tech tank then none of the plants you mentioned actually need the CO2. having fish in there will also help.

I may be confused on what your WPG stands for? i'm assuming weight per gallon or waste per gallon, 20 gallon tank for weight, no waste right now (no fish). if its watts, its a 20watt 20 inch bulb (or something along those lines). Not sure what you mean by lowtech though. And there will be fish going into it, i want to try maybe some rams, but havnt decided yet.

[Newman]

it was watts per gallon lol. so 20 watts over 20 gallons will only give you 1 wpg. you should strive for a 2 wpg minimum. 2 wpg is concidered low light, for plants like anubias java fern and java moss. they wont grow very fast in lower than 2 wpg. Also it depends on what type of bulb.. T-5 Flourescents are best with High Output reflectors.the reflectors are the mirrors inside the light fixture that concentrate it into the tank. T-8 flourescents arent horrible, but the really fat-looking T-12 are pretty bad. check if its an incandescent bulb, cuz thats just useless to plants. If it is they youll want to switch to flourescent.

Low tech i guess i mean low light, and no ferts or co2. just add enough fish and theyll provide enough co2 and waste as fertilizer for the plants.

[borracho]

I have 2 WPG in the 10g tank with a couple dozen java fern leaves and a little bit of moss. It almost looks too bright, and I was thinking about making it 1 WPG.. I guess that's way too low then, Newman?

Also, my ferns grow really well, but the moss fares poorly. Recent patch of xmas moss I got looks like it's dying. It's all dark brown and seaweed-looking.

[emmanuelchavez]

Originally Posted by borracho

I have 2 WPG in the 10g tank with a couple dozen java fern leaves and a little bit of moss. It almost looks too bright, and I was thinking about making it 1 WPG.. I guess that's way too low then, Newman?

Also, my ferns grow really well, but the moss fares poorly. Recent patch of xmas moss I got looks like it's dying. It's all dark brown and seaweed-looking.

If you have low-light plants, they'll do just fine in 1wpg.
From my experience, new mosses tend to "die off" a bit, then come back pretty strong. They're just acclimating to your tank.

To answer the OP, mosses won't need co2 injection, although, as every plant, they'll benefit from it. All the plants you've listed will be just fine with plain gravel and your stock lighting and no co2 injection. None of those plants would actually benefit much from a substrate made for plants, as none of them are root-feeders, including the hornwort, which is a floating plant.

[Newman]

i had cabomba growing at .5wpg so 1 wpg isnt too dim for low light plants. 2 wpg is said to be the low light threshold. its all up to opinions from there.

[borracho]

Originally Posted by emmanuelchavez

If you have low-light plants, they'll do just fine in 1wpg.
From my experience, new mosses tend to "die off" a bit, then come back pretty strong. They're just acclimating to your tank.

Oh man, I hope that's the case. The java moss I have looks OK, but at least half of the xmas moss is really dirty looking and it's coming apart.

[Newman]

the fact that its dirty looking is natural. its a fine leafed plant and is a debris-magnet. as long as your moss isnt turning brow-pale and transparent then its not melting off.