Do You Really Need CO2 to Grow Aquarium Plants?🤔

Struggling to decide if CO2 is right for your planted aquarium? This video will dive deep into the pros, cons, and alternatives to help you make an informed decision. From plant growth to pH levels, get all your CO2 questions answered here! 🌿🐠
~Purchase the Items I Used in This Video (Amazon Affiliate Links)~:
Kit.co CO2 Recommendations List:
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~Chapters~:
00:00 - Role of CO2 in an Aquarium
00:55 - Pros of CO2
01:30 - Cons of CO2
02:20 - Alternative to CO2
03:10 - Every Tank is Different
~Social Links~:
► / tropiscape_aquatics
~Media Kit~:
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~Camera~:
► Samsung Galaxy S20 Rear Main Camera
#aquariumhobby #plantedtank #aquariumtips

[@TarasTankFriends]

I think it's great that you pointed out that algae loves co2 just as much as regular plants (learned that one the hard way when I was new to it 😅), and that excel is not co2, but an algaeacide. For me it's worth it, actually I'm kind of addicted, lol. Only currently have 3 of 13 tanks on it, but I'm saving up for a another manifold. I got lucky because my house weirdly came with a 5lb tank that only costs $22 to fill, so that took some of the cost out of it for me. Great video, hope you have a nice weekend, Justin 🙂👍

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

I also learned the hard way that algae loves CO2 😅. You are so lucky to get a free 5 lb tank! I had an opportunity to get like 10+ paintball tanks (various sizes) for like $200, but I didn't have the funds, and I wasn't sure how old they were and if their hydro date expired or not... Still regretting that decision, as it's the cheapest I've ever seen on a per-tank basis. Oh, well!

[@iury862]

Plant more plants and they will stave the algae out. And feed less in quantity and frequency.

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

@@iury862 I 100% agree, but you also have to keep in mind of what type of plant you use more. You could toss a ton of slow growing plants in there, and it might not even make a dent in the main issue due to the slow growth and nutrient uptake (if nutrients are the cause of the imbalance). This is where light and CO2 should be taken into account more.

[@stubbsaquatics6080]

Excellent video as always Justin... Was great information.. I learned a lot... thanks 👍

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Sinserg]

I always tell people, if you serious about growing plants specially the most difficult ones, definitely investment in a proper co2 system, it definitely benefits the plants., thanks for sharing! 🙂

[@iury862]

It definitely helps plants grow and there are plants who need more CO2 than there's in a normal aquarium to thrive. But, where do you think plants get their CO2 in lakes and other bodies of water?

[@Sinserg]

@@iury862 Interesting, can you provide some names of the plants that require more CO2 than there's in our tanks? And that's a great question! I am not sure if all, but many aquatic plants in the wild grow emersed by seasons so I guess that during those periods of time they get the CO2 that they need from the atmosphere.

[@iury862]

@@Sinserg The plants that are considered "advanced" will need more CO2 than the ones considered "beginner plants". There are plants that live submerged all their lives and all of them are getting most of the CO2 from the deep substrate through their roots. Yes, they absorb it from the water, but not mainly from there. It's from those pockets everyone says we shouldn't have (anaerobic) where the bacteria breaks down mulm into nutrients that you have CO2 created. A deep substrate is what fixes so many problems people struggle with. I recommend watching some of the Father Fish's videos on the subject. Also, the CO2 concentration in any body of water is the same because the exchange of gases on the surface is the same so you will have the same CO2 naturally in your tank as you do in a big lake for example.

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

@iury862 While Father Fish's methods or the Walstad method in general do in fact work, they're definitely not for everyone and not suitable for every application. Not everybody wants to showcase a large amount of substrate in a tank that may be in their living room to show off. Some people want to create gardens, while others want to create a forest that's full of diversity. Temperature could play a big role in this, so it may not work in favour for those in tropical locations. While I do applaud his methods as they are very easy to get into which brings more people to this hobby, I've acknowledged that it's not for me, and it is not the "one true method" for all planted tanks given how diverse this hobby and the science behind it can get. It is great for budget setups and ease of use. Although, I will kindly disagree with the CO2 concentration in any body of water being the same statement. There are a lot of different variables that can influence CO2 concentration in water. Surface area, current/flow, temperature, the release of CO2 during the night which may vary given the species of plants and the amount of plants in a given area, are just a few to name. There's a reason why some aquatic plants thrive in flowing water vs stagnate water and vice versa.

[@Sinserg]

@@iury862 I see, thanks for the input, I've seen FF method I just haven't try it out myself, I think that if done correctly it should work, I might try it out in a future build right now I can't set up any more tanks.

[@IndoorEcosystem]

Man I absolutely love your educational videos! This was another brilliant one!

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

And I love your videography (I've been silently watching your videos. I'm not one to comment as much 😉)

[@IndoorEcosystem]

@@TropiscapeAquatics😍

[@Aswanth_ks_]

Great job👏

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

Thanks!

[@kimkrikaujensen3084]

What about the safety aspect? Getting a co2 tank inside your living room. What if something happen to the tank? Leaking. Is there a safety hassard?

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

The only safety concern for CO2 tanks is to keep it away from any heat source. As for any health concerns, "the MNDOLI has set workplace safety standards of 10,000 ppm for an 8-hour period and 30,000 ppm for a 15-minute period. It is unusual to find such continuously high levels indoors, and extremely rare in non-industrial workplaces." (Source: www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/toxins/co2.html ) CO2 is also a heavy gas. Considering that modern doors have a small gap at the bottom, the CO2 can escape from there. Temperature, size of the room, ventilation, etc. can have an influence in this as well. Overall, it's relatively safe to use CO2.

[@user-cu7tr8mc8x]

No doubt CO2 is a plus for planted tank, but I don't think it's mandatory, even plants with what so called advanced care could live and thrive without co2

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

Rotala Wallichii is an example of an advanced difficulty plant that can thrive in a low-tech environment. Obviously, it would benefit immensely with CO2 injection

[@iainaquariumagic]

Hey aquariumagic will be uploading a promotion video today on their channel. Your channel is featured on it. It will be called 5 ⭐ aquarium channels to watch. We hope you enjoy the video 👍🐠🐟💦

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

Whoa! Thank you very much for that! Much appreciated! I'll have a look at it when I can! 😁

[@iainaquariumagic]

We have uploaded two videos for you guys. It's our pleasure ❤️🐠🐟💦

[@teetowwelds8251]

I’m growing all kinds of plants in just one tank, with no co2 injected

[@TheFeenee]

Sorry- I managed to watch 24 seconds before your speed of talking just got the better of me!

[@TropiscapeAquatics]

That's fair! I understand that not everyone will enjoy the content I create. If you like, I can create a small synopsis of the main idea of the video for you as a comment.