Co2 In A Lightly Planted Aquarium

[DaveyH]

Bit of a newby question, but in a fairly low light aquarium with a handful of plants like Anubias and Java Fern, is it necessary to inject CO2 for the plants to thrive?

If you do, do you need to reduce the CO2 injection accordingly because there aren’t as many plants using it up?

Thanks!

 

[Blubble37]

normally, you can use a co2 test kit to monitor the levels and adjust the regulator accordingly

 

[SO19Firearms]

If you do inject CO2 you could lower the amount from the norm (30ppm) as the light will be the limiting factor meaning you wouldn't need 30ppm.
Equally for the same low light reasons you may get away with no CO2 in which case the plants will use the dissolved CO2 in the water - The plants will then also need less ferts overall...and you can reduce the water changes (compared to high light, high CO2)

When you go for 'limiting' - margins for error become smaller but time and effort is reduced (if it works) if you go all in, things grow faster costing more time and effort (and cash in fert and CO2 lol)

 

[DaveyH]

Thanks very much. Appreciate the advice.