Co2

[SteM]

ive just started cycling my tank and today i added some plants, is it necessity to have a co2 system?

 

[slimeneo]

What plants do you have?

 

[SteM]

Some cabomba caroliniana and lysimachia nummularia aurea, don't know their common names so just going by the name on the tag, ill be adding a lot more soon so I just want to know would it benefit me

 

[slimeneo]

I'm sure both will benefit from co2 and ferts, but I don't think they REQUIRE it

 

[SteM]

So I was just too add some ferts when needed i should be ok?? used a fert base under my substrate aswell

 

[Ps3Steveo]

It all depends on your lighting, what lighting do you have, wattage, amount of bulbs etc and tank size? If you have high light then your plants will require CO2 and full ferts but if your light is low then some ferts will suffice.

 

[SteM]

The tank is 180 litre, and I have 2 25w bulbs, 1 warm lite 1 day lite

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Just some ferts with micro elements will do you, don't use an air pump in the tank and make sure just a small ripple on the surface is given off by the filter.

 

[SteM]

Oh, I just spent 30 quid on an air pump just last week would this cause trouble if I was too leave it in ?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

You'd more than likely end up with BBA.

And maybe some hair algae.

 

[slimeneo]

You'd more than likely end up with BBA.

And maybe some hair algae.

is that why I have BBA? Why does adding the air pump cause algae? (just curious)

 

[Ps3Steveo]

It causes the CO2 to gas off by surface movement, and the fluctuation causes it, also water changes with lights on do this.

 

[slimeneo]

It causes the CO2 to gas off by surface movement, and the fluctuation causes it, also water changes with lights on do this.

Ah ok. Will be turning my air pump off now then, thanks!!

 

[Primous]

Cycling can be a long an arduous process and just sitting and looking at an invisible to the naked eye process, can become tiresome. So Like yourself I went ahead and looked into what I could add to the aquarium to give it some type of life and just like you I settled on plants. this is a mistake. The High levels of A/N/N huge PH swings and or crashes that will be going on in your tank will either kill the plant(s) or introduce algae.

My advice to you would be to remove the plants asap and leave them in a bowl with dechlorinated water by the window. They may suffer somewhat but nowhere near as badly as they will in a tank going through a cycling process of cycling 5ppm of ammonia and the resulting Nitrates and Nitrite daily.

 

[SteM]

Hmm I'm sure I've seen other members saying they've had plants during a cycle with no problems, I think ill start a thread on that one and get more opinion, not that I don't appreciate yours, just to see because I was planning on spending quite a bit on plants tomorrow