High Co2, Low Lighting

[wei0204]

Just wondering what will happen if a tank is supplied with high level of CO2 but low lighting. (Just out of my curiousity)

 

[Jen]

I'm pretty sure you will get some nasty algae happening in there, since your plants will not be able to use the excess co2 present.

 

[wei0204]

IC. Thanks a lot Jen.

 

[plantbrain]

What?


Nope.

The reverse is true.
With low light you have less algae all the way around.

Adding high CO2 to a low light tank yields perhaps the best growth per watt of light you can do.
Algae prefer CO2 like plants, but need very very little(much less than plants). What algae need more than plants is a lot of light.

Less light = less nutrient demand
More light= more nutrient demand

It's a bad myth that low light tanks cannot yield great/similar benefits as high light tanks, although they do not have to have the CO2 like the high light tanks.

See Tropica's web site, see Troels' article in TAG and see George Booth's old tanks as well as older Dutch tanks. They clearly lay this out for you.

http/www.tropica.dk/default.asp

Under Aquaristics, under Biology of aquatic plants, under CO2 parts 1-4.

I've found excellent results down below 1 w/gal w/PC lights.
Others have with T5's etc.

I'm not sure what more convicing you may need ??

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Themuleous]

Fair point Tom

I will add that my main tank is 1WPG and 30ppm CO2 and it doesn't have nearly the algae issues that my high light, EI tank does!

Sam

 

[wei0204]

Amazing!

Thank you TOM. Thank you for the FACT that you have proved and guided me to the correct fact.

I love the site you have given. Really appreciated. Thanks a lot...

p/s: I like the profesionality in u.

 

[lljdma06]

Fair point Tom

I will add that my main tank is 1WPG and 30ppm CO2 and it doesn't have nearly the algae issues that my high light, EI tank does!

Sam

True, I have two low-light tanks, a 20g and a 36g with added DIY CO2. Very little algae, except the occasional hair algae when I'm not up on my maintenance. If I'm top of it, it isn't there. I am, however, not the best at figuring out the CO2 needs for my nanos (I'm limited to only DIY, no budget for pressurized), so I don't add them in my low-light nanos, and I don't see algae. I used to see algae in the 8g nano until I stopped adding CO2, over a month ago.

Sorry to hijack, but now I'm curious. Tom, why am I not seeing algae in my nanos? Why did the algae stop in the 8g when I stopped adding CO2? Don't get me wrong, this is a good thing, but I'm just interested in knowing.

llj

 

[Jen]

Wow. I had no idea of that. I was under the impression that you only needed co2 once you hit 2wpg.

I got schooled!

Thanks Tom

 

[plantbrain]

Wow. I had no idea of that. I was under the impression that you only needed co2 once you hit 2wpg.

I got schooled!

Thanks Tom

It's not a personal thing, it's to get folks to see that such often said myths are flawed.
Folks end up repeating them without verification, testing them to see if they are true, they merely accept them as truths. But through the process, many folks learn and gain much more than before hand.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[TammyLiz]

Jimbooo's cube is my favorite example of a low light tank with CO2:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...116425&st=0

 

[Jen]

It's not a personal thing, it's to get folks to see that such often said myths are flawed.
Folks end up repeating them without verification, testing them to see if they are true, they merely accept them as truths. But through the process, many folks learn and gain much more than before hand.

I didn't take it personally. Its exactly as you said. I heard it from a few (reliable) people and figured it must be true. I always want to know if I inform someone of something that is wrong.

Now I know.

 

[wei0204]

I didn't take it personally. Its exactly as you said. I heard it from a few (reliable) people and figured it must be true. I always want to know if I inform someone of something that is wrong.

Now I know.

Jen don't worry, your basic intention is to share, so don't take it too hard. We are sharing and learning