MD Aquascaping drops the use of Co2. Still has fine looking plants.

[Stan510]

At the 6:44 mark he drops the bombshell "I've stopped the use of Co2 in all my tanks". I think he decided-- Why do I need to push plants into hyper growth when it just means more trimming,more time,and costs more with Co2 refills? Now..the test is- will his plants look about the same? SO far-yes.
This is not a Co2 bashing..its what can be done without it. The right lights and substrate is the best start.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

The right lights and substrate is the best start.

Really!?!

Who'd've thunk it?

 

[Stan510]

Not people told Monte Carlo cannot be grown without Co2. Or red plants.
One other thing about plants and algae in non Co2 tanks...if you kept a fish load like MJ in most of his tanks,that would help. He stocks lightly..except for the Discus so far. But,I realize now that what algae I have would not be there if I had went the no fish over 2" rule. My Rainbows are reaching 5" or so and that's with 5 older ones and three I bought later soon to catch up.
But they look sooo cool!

 

[StevenF]

If you take two identical plants and put them in containers with all the mineral nutrients they need and then seal them so that one has CO2 while the other does not. both will look the same for a long time. Eventually one will grow while the other one will not. Eventually after months the one without CO2 will die.

If you have enough surface agitation or have enough fish your water can have enough CO2 in it. There is no way to know if you have enough of the CO2 GAS in the tank.

The big problem most people have is the SOLID nutrients that plants need. If just one of the 14 solids is notpressent plants will not grow.. But surprisingly inn those same conditions algae can grow. So So most algae issues are cause by not having enough solid nutrients. Not a lack of CO2.

Compost does have a lot of nutrients rarely balanced nutrient that are gradually get in the water and plants use. How ever compost and plant soils have a limited amount of nutrients so they will eventually run out. You could fix that with fertilizer. But many fertilizers on the market don't have all the nutrients needed or are badly balanced.

In my tank right now I have an inert substrate and and RO water so the only source of nutrients is fertilizer which I make. Since I have started making my fertilizer IEvery plant I have tried has grown very well.

Note the solid nutrients are Nitrogen salts, chloride stays, sulfur salts , Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, phosphorous, Iron, Manganese, Boron, Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum, and nickel.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I've watched a few of his videos recently and don't think I remember him using CO2 in any of them anyway. He tends to use lower power lights from what I have seen so CO2 is not really needed anyway.

 

[fishyfun&fans]

a well maintained well aeriated well stocked well planted tank wont require any extra Co2 to flourish because Co2 is a natural chemical secreted by living creatures and plants

 

[xxBarneyxx]

a well maintained well aeriated well stocked well planted tank wont require any extra Co2 to flourish because Co2 is a natural chemical secreted by living creatures and plants

Unless you are going for fast growth with high lighting. Then you need CO2 unless you like a tank full of algae.

 

[fishyfun&fans]

a well maintained well aeriated well stocked well planted tank wont require any extra co2 to flourish

Unless you are going for fast growth with high lighting. Then you need CO2 unless you like a tank full of algae.

algea can be avoided by having the right type of light running for the right amount of time and vaccing regular also keeping on top of general maintenance

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Unless you are going for fast growth with high lighting. Then you need CO2 unless you like a tank full of algae.

No algae issues in my tanks.
My fish, shrimp and snails provide the CO2 and, of course, the plants themselves, at night.

The only time I had a potential algae problem was when I had my lights on a Plant Boost setting. Once I cut that out, the algae practically disappeared and ceased to be a problem..

 

[Myraan]

You're all right - but you are looking at things differently. High tech tanks deliberately increase light and CO2 for fast growth.

The rest of us don't care as long as the plants use up more nitrogen than they produce when they die; as such we will tend to reduce lighting specifically to control algae

 

[Stan510]

Another way to fight off algae- is get the tank filled with fast growers. They compete while the more exotic expensive and slower growing plants do not..so a mix if no Co2. With Co2,plant what you like from what I can tell.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I suppose I view my tanks as I do my garden.
In my garden, I could add all manner of extra fertilisers and treatments and my garden could then win prizes at shows...but it would mean a lot of extra work to maintain it and there would be a consequence to my neighbours, in terms of extra weeds and such like.

Aquatic plants in the wild are actually quite messy and tatty and full of all sorts of diseases and pest damage. They rarely look as good as they do in our tanks.
Much as I admire the beautiful aquatic gardens, facilitated by the hi-tech and extra CO2, they are far from natural.
I prefer the more natural look...but without the diseases and pests.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Another way to fight off algae- is get the tank filled with fast growers. They compete while the more exotic expensive and slower growing plants do not..so a mix if no Co2. With Co2,plant what you like from what I can tell.

Then there's suckermouth fish, shrimp and snails...and even more fish.

 

[Stan510]

I still might get a air pump and attached it to the powerheads vortex. I kind of like the look of the bubbles in the big tank that increase atmosphere Co2 to amounts that do something positive for the plants..

 

[Stan510]

BLJ,I have those..red Ancistrus,2 Panda Garra's..but they need more that algae. Getting food to them has taken some training for them to compete with the Rainbows. But they did learn and jump on the beefheart or shredded shrimp like a fumble in the Super Bowl!