# tha balance of light, co2 and fertz



## Lydia Rose (Feb 13, 2010)

can someone tell me if im on the right track?

i have a 10g with only 15w lighting. im planning on getting a better lighting system.

i want this to be a moderately planted tank with carpet plants and some high light red plants.

i do not co2, however i use seachem excel whenever i remember to, which is about every day or every other day. if i inject co2 through the filter, should i still use excel? would it help on top of the co2?

i cycled with tetra safe start, and it was fully cycled in a week! amazing!
i test almost everyday. is this too much? 
NO2- 0ppm
ammonia-0ppm
NO3-5.0ppm
do the plants need NO3? i suspect that it will gradually rise, but im not sure...

also, what are the usual problems with co2 and light balancing? i do not understand why you "have to be careful" in this endeavor. because of algae? if i diy co2 i wont be able to measure the co2 being injected into the tank. do i have to test for it somehow? 
what other things should i be doing?

any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

Hi. Lydia... a couple of observations... I've had tanks and houseplants most of my life... only began putting the 2 together recently: I'm not an expert but I have noticed a couple things in my tanks.
Layman's understanding of the whole nitrogen cycle:
ammonia (fish poo) is processed by 'beneficial bacteria' ... turns the ammonia into Nitrites... Nitrites= bad for fish, bad for plants.
ADDITIONAL 'beneficial bacteria' turns Nitrites into NitrAtes. 
Nitrates= fish don't care (unless levels get above 25-50 PPM)
Nitrates= PLANT FOOD. Plants keep the nitrates at a reasonable level because the plants consume them. 
So Nitrates should level off (all by themselves) at some point below 25 PPM ish.

I did not want to add Co2 when I began keeping plants in the tank... I saw it as more to break/keep track of/maintain... 

then while trying (UNsuccessfully) to grow glossostigma and Dwarf Baby tears using ONLY excel (in a 29 gal tank, 70W Metal Halide) I decided to give Co2 a shot.
neither the glosso nor the Dwarf Bataby tears did well..... but that MAY have been caused by the OTHER plants in the tank growing like Arnold Schwarzenegger on a four day steriod binge.....
(apologies in advance if that statement was less than 'PC'  )
I kept using excel in addition to Co2, but no other nutes or ferts of any kind. after running out of excel I simply stopped using it. I have not noticed difference in my tanks after using only co2 and nothing else.
the difference in my tanks before and after introducing Co2 is astonishing. 
Co2 is NOT a 'Cure all' ... again, my glosso and Dwarf Baby tears never did come around... I know very well there are plenty of plants out there that I can not grow using my current setups. 
but the ones that DO grow grow very VERY well.
Incidentally, I had used excel without Co2 earlier... again JUST MY OPINION: in my tanks, the plants (and fish and Shrimp) all do much better with Co2 than with any other single solution.

on occasion, I've had the C02 system (DIY, Yeast and sugar) stop/slow down/ for a couple of days at a time. THIS is when I've had algae problems... as long as the Co2 stays running continuously, and I keep the lights at less than 10 hours per day algae is not a problem in my tanks.

IF you manage to get TOO MUCH Co2, you'll find your fish gasping for air near the top of the tank... (so I've been told) 
I have not been able to pump enough co2 into the tank to ever see this occur. (two 2 litre bottles in a 29 gal tank... approx 2 bubbles per sec.)

one thing Co2 WILL DO: it will lower the PH of the water.
the manufacture of Co2 by fermentation makes acid. dump acid into the tank and the water becomes more acidic....
(Ok, Captain Obvious...  )

this is another reason to make sure to maintain the co2 system... fish can adapt to many different PH levels... they just don't adapt to VARYING PH levels very well.... 

Apologies for this long winded post...  but I do hope it helps at least a little.


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

Lydia, I strongly recommend you do some more research and basic information gathering before you dive in to setting up a planted tank.

I don't mean to be rude, but those are some of the most basic questions.


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