# Liquid carbon



## Seanogleby (11 Jun 2018)

Hi all,

Does anyone use liquid carbon for low tech setups?
Thanks 


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## Zeus. (11 Jun 2018)

Folks do use LCO2 for tanks without CO2 injection. Technically using LCO2 makes it a high tech tank even without injecting CO2


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## lazybones51 (11 Jun 2018)

I use liquid carbon in a "low tech" setup, low light etc. It does seem to make a difference, my limiting factor is the low light level.


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## Seanogleby (11 Jun 2018)

lazybones51 said:


> I use liquid carbon in a "low tech" setup, low light etc. It does seem to make a difference, my limiting factor is the low light level.



What do you use?


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## lazybones51 (11 Jun 2018)

I've used a couple of types, Easy-Life Easy Carbo and Colombo Flora Grow Carbo. The only notable difference is that Colombo Flora Grow Carbo bottle has a pump so it's easier to dispense.


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## BubblingUnder (11 Jun 2018)

I've been using Flourish Excel for about 6 months now. It seems to work ok & less algae than I've had in other setups in previous years.


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## paul_j (11 Jun 2018)

I use it since starting my first scape. Easy life carbo (2 ml for a 50 liter aquarium).  I´m happy, no algea problems yet, thinks it helps.


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## PBM3000 (11 Jun 2018)

I'm about to reduce Liquid Carbon in all my tanks to ZERO.   It's a con.


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## PARAGUAY (12 Jun 2018)

The term "liquid carbon" is a bit misleading ,its a chemical carbon source available to plants so is a good alternative to pressurised CO2, Its definetly not a con but overdosing and fatalities is the danger, I  have used Easy Life  and  Dennerle Bio, I like the Bio as its a droplet application.  Check plants vallis doesnt do well and fertilisers need incresing as its more than a low tech in my opinion


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## ian_m (12 Jun 2018)

PBM3000 said:


> I'm about to reduce Liquid Carbon in all my tanks to ZERO. It's a con.


So where do your plants get there carbon from ?


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## zozo (12 Jun 2018)

Seanogleby said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Does anyone use liquid carbon for low tech setups?
> Thanks
> ...



I do, in one of my tanks that recieves a large amount of daylight the entire day periode during the summer. Starting from march with artificial lights switched off.. I have to as long as i don't want to use regular co2 and i dont.  This tank is stacked with Anubias, i experience this pant grows a ton of algae if it's recieving to much light and little co2. This plant is very sensitive to light overdose, it grows to slow to coop with it.. So to help them during this periode i dose 3ml Easycarbo on 120L daily till it's time again to switch on the artificial lights, than i stop dosing again. I start when i see algae develop on it's leaves as a marker and 2 months later all anubias are 90% clean again. So it definitively helps a lot.

After using this regime 3 years succesfully, i wonder if it's due to the gluts algicidal propperties and if regular co2 would have the same effect.. I might give it a try next years summer to find out.


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## lazybones51 (12 Jun 2018)

PBM3000 said:


> I'm about to reduce Liquid Carbon in all my tanks to ZERO.   It's a con.


I wouldn't say it's a con at all. Before I started using it I had a bit of an algae issue, now there's almost none at all and my plants seem heathy.


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## Zeus. (12 Jun 2018)

zozo said:


> i wonder if it's due to the gluts algicidal propperties and if regular co2 would have the same effect.



So your thinking maybe try with CO2 injection at a low BPS and see if it gets same/similar results  Chris did have great success with his *Lazy Asian Biotope* which he had on 1 BSP and a 6.5Kg cylinder lasted 2years, he didnt bother with the CO2 on 2hours before either.


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## zozo (12 Jun 2018)

Zeus. said:


> So your thinking maybe try with CO2 injection at a low BPS and see if it gets same/similar results  Chris did have great success with his *Lazy Asian Biotope* which he had on 1 BSP and a 6.5Kg cylinder lasted 2years, he didnt bother with the CO2 on 2hours before either.



Yes something like that.. If i would go with co2 with this tank i would limite it to 15ppm.. I just wonder what effect co2 injection would have and how it compares with easycarbo in limiting algae growth on the anubias. This is my 3th summer on Easycarbo and experience each time the same. I guess it's time for a co2 experiment next summer and see the difference if there is any.


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## Tim Harrison (12 Jun 2018)

I regularly use both CO2 and LC in my scapes, especially until they become mature. I use LC as a sort of safety net in an unbalanced system. 
Once the scape is biologically mature I can gradually ease off with the LC if I want.

I can imagine that the combination of low CO2 and LC would work quite well, especially once the tank becomes established...just so long as the parameters - light, nutrients, flow etc - remain in balance and the plants aren't too demanding and carbon hungry. 

How Marcel uses it in response to increasing intensity and duration of photoperiod, in an otherwise low-energy tank, makes a lot of sense. Like he says without it his Anubias would become covered in algae.


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## PBM3000 (12 Jun 2018)

ian_m said:


> So where do your plants get there carbon from ?


Not sure.  I ran a tank for two years without any liquid CO2.  All plants very healthy - and no algae.
I dose my main tank with liquid CO2 and have always had issues with plant health/growth and still have algae problems. Hence why I'm going to discontinue it.  Just my observation.


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## zozo (12 Jun 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> How Marcel uses it in response to increasing intensity and duration of photoperiod, in an otherwise low-energy tank, makes a lot of sense. Like he says without it his Anubias would become covered in algae.



Yes and i'm realy wondering, if it is because of plant metabolism  increasing shedding off the algae or is it the desinfectig algicidal side of glut killing it.
And it actualy mainly is the Anubias covering rather quickly with algae GSA and BBA in th mix and after dosing 6 to 8 weeks i see it dissappear each summer again..


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## Tim Harrison (12 Jun 2018)

PBM3000 said:


> Not sure.  I ran a tank for two years without any liquid CO2.  All plants very healthy - and no algae.


That can be done too...I've done it myself, it's just a matter of getting the balance right and choosing the right plants.



zozo said:


> Yes and i'm realy wondering, if it is because of plant metabolism  increasing shedding off the algae or is it the desinfectig algicidal side of glut killing it.


I think it's a combination of the two.


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## zozo (12 Jun 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> I think it's a combination of the two.



Probably is, in a way can't imagine 3ml on 120L is such a small dose actualy, it still baffles me that it works after all. Oh!? And btw shortly also growing a Tiger val in the same tank. Planted it last winter and the day i started glut thought bad idea, but the Val is taking it like a champ it runs and grows like crazy. And red so many posts that this plant shouldn't like it.. Likely refering to much higher dosage i guess. I don't use it in the other tanks, i don't want my cat to drink that nasty stuff.


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## Tim Harrison (12 Jun 2018)

zozo said:


> Likely refering to much higher dosage i guess.


I think that's right, vallis generally does okay, so long as LC isn't overdosed.


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## micheljq (21 Jun 2018)

Just for information, there is liquid carbon  which is based on glutaraldehyde like product.  But there are now other which are based on Citric acid, citrates, and other components, more natural, without glutaraldehyde.  Some examples Dennerle Elixier Bio (don't confuse with Dennerle Carbo Booster Max), Brightwell Aquatics FlorinAxis, Continuum Aquatics Flora viv Prolifera.

Michel.


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## techfool (13 Jul 2018)

i use easy carbo, double dose in my little tanks. I split the dose in half and dose in the morning and when lights go on in the evening. I also cut my fert down from daily to twice weekly. This seems to work well to give me moderate to slow growth with minimal algae but I think it varies a lot depending  on your light and stocking levels.


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## navvmau (21 Aug 2018)

I use flourish excel. No more bga on the anubias. I dose it every other day except the weekend that i’m away.


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## roadmaster (22 Aug 2018)

Recently tore down 300 litre lower light tank that I dosed product "Metricide 14" at 20ml a day at same time each day(important ) for nearly two year's.
Product(Glut) in nearly twice the strength of Excel and much cheaper by the US Gal.
Plants were mostly Anubia species,Bucephalandra,Water sprite,Crypt Balansae,Echinodorus Rose X2.
Plant's performed well with daily dose mentioned,along with once a week addition of dry fertilzers Macro/Micros, and weekly 50% water changes.
Same tank performed equally well for same period without the Glut but seldom saw Large Sword plant's throw out runner's which escaped the top of the tank with such vigor.
way less issues with hair algae that used to tip the ends of the Crypt Balansae that lay upon the surface directly Under LED'S.
I think the extra carbon source for plants from the liquid supplement's can only be a benefit in otherwise limited environment.
Will not in my view, allow for light energy  to exceed  capability of increasing CO2 as might be demanded by more demanding plant's.
Given short time that liquid carbon remains available for plants 12 to 24 hours I believe is quoted,,Dosing just before light's on at same time each day,,produced best result's for me .


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## Lee iley (22 Aug 2018)

I use liquid carbon it does keep algae down and I find it makes a difference to my plants also. I stopped using it for a while and I had massive algae problems duno if it was because I stopped using it or not.


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## FISHnLAB (19 Oct 2022)

PBM3000 said:


> I'm about to reduce Liquid Carbon in all my tanks to ZERO.   It's a con.


Tell that to Tom Barr and all of the others who have tested it and saw easily measureable results.

If you do some research you will see that as with most things in this hobby, there is a lot of mis and disinformation surrounding this topic.


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