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Do I need CO2 for this tank?

Joined
7 Jan 2021
Messages
146
Location
Nottingham, England
Rescaped my Spec V and am very happy with the results. Just wondering, do I need CO2 to maintain the plants in their current state? I'm not fussed about further growth, I'm quite happy with their current sizes and just want to keep them alive.

Capture.PNG


Plants are:

Cryptocoryne balansae

Hemianthus callitrichoides 'cuba'

Riccia fluitans

Frogbit

Bucephalandra 'theia'

Eleocharis acicularis

Limnophila sessiliflora 'ambulia'

Cryptocoryne parva

Hygrophila pinnatifida

Java fern

Think the big plant may be Cryptocoryne wendtii?

Anubias nana

Bolbitis heteroclita


Thanks all!
 
Hi
HC cuba,H pinnatifida and possibly Eleocharis mini will need CO2.HC cuba will be very difficult on those stones even with CO2 addition.
The Bolbitis heteroclita is most definitely a goner even with CO2.Im yet to see someone to grow it successfully.
You haven't chosen the easiest of plants and adding CO2 on its own is not always recipe for success as changes the dynamics of the system and the nutrients demand.
Regards Konstantin
 
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Hi
HC cuba,H pinnatifida and possibly Eleocharis mini will need CO2.HC cuba will be very difficult on those stones even with CO2 addition.
The Bolbitis heteroclita is most definitely a goner even with CO2.Im yet to see someone to drow it successfully.
You haven't chosen the easiest of plants and adding CO2 on its own is not always recipe for success as changes the dynamics of the system and the nutrients demand.
Regards Konstantin

Great thank you, I'll add a spare yeast CO2 system and go from there. Shame about the bolbitis, it's a lovely looking plant.

Cheers
 
You certainly have not picked the easiest plants... As @Konsa said, several of the plants in your tank will have a hard time with your setup. Instead of adding DIY CO2, I would suggest you to pick a handful of "easy" plants that thrive without CO2 injection and focus on growing them. That is more fun than struggling with some of the current plants and trying to resolve the usual problems caused by DYI CO2 ;)

By the way, do you have some substrate or aquasoil below the sand? And what fertilization regime are you using?
 
A little extra tip, if your ferns are planted into the sand, the rhizomes need to be above the sand, otherwise they will rot. The fine roots however can be in the sand if you wish. Many place these epiphyte plants on hardscape though.
 
Thanks for your input everyone :) I actually modelled this tank entirely on another Spec V posted on Reddit, incl. plants, and they seemed to be able to keep them alive with minimal input - so I've got my fingers crossed and will keep you all updated. At the minute just DIY CO2 and TNC complete once weekly.
 
Thanks for your input everyone :) I actually modelled this tank entirely on another Spec V posted on Reddit, incl. plants, and they seemed to be able to keep them alive with minimal input - so I've got my fingers crossed and will keep you all updated. At the minute just DIY CO2 and TNC complete once weekly.
You can find <some extra tips here>... good luck!
 
2 week update, so far everything seems to be growing reasonably well. The crypto balansae has melted a bit because the red root floaters overtook that entire area, hoping it'll perk up a bit after removing htem.

IMG_20220213_165326.jpg
 
Mostly still doing OK with a bit of browing, which I believe is due to my CO2 system not working. I fixed the leak but still no bubbles.

It's a ProFlora 160. There's strong CO2 pressure in the line between the flask and the bubble counter, but no bubbles come through. I tried replacing the bubble counter but still nothing. Any ideas?

(Edit, fixed it - weirdly the bottom section of the bubble counter was screwed on too tight - unscrewing it slightly fixed it)
 
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1 month update, doing pretty well without CO2 (the system died pretty much straight away again after my last post - I think there must be a hairline crack in the bottle somewhere). The HC Cuba died off and the Hygrophila is browning a bit in parts, but everything else is doing OK.

IMG_20220301_192728.jpg
 
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