Do I need to inject CO2 immediately after setting up my planted tank?

[maverick786us]

Based on the main article about Dry Start Method for Aquascaping.

M

Thread 'My next aquascape'

6 Dec 2024

Tomorrow I am going to buy the hard scape material for my next aquascape it’s a medium sized tank with dimensions 24 x 18 x 18 inches.

The hard scape will be 2 land masses on both sides of the tank. On the foreground there will be a river that will keep narrowing down as it passes between these land masses. Something similar to what you see in this video



But I don’t have that bonsai so I will try to create something like this using rocks and spider wood. When it comes to planting the hard scape it’s always going to be Anubias, Java fern, trident fern and...

• maverick786us
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Journals

• 

By Sunday 2 weeks will be completed. I will flood the tank 4 weeks later. Do I need the pressurized CO2 immediately after flooding?

 

[Connswater]

Anubias and Java (Microscorium) fern don't even really need CO2 injection, if lighting is medium and nutrient levels are not excessive, though both do better with some extra CO2. These types of plants really prefer to do without intense lighting and definitely benefit from some floaters to provide shade as they establish. Personally, I would always run CO2 early to get the plants growing early to get ahead of the algae, though these are essentially slow growing plants so care is needed, and algae, well, it is always just around the corner and ready to come up the fast lane. I always use fast easy growing stem plants, such as Hygrophila polysperma, and floating plants, such as my favourite Hornwort Certatophyllum, the latter actively likes harder water. I would do this for at least 3-6 months with a new tank. Slow growing plants can quickly be overtaken by algae.
With the plants you mention levels of CO2 don't need to be as high as the high energy target of 20-30 ppm, 10-20 ppm should be adequate.
Others may have different ideas.
As I concede, I have been growing plants and algae for decades now, sometimes less algae than at other times, sometimes not.
Good luck.

 

[maverick786us]

Anubias and Java fern will occupy little portion of the hard scape, once the tank matures, I will also have Bucephalendra . It's the grasses, for which I considered CO2.

 

[MoFish]

One of the reasons drystart works so well is because the plants health and growth arent limited by the concentration of CO2 since its available in abundance. once you flood without co2 they will go from an abundance of CO2 to quite low amounts which is bound to have a negative effect on the plants. I would suggest having CO2 injection ready for when you first flood your tank, I don't see any negatives to injecting CO2 from the start.

 

[ElleDee]

In general you want to keep the conditions in your tank as consistent as possible. Going from air, to no CO2, to injected CO2 is unnecessary disruption and that will make the early phase of your tank more challenging than it has to be.

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

If you really want to do it right, flood it with excess CO2 being injected then dial back the CO2 slowly over time so plants adjust to the lower concentrations of CO2 in the water. Once it reaches safe levels for livestock, add livestock.

Going from atmospheric concentrations of CO2 to limited concentrations is a big shock to the plants.

 

[maverick786us]

OK I will immediately use pressurized CO2 after flooding