Can aquarium plants be grown without co2?

I have been fond of aquarium since childhood, but, of course, it used to be like that - entertainment, but now I want to make a beautiful corner in the apartment to please the eye. I have my new aquarium for about 8 months, but it was only restarted about a month ago.
]]> General view of the aquarium]]> (sorry for the poor quality - I don't have a digital camera)
I read several forums and chose this one, as I saw a lot of plant specialists here.
I really want everything to grow and multiply, but I read a lot of horrors about the lack of light, feeding CO2 and precipitated myself. For myself, I decided that I am not going to feed CO2 and, in fact, here is my question:

How can I ensure an acceptable plant content without CO2 feeding? Here are the parameters for my aquarium:

1. Aquarium: AquaEl with Wromak cover, panoramic, 102 liters, dimensions (height-width-depth at the edges-depth in the middle): 40-80-28-38
2. Equipment: heater Jager 100W; Eheim Aquaball 2210 filter (internal) costs one sponge, ceramic resun tubes are inserted into the cassette .; Sera compressor 275 l / h (always on)
3. Light: standard - fluorescent lamps 60 cm. 2x15 W Osram, launched through Helwar L36A-T EMPRA (allows you to connect 1x36 or 2x18). In the morning hours, in clear weather, sunlight enters the aquarium.
4. Soil - pebbles from 1 to 8 mm, there is a large (about 1/3 of the bottom area) sandstone, 2 coconuts (I plan to add more)
5. Of the plants I now have: related cryptocoryne, dwarf anubias, valisneria, lagarosiphon, ludwigia, javanese moss, cryptocoryne or echinodorus, I don’t know exactly which one, but in the picture it looks like purple cryptocoryne or echinodorus vertical
6. Fish: Pelvikachromis pulcher (~ 5cm) 13 pcs., Sumatran barbus (~ 4cm) 13 pcs., Ancistrus (~ 3cm) 3 pcs., Acantophthalmus 4 + 3 (~ 9cm + 4cm), Pseudoskat bifortia (~ 4cm) 1pc. I plan to spawn fish in a common aquarium, I need to take care of the safety of the fry.
7. From livestock - 3 large ampularia, 4 melania
8. Restarting the aquarium - about a month ago, transplanted the plants, did not wash the soil, only mixed it and poured the dirt with water. I did not pour any chemistry at startup, I planted the plants immediately (put clay balls under the roots) fish and planted the snails for 3 days. After three weeks, when changing the water, I added Uniflor aqua neutral fertilizer.
9. Water change 20L 1 time per week.

The actual questions:

1 What can be done to maximize the supply of light to plants? The cover is almost impossible to modify. Therefore, I am planning to supply electronic ballasts and Hagen lamps, but I do not know which is better. There is also an idea to put several LEDs as a night illumination, only what color to put and whether they will harm fish or plants from them.
2 With changed lighting, what measures should be taken to provide plants with favorable conditions for growth? What water temperature to keep, how often to change, whether to apply fertilizers and which ones, how long to set the length of daylight hours?
3 Is it worth replacing the plants and how can I determine if the plants will do well in my environment? More precisely, what kind of plants will feel under my conditions of lighting and care? I am interested in not very rare and expensive plants, but beautiful ones.


2 years

Every 40 days, buy CO2 cylinders for 1500 rubles. I don't really want to, but for living plants it is necessary. Is it possible to do without CO2 in an aquarium with live plants?

2016-05-2525/05/2016 14:33:02
#2234532

NewAkvariumist

There is a lot of unpretentious grass that does not need CO2) It is enough that the fish breathe

2016-05-2525/05/2016 14:36:36
#2234538

NewAkvariumist
Every 40 days, buy CO2 cylinders for 1500 rubles.

where are these numbers from? and prices and terms?

2016-05-2525/05/2016 14:43:29
#2234545

Advisor

NewAkvariumist
Every 40 days, buy CO2 cylinders for 1500 rubles. I don't really want to, but for living plants it is necessary. Is it possible to do without CO2 in an aquarium with live plants?

You have some small cylinders. A 5-liter bottle is enough for me for 3 months for two 450-liter aquariums.

You can do it. It is easier if the water is soft and the pH in the aquarium does not exceed 7.5. In this case, it is sometimes enough to have aeration, which will replenish CO2 from the air, and the plants will not starve for carbon.

2016-05-2525/05/2016 14:45:55
#2234547

685


20 minutes.

NewAkvariumist

A lot of plants live well in rather hard water without additional supply of CO2. Moreover, if this is your first aqua, don't mess with CO2. Why do you need accompanying problems with light and parole. A sufficient amount of fish will provide unpretentious, simple and beautiful plants with everything they need. Leave all the troubles for later. Experience will come, you will figure out for yourself what you need and what not.

2016-05-2525/05/2016 14:59:43
#2234558

Visitor

Today I went to refuel a 2-liter one - there in the office there is a refueling of 500 rubles up to 5 liters, small refueling is unprofitable) But for 1650 I took another 5-liter new, filled. I plowed a 2-liter one for almost 3 months, respectively, a 5-liter one is enough for six months for sure. Refueling 500r for six months.
Or do you have a herbalist for 1000 liters?

2016-05-2525/05/2016 15:38:42
#2234574

Advisor

NewAkvariumist
Is it possible to do without CO2 in an aquarium with live plants?

You can do it, but is it necessary? The quality of the plants will be

incomparable ... For me personally, a plant aquarium without CO2 supply is not needed for nothing. They are often frightened by some mythical problems, since the main problem is precisely the lack of carbon. Without CO2 problems m. much more ... and the plants are not so cheap to be scattered about. I have a 5L can of fire extinguisher for three aquariums. Charging costs 150 rubles, the approximate consumption was announced

Konstantin Kucherenko ... There is also a 2-liter replacement. The cost of CO2 per month is a penny. With the supply of CO2, the plants become so perfect that it is even too much, and sometimes you have to explain that they are alive, not artificial.

2016-05-2525/05/2016 20:59:51
#2234723

2016-05-2525/05/2016 21:00:05
#2234724

Visitor

2016-05-2525/05/2016 21:27:43
#2234739

62

2 years

Just ask yourself the question - how did the plants grow and multiply in the aquariums of the Soviet aquarists? When have you thought about adding CO2 to your aquariums? And in general, as far as I remember, they began to supply carbon dioxide in Dutch aquariums by adding gas water. I agree that now the culture contains many species that were previously inaccessible. Where did they come from? Probably from nature. The question is - where in nature has anyone seen CO2 installations? I have not personally met.

The atmospheric air also contains carbon dioxide. When water is stirred, it is saturated not only with oxygen.

The infamous CO2 supply is intended for aquariums with large plant biomass. If there is no purpose to arrange a herbalist, it is quite possible to do without additional carbon dioxide, provided there is good biofiltration, to prevent algae outbreaks. At least that's how it works for me.

Changed 5/25/16 by igor65

2016-05-2525/05/2016 22:47:36
#2234793

Visitor

92

Nizhnevartovsk

1 year

NewAkvariumist

I have cans without soil cultivation, etc. fussy, I experimented with mash, so everything flooded by leaps and bounds. I had to weed, plant, throw out. The usual growth rate of scent suits me better. Limited to improving lighting.

Whether you can do without CO2 depends on the purpose, in what conditions and what you want to grow.

2016-05-2525/05/2016 23:22:26
#2234814

Visitor

NewAkvariumist

Take a photo, I wonder what you are growing there) Well, add a description of the aquarium, then it will be clear how necessary the supply of CO2 is.

2016-05-2626/05/2016 09:15:08
#2234919

Visitor

The grass will grow even without CO2 supply, but it will only look a little differently. A little higher, one comrade referred to nature, that there somehow everything grows by itself and all that. Yes, it grows, you can't argue) Just put on a mask, fins and swim in freshwater reservoirs - the type of vegetation is very different from Dutch aquariums and not for the better. You can break lances in disputes about which is better: artificial beauty or naturalness, but everyone decides for himself. We interfere in one jar with plants that in nature do not intersect with each other ... aquascape is generally a flight of imagination. So everyone decides for himself whether he needs it or not.If you have extra money - be puzzled, play: you yourself will understand whether you need it or not. If you have doubts about the NECESSITY of CO2 supply, do not bother. CO2 supply (provided there is good lighting and nutrition) improves the appearance of plants and accelerates their growth, but is not necessary

P.S. Yesterday I drove the bottle to refuel, the whole day the aquarium was without CO2, the light was on the machine in normal mode. Perling (or bubbling - as you like) was at the level of single bubbles in 3-5 seconds from one point. About an hour after connecting the cylinder to the reducer to the surface, the usual endless streams of oxygen bubbles pulled out from many places.

Changed 5/26/16 by Skystranger

2016-05-2626/05/2016 09:57:08
#2234929

62

2 years

Examples of biotope plant growth without artificial supply of CO2.

On the video - as requested, in masks and with fins.

Changed 5/26/16 by igor65

2016-05-2626/05/2016 10:55:31
#2234952

Visitor

Igor65

And the video from which reservoir? Nice, I admit it, but the landscape is just like in aqua - the depth is shallow, bright lighting and solid ground cover)

2016-05-2626/05/2016 13:06:26
#2234986

757

Pushkino

1.5

10 min.

e99

= For me personally, so a plant aquarium without CO2 supply and is not needed for nothing. = (C)

= You just don't know how to cook them = (c) - aquariums without CO2 ...))))))))))))) As the historical development of aquaristics shows, keeping plant aquariums without CO2 becomes aerobatics, but as they say popular proverb with CO2 = so any fool can = (c) ... the folk proverb does not apply to you and to any of the members of the forum, but the statement sometimes of the uselessness of CO2, which some members of the forum impose on newcomers and learning how to work as managers at filling CO2 or whole chemical plants for the production of CO2 ...)))))))))) sorry ...

2016-05-2626/05/2016 13:21:54
#2234995

Igor65
The question is - where in nature has anyone seen CO2 installations? I have not personally met.

if your aquarium has pH and KH of water as in a natural reservoir, then your water will also have enough CO2 for any grass without an external source, and if not, then CO2 is needed for whimsical grass ...

2016-05-2626/05/2016 13:22:46
#2234996

Advisor

There are three reasons for CO2 supply.
1) If the available water is hard and alkaline, which is suitable for many plants. Supplying CO2 is the best way to lower the pH and create a normal environment. Now, with the development and distribution of RO systems, this problem is practically gone, there would be a desire.
2) The stocking density in a plant aquarium is much higher than in a natural reservoir. In nature, in flowing water bodies there is always an influx of new water with a standard composition of dissolved gases. In boggy natural water bodies, there is a lot of CO2 due to massive bottom decay. When planted tightly in an aquarium, the plants will quickly eat away all available carbon. It is difficult to compensate for this with a sufficient number of fish and other animals, since there must be too many of them for this. Provided point 1 is fulfilled, some sufficient amount of CO2, similar to that found in nature, can be provided with conventional aeration. At the same time, excess photosynthetic oxygen will be removed.
3) There are many plants currently in aquariums that do not grow under water in nature. But they can be grown quite successfully underwater if a sufficient supply of CO2 is provided. Almost half of the aquarium mosses are of completely terrestrial origin. Again, you can argue how natural this is, but the introduction of CO2 significantly increases the number of design options.

2016-05-2626/05/2016 13:45:12
#2235006

62

2 years

If I'm not mistaken, the topic is called:

Is it possible to do without CO2 in an aquarium with live plants? No?

2016-05-2626/05/2016 19:23:09
#2235184

Igor65

It's just that such topics are very painfully perceived by a certain number of members of the forum, and instead of taking a constructive approach to this issue, where it is desirable to upload photos of aquariums without CO2, give other information, people begin to protest against this, despite the declared topic of discussion. It's unavoidable…..

2016-05-2626/05/2016 19:38:46
#2235189

NewAkvariumist, of course you can! Just pick up the plants, as they say, in a simpler way-)

This does not mean that they will be ugly ugly, and sometimes vice versa ..-)

For instance -

Cabomba caroliniana

Nayas

etc

They form beautiful emerald thickets, their care is minimal.

Modified 5/26/16 by Lux in tenebris

2016-05-2626/05/2016 19:49:22
#2235197

62

2 years

Changed 5/28/16 by igor65

2016-05-2828/05/2016 20:59:13
#2235943

62

2 years

2016-05-2828/05/2016 21:06:15
#2235948

62

2 years

2016-05-2828/05/2016 21:07:24
#2235949

62

2 years

Without pretending to be the ultimate truth, I will take the liberty of affirming: if in nature (as evidenced by the video, the links to which are above), plants form entire underwater plantations without CO2 supply, it is possible to keep aquatic plants in aquariums without CO2 supply as well. And it seems that the appearance does not raise doubts about the health and well-being of the plants.
Plants forced to live in a submerged state only thanks to the will of aquarists are out of the question.

2016-05-2828/05/2016 21:22:07
#2235954

Igor65

I want to say that earlier the species composition of plants in aquariums and their appearance, planting density were not comparable with the present. Whimsicality is a relative thing, one and the same plant in different water can be whimsical or not, depending on other conditions such as rigidity, pH, etc.

To unpretentious I include many echinodorus, cryptocarins, some aponogetons, not to mention vallisneria, arrowheads, krinums, blixes, nymphs, as well as anubias, mosses, ferns and other plants that have taken root in aquariums since the middle of the 20th century and selected precisely for survival endurance.

But how many crypts were grown? a maximum of a dozen species, how many echoes? Amazons and Uruguayans? how many ups? and now there are more than one and a half dozen species and forms alone, not counting hybrids, the use of CO2, UDO, modern light gave an impetus to selection and hybridization.

The use of CO2 in aquarium hobby began in the early 80s of the last century, by the way, and experiments on this topic were already in the 70s.

Once again, a plant aquarium without CO2 and UDO can be created, which is the second question.

I do not urge anyone to put cylinders, etc., I just express my opinion, and everyone makes a choice for himself. I have had an aquarium since 1984 and I went through what was without cylinders and what is with cylinders, UDO, external devices, etc., so I can compare it from my own experience and my own examples. I made my choice. There are many people on the forum who are stuck in the aquarium hobby of the 80s, maybe from nostalgia for youth, maybe from laziness or stubbornness, maybe they really like it, but this is everyone's choice and there is no point in convincing. I like it on my health, but there is no need to prove that there is a certain truth

) and everything else from the evil one and newfangled heresy

)

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