Thread: algae all over
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Old 17-02-2003, 09:16 PM
 
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Default algae all over

william kossack wrote in message ...
Is it really necessary to have a CO2 generator?


So you don't want to use CO2 now?

You cannot mix non methods with CO2 methods.

You should have nearly as much light with a non CO2 method.
Most new folks fail with non CO2 systems very bad.

Yes, you can do it. But.................there are sizable trade offs.

Limited plant choice, smaller leaves, much slower growth, a big dose
of patience, something lacking in 95% of aquarist, some fiddling to
balance things right. Good deep substrate, some floating plants etc.
You will not get a Amano looking pearly tank without CO2. Virtually
every single nice planted tank you see on the web is CO2 enriched.

40+% of the plant's dry weight is Carbon.
So you are severaly limiting things by not supplying it and small
little tank with high plant mass.

Most folks do much better by adding it and few folks ever sell their
gas CO2 systems with good reason.

Ideally if you decide on non CO2, make sure the substrate is something
like a soil based substrate or what I think is better is flourite with
about a 1/2" of peat in the bottom and 4inch of depth or more and add
some mulm from an old established tank to seed the gravel good.
I am not trying to talk you out of non CO2 but most eveyone finds it
much easier to grow the plants using it. I have both types myself. But
they have quite different approaches to work well.

Algae eaters will be needed in both CO2 and non CO2 tanks.

Regards,
Tom Barr