Do all planted aquariums have to have CO2 for the plants to grow?

No.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:19:15 GMT, "Linda" wrote:

Do all planted aquariums have to have CO2 for the plants to grow?

Yes and no.

All plants use CO2 for photosynthesis.

Some aquarium plants can obtain the needed carbon from carbonates, but
the process is not efficient, and only a few plants can do it.

But, this doesn't mean you must inject CO2, since there will be some
amount of CO2 dissolving into the water from the air.

With higher light levels, plants will need far more CO2 than the
3-4ppm present without CO2 injection. So in those cases, CO2
injection is necessary. But even at lower light levels, CO2
injection will improve plant growth.



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua

On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:19:15 GMT, "Linda" wrote:

Do all planted aquariums have to have CO2 for the plants to grow?



Yes. But the question you should be asking or may have meant to ask
is "Do all planted aquariums have to have additional CO2 for the
plants to grow?". The answer to that question is no.

Semper Fi!

Visit the forums at Aqua Botanic!
http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/#1

Need Nitrate or Potassium for your tank? Go to www.litemanu.com
(Just a happy customer of the above!)

Actually yes they do, but no you don't have to ADD CO2 which is what Victor
meant.. Normal CO2 level in a tank is around 3 - 4 %. Lots of plants will
grow well at that level with low light levels.
Bob

"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message
...
No.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 23:47:22 GMT, "Robert Flory"
wrote:

Actually yes they do, but no you don't have to ADD CO2 which is what Victor
meant.. Normal CO2 level in a tank is around 3 - 4 %. Lots of plants will
grow well at that level with low light levels.

3-4% would be 3-4 parts per hundred. The actual level of CO2 in a
tank is 3-4 parts per million, ten thousand times less.



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua

right.... momentary brain death ;-)

Bob
"Chuck Gadd" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 23:47:22 GMT, "Robert Flory"
wrote:

Actually yes they do, but no you don't have to ADD CO2 which is what
Victor
meant.. Normal CO2 level in a tank is around 3 - 4 %. Lots of plants
will
grow well at that level with low light levels.

3-4% would be 3-4 parts per hundred. The actual level of CO2 in a
tank is 3-4 parts per million, ten thousand times less.



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua