Do i need CO2 plant system?

[Red]

Do i need Natural Plant System for my 10 gallon? I already got it but do i need to set it up?

[alerzl33t]

That depends.. How much lighting does your ten gallon tank have? CO2 can become a limiting factor if your lighting is really strong. I know when I added CO2. My plants really perked up from my CO2 Factory.:c3:

[PUNISHER VETTE]

yes. I personally think it helped quite a bit no matter what and especially if you already have it.

[Evil Slimy]

Even if you don't have enough light to need it, I would suggest using at least seachem excel in a small tank. It's not as good as co2 injection (Seachem themselves rates it as a 7 out of 10 compared to Co2), but it's less hassle and even low light plants would benefit.

[Red]

im looking at it right now and its really hard to understand the directions. Does anybody have this [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Dave66]

im looking at it right now and its really hard to understand the directions. Does anybody have this [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Don't have them, Red, but I know how they work. Tablet-based Co2 has been around a long time. Usually there's some sort of diffuser; there's all sorts of designs of them, and a chamber to put the tablets into.
Unit goes in the tank, tablet fizzes (just like that 'plop plop fizz fizz company), the Co2 from the tablet percolates in the diffuser and the bubbles steadily dissolve into the bulk water of the tank.
Had one of those tablet-based Co2 things in my early days. Was a pain in the tuckus as I had to keep buying replacement tablets every week.

Dave

[Red]

Thanks everyone.. but im not sure if i need to hook it up to anythinglike a air hose but it has this bubble difuser thing. The Directions suck soo bad, sorry for being clueless

[PUNISHER VETTE]

put bubble diffuser(flat thing with the little slanted ledges) in the tank. Put water and packet of yeast in container. Add the tubing from the top of the container to the bottom of the diffuser.

Bubbles should come out and travel back and forth a bunch of times and in the process diffuse a little CO2 in the water at the same time.

[krisco]

I have one of those. It works pretty much like vette says. It is really simple to use. It comes with directions, and the directions are simple enough for a child. Put sugar in cannister up to the first level line. Add two powder solutions to it, and add luke warm water. Put cap on cannister, shake gently to mix. Put the ladder in the tank, on the back wall, attaching with the suction cups provided. Attach airline that comes with unit to cannister and ladder as shown in instruction booklet. Bubbles of co2 form, go through the airline tubing, and come out at the ladder. They make their way up the ladder until they reach the top, and then float to the surface and pop. For a ten gallon, this will be perfect. Anything bigger, and this will not be sufficient as the co2 bubbles pop on the surface of the water and mostly go out into the atmossphere.

[Red]

Thanks all i think i got it working.

[Red]

quick question is it ok to have a air pump with an air stone in there?

[PUNISHER VETTE]

quick question is it ok to have a air pump with an air stone in there?


definitely not the best idea.... pretty much will cost you as much CO2 as you'll be making with the system. You can run it at night when you don't need the CO2.

[krisco]

those systems like you have do not produce near the co2 they advertise. if they say it is for a 10 gallon tank, for example, it is really ideal for a 5 gallon. Don't run the airstone at all during the day, when the plant is using the co2 with the light. As far as at night, that really depends on how much co2 you are producing. I would run the airstone at night, and check your co2 concentration in the morning when the lights come on, when the lights go off, etc.... for 3 or four days. It will take the system a good 2 or 3 days to get going good. If you find the co2 is real low at the end of the day, then i would leave the airstone off to let it build up. Like i said, they don't produce what they say they do because most of the co2 goes into the atmosphere when the bubble explodes at the surface. The use of a bell diffuser or powerhead diffuser gains you much more co2 into the water and thus requires the use of the airstone at night.

[alerzl33t]

They work fantastic. I recommend having two, so when one is running out you can have the other starting its cycle. It works really good : )