Amazon Sword Plant + Oxygen in the water = good growth?

**cardiocentric** · 08-11-2012, 01:36 AM

I have noticed something strange since my addition of airline tubing for extra oxygenation in the water... my once slow-growing and questionable sword plant has been growing a lot faster than usual and has actually sprouted new growth from one of it's dead leaves. Does the extra oxygen make a difference at all, or could my lack of ferts possibly be causing this? I've been half-dosing my plants lately instead of full dosing.

**Lady Hobbs** · 08-11-2012, 01:37 AM

Could be it just decided to start growing after the roots spread some, too.

**homemadepopcorn** · 08-11-2012, 02:48 AM

It could also be that the CO2 level in your home is higher than the CO2 level in the water.

**Azurescriber** · 08-11-2012, 05:36 PM

Agree with popcorn, plants "eat" CO2, and oxygen is their byproduct (plant poo, I guess) so the addition of a airtube may be pushing more CO2 into the water for it to eat.

Also, as LH said, could just have decided its root base was big enough, and started growing leaves.

I don't know exactly what ferts do in a tank (I assume it's a mix of nitrogen products) but I have heard too much can be a bad thing.

So keep doing what you are doing, I guess!

**hydra01** · 08-11-2012, 08:32 PM

Although plants do use CO2, when they are not photosynthesizing, they undergo cellular respiration in which they actually use oxygen. With planted tanks balance of light, oxygen, Co2, and nutrients is what makes plants grow well without algae problems. I would say keep doing what you are doing, chances are you have a pretty good balance if the plants are growing well with minimal algae growth.

**Honey Badger 1** · 08-11-2012, 08:53 PM

Increasing the water circulation with the air stone creates better co2 production from the plants.

http://www.hallman.org/plant/huebert.html

**luv2sk8te17** · 08-11-2012, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by mommy1

Increasing the water circulation with the air stone creates better co2 production from the plants.

http://www.hallman.org/plant/huebert.html

plants don't produce co2. they take in co2 and produce oxygen.

it is possible the plant has just gotten "settled in" like lady hobbs has mentioned. they really take off once the roots take hold of the substrate and get situated.

**Honey Badger 1** · 08-11-2012, 09:05 PM

Lol, oops, this is why I don't answer many plant questions, I never claimed to be an expert. Taken from the article I linked.

For the aquarist, the supply of CO2 can be augmented in two ways. Both methods work by increasing the rate of diffusion of CO2 into the plants. First, the rate of water movement in the aquarium can be increased. This will decrease the thickness of the boundary layer and ensure that CO2 levels are at air equilibrium. This method is inexpensive, easy to implement and will produce excellent growth of aquatic plants under most conditions.

**cardiocentric** · 08-12-2012, 06:10 PM

my mollies have taken care of the algae problem in here... i was shocked after only a week they had eaten almost all of it... i haven't had those nasty diatoms come back either!