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Starting over - liquid CO2

DavidW

DavidW

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East Sussex
I'm stripping down my 350 litre tank due to algae issues, it have various types on everything. Now I'm wondering when I've stripped it all down cleaned it and replanted with fresh plants should I start the tank up with just liquid carbon for the first few months to help avoid algae returning? After that I was thinking of using both liquid and pressurised CO2, so can liquid carbon be used in conjunction with pressurised CO2 on a long term basis?

Thanks
 
DavidW said:
I'm stripping down my 350 litre tank due to algae issues, it have various types on everything. Now I'm wondering when I've stripped it all down cleaned it and replanted with fresh plants should I start the tank up with just liquid carbon for the first few months to help avoid algae returning? After that I was thinking of using both liquid and pressurised CO2, so can liquid carbon be used in conjunction with pressurised CO2 on a long term basis?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I think you could but you shouldbt need to if your injecting co2

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Glenn Birtwistle said:
I think you could but you shouldbt need to if your injecting co2
Click to expand...

My thinking behind this is that I have a 55 litre tank which I use liquid carbon on as the CO2 source and I've never had any real issues with algae, my tank I'm restarting has had nothing but algae issues and I'm using pressurised CO2 so I was thinking if I started with liquid CO2 it would give the plants a CO2 source and also inhibit algae growth, then once the plants are well established lower the liquid CO2 and start using pressurised CO2. I don't know if this would work or if it a good idea, I'm just going with my experience from my 55 litre tank that uses the same water source. I seem to have an issue with stable pressurised CO2 in the main tank.
 
Ok i get your thinking. Im not an expert as I'm only on my first pressurised co2 attempt but my understanding is that although the balance isn't easy to achieve, it is all you need and co2 injection is the best way forward for plant growth.
I don't know where you get this balance stuff from but if you find it let me know.
I thought liquid co2 would just be used for perhaps spot dosing some of the algae forms...

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After all liquid co2 brands contain zero or very little actual co2 but the stuff it's made from is a good algae suppressant. JBL have written a very good paper on the subject. I'll try and find it...

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I've had the same problem with the CO2 injected tank. Three years ago, I started my first planted tank with pressurised CO2 and the only thing I managed to grow really well was algae ;)

I stripped it down, researched 'low tech' tanks, ordered low light plants only, and stared over with low light, partial EI dosing and liquid carbon. I managed to keep plants alive and growing slowly with no algae, and eventually growing at the right rate for me, without needing to go back to a high tech set up.

I was inspired to start with this hobby by people who can strike the balance in high tech tanks, but I since discovered that the best way for me is to go with liquid carbon only. And you definitely don't need pressurised CO2 injection to grow plants. I will admit though, tanks look much better with CO2 injection.
 
The problem is, if you don't know what's causing issues in your tank, the moment you start injecting CO2 again, the same issues will likely reappear?
Although, the only way to get it right, is to keep trying till you get it right.
 
There are just so many variables to consider aren't there. Where the tank is positioned, water chemistry, strength of light, etc etc etc.
All the research I've done suggests too much light and unstable co2 are usually the causes of all algae.
I just made sure that all my water parameters were stable and I stabilised the co2 before I ramped the strength of light up and then increased the photo period from there.

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You can use both together. I think glut is useful wen you start a tank. Most important is lowish light and dense planting.
 
I've got 208 watts of T5 all with reflectors. I'm going to remove the reflectors and start with a 6 hour light on period and full dose of liquid carbon 9ml. With the CO2 I've always had it set to come on 2 hours before the lights on and off 1 hour before lights off. Is it best to leave it on while the plant establish themselves?
 
My opinion would be yes as plants need co2 to produce the sugars and chlorophyll to grow so while the lights are on they will benefit from good levels of co2 in the water.

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For my low tech NON CO2 300 litre tank I had to hang the 208 watts of T5 lighting nearly ten inches above the surface of the water to avoid Hair algae on tips of tall plant's near the surface.(have since went to four T8 tubes)
I might reduce light intensity and or duration after setting up the tank anew and using the liquid carbon and CO2 injection together.
This assumes consistent nutrient availability of all nutrient's.
 
What are the additional benefits the liquid co2 offers in a new tank? Would you overdose it just to try and stop the likes of BBA?

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Benefit's of liquid CO2 in my low tech tank's are the difference between that which is produced naturally and only that, or a little more via liquid carbon.
Might also help if CO2 injection/distribution was maybe not as much,or as efficiently distributed as one might think.
No,I would not overdose it for sake of treating algae that may very well return once treatment was stopped.
Would want to try and identify root cause(s).
 
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