Adding CO2 isn't always necessary! There are other tricks you can use without buying an expensive CO2 system. Here are four tips for increasing CO2 levels in your aquarium and reducing your aquarium plants' CO2 needs without the use of a fancy CO2 system.
To increase CO2 levels for improved plant growth, turn off the air pumps and lighting. If you add too much air, all the absorbable CO2 will be blown out of your aquarium immediately. The lighting ensures that plants absorb more CO2.
There are many other ways to increase the amount of CO2 in your aquarium. We no longer use this system because it didn't work for us. We have too many aquariums to supply with a single CO2 system. For a single aquarium, the system works incredibly well!
Reducing the lighting
Reducing lighting causes plants to absorb less nutrients and CO2. So, when you reduce the light intensity or duration, the plants will also use less, leaving more CO2 for the rest of the plants. This also prevents fast-growing aquarium plants from using unnecessary amounts of carbon monoxide.
This is also one of the reasons why we often see a CO2 deficiency in aquariums where the lighting is on for too long. There isn't enough CO2 to supply the plants with all their CO2 needs all day long.
Using Photosynthesis to Your Advantage
As soon as an aquarium plant receives light, it immediately begins converting sugars into oxygen, a process called photosynthesis. For this process, the plant requires plant food and CO2. The plant absorbs the C from CO2 (carbon) to grow, leaving the O2 (oxygen). The longer the plant is on, the longer it can do this, and the more CO2 it needs per day.
Therefore, experiment with the lighting duration and intensity by reducing them. We use 8 hours of light per day, and our plants thrive! With 8 hours of light, your aquarium plants also have plenty of time to grow and consume less CO2. In fact, some of our planter lights are only on for about 7 hours to avoid excessive CO2 consumption. These are used for more demanding plants, such as Ludwigia Repens mini super red and Alternanthera Rosaefolia.
Avoid the CO2 ˜devouring™ aquarium plants
Now that photosynthesis is clear to you, I must also warn you about so-called CO2-consuming aquarium plants. These are plants that grow as fast as CO2 and nutrients are available. This applies to virtually any plant, but waterweed and floating plants excel at this. They grow incredibly fast and therefore consume a lot of resources.
These are good plants for resolving a nitrate/phosphate surplus, but absolutely not for a CO2 deficiency. These are the aquarium plants that grow easily. Some examples of fast-growing plants are: Elodea densa, Hygrophila polysperma, and Rotala indica. Therefore, replace these plants with slow-growing varieties such as Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne, Anubias, and Java fern.
Colder temperatures
Do you know why there is a lot of blue-green algae in ditches, lakes and ponds in the summer?
Because of the temperature! Warmer water holds less oxygen and CO2, giving these blue-green algae a chance to thrive. If you lower the aquarium temperature, the water will hold much more oxygen and CO2 because gas exchange works better. Cold water holds more oxygen than warmer water. This is why you see more bubbles in cold water than in warmer water.
Your aquarium plants will also grow more slowly at a lower temperature, requiring less CO2, leaving more CO2 for all the plants. We also see this with houseplants and flowers that are transported at cooler temperatures so they stay fresh longer and grow more slowly. Keep in mind that all your fish are adapted to this. I would definitely avoid this with fish that require a higher temperature, such as certain cichlid and discus species. A few degrees lower can be enough to see an effect, but don't set your tropical aquarium below 20 degrees Celsius.
Does more current create more CO2?
If your aquarium has low flow, it will also have low gas exchange. A higher flow can then ensure more gas exchange occurs at the water's surface.
This gives your aquarium a better chance to absorb CO2 from the air, which also helps plants grow better. The current prevents dead spots, preventing stagnant water. This allows the water to move quickly past all the plants and the surface, which in turn creates oxygen.
Too much flow isn't good. It can backfire because there's too much gas exchange, often resulting in stagnant water. Therefore, keep a close eye on your aquarium so you can adjust the flow immediately if there's a CO2 deficiency.
The use of an alternative carbon
You can also choose a different method to provide your aquarium with more carbon. One of these methods is adding an alternative carbon source such as Easycarbo from Easy Life. Is Easycarbo the same as adding CO2?
No
This alternative carbon is not CO2, so you are not adding CO2 by using EasyCarbo, but a chemical that ensures that the water absorbs more CO2.
This carbon dioxide enhancer ensures that the water absorbs more CO2 through gas exchange. It's completely fish and shrimp friendly. If you ensure good flow, it will make your aquarium a real success! Just don't use it with snails, as they don't like EasyCarbo. For snails, it's better to use BIO CO2, such as that from Ziss Aqua.
Ready to buy a CO2 kit? Then use this fish-friendly system.
You can buy a CO2 system for around €100, but we've now found an easy-to-use bio-CO2 system that anyone can use. The Ziss Aqua CO2 system is super easy to use and very reasonably priced. We have a video on our YouTube channel here about how you—and I, with my non-technical knowledge—set up this system.
We no longer use this system because it didn't work for us. We have too many aquariums to supply CO2 with a single set. For a single aquarium, the system works incredibly well!
Or read more in our blog article - the easiest CO2 system available today! - and see how easy this system works!
