Best CO2 for your buck
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I believe some people use CO2 cartridges from paintball guns for small tanks, although I have never used it myself so I can't give any additional information on that route. You can also consider going the DIY route using yeast and sugar, but it takes a little time to get set up and some experimentation to get the best mixture that works for you. If done right, you can use two reactors and swap one out at a time each week to keep the CO2 flow consistent.
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If you've not done plants before I wonder if you need the complication of trying to add CO2 right away. You may consider setting the plants and seeing if you even need it.
Jeff.
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Thanks for the info guys. I have been looking into it a lot more and it seems a lot of people dont't even need co2. A good lighting system and nutrients is all they use. I'll start out with that and see how it goes.
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JDM, do you dose ferts? I don't know a lot about non-CO2 tanks since I've pretty much always used it, but I'd imagine if you're not using it then additional nutrients in the water would lead to algae problems. For example, I keep about 20ppm nitrate and 2ppm phosphate in my tank and have never had algae growth, but I'm sure if I turned off my CO2 then my tank would be a disaster. I could be wrong through. Anyway, my point is that whether you choose to use CO2 or not, you'll need to setup and operate your tank accordingly.
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Once a week flourish comprehensive... if I remember, 2 root tabs for my valls and swords. 14 hours light (I know, it's just the way the schedule goes at home... we like to see the fish in the evening)
0 nitrates, I'm pretty sure that the plants are sucking up what does appear as I did have some a little while ago. I don't check for phosphates so they are minimal I am sure.
You are correct , additional nutrients without CO2 and more intense light would be a disaster, it has to be balanced based on the method that you are using. If I bumped up my lighting, added CO2 and started dosing other stuff... I wouldn't be able to keep ahead of my stems. As it is I'm cutting them in half every week and often see 1" of growth in a day.
I chalk it up to a steady ammonia load in the water. I saw the plants shoot after adding 9 new fish and ammonia levels hovering at what I call "non-zero" levels... nowhere near 0.25ppm but not quite zero.
Jeff.
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Very nice Jeff. Thanks for the detailed response :thumbsup:
So MMA, as I said, if you go the non-CO2 route, you'll need to do some reading and ask for advice on the best way to set up the tank to prevent algae outbreaks. This includes but not limited to lighting, substrate, fertilizer (not always used in non-CO2 tanks), and most importantly plants. I'm sure Jeff can help you get started there.
So MMA, as I said, if you go the non-CO2 route, you'll need to do some reading and ask for advice on the best way to set up the tank to prevent algae outbreaks. This includes but not limited to lighting, substrate, fertilizer (not always used in non-CO2 tanks), and most importantly plants. I'm sure Jeff can help you get started there.
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Ok I will be sure to check that out. How bad are these algae breakouts? If I did make a mistake, and it started to grow, would a few hillside loaches and cherry shrimp be able to manage it? Maybe some snails?
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My first suggestion is not to bother with CO2 in such a small tank (10g). The low-tech or "natural" method works better here. I won't go further into that for now. Jeff mentioned members' photos, and mine [as are most other members'] are under the "Aquariums" tab below my name on the left; I have no CO2 in any of these tanks, and they have been running this way for over 15 years.
What you do need is to balance the light with the available nutrients, so that light is always the limiting factor to plant growth. It is light that causes algae, when the light intensity or duration is beyond the nutrient balance for the plants. And this balance varies depending upon the plant species and numbers, fish load, fish foods, water minerals, etc.
Picking up for a moment on an earlier comment about CO2 and phosphates and algae. Phosphates in most aquaria will be more than sufficient for algae. Diana Walstad who is one of the prime advocates of soil-based natural planted tanks has written that in her tanks phosphates are between 1 and 5 mg/liter, which is more than sufficient for any algal species. She does not use CO2, yet has no algae problems. If one is adding CO2, and then discontinues it, the light must be reduced accordingly or algae will likely increase. So here again, it is the light that is causing algae.
Now to the questions in your [MMAfish35] last post. Algae is natural in any aquarium; a tank containing fish that does not have algae is most likely not "healthy" and it is not natural. The aim is to keep the algae under control. An explosion of algae is also indicative that the tank is not balanced. And in new tanks, algae has the advantage because the unstable conditions favour algae over plants; this state usually can last for 2-3 months, but not after if the tank is properly setup to balance light and nutrients.
As for critters that eat algae, this is hit and miss. The common "algae eater" fish tend to deal with common green algae and diatoms. But the true problem algae are the red and green varieties like brush, beard, etc. I've not bothered with shrimps but I understand they can help. But the easier remedy is to not let these algae get the upper hand. And specialist fish often bring very specific requirements and may have side effects that are worse than the algae. [You mention Hillstream loaches, in these tanks you must do all you can to encourage algae as this is a prime staple of their diet. Plus, their need for cool water and fast currents means most of our tropical fish cannot be included in that tank anyway.]
Snails are an advantage for algae and everything else; they contribute to a healthy environment more than many realize. They are not going to rid any tank of problem algae, but when the tank is balanced to start with, they will help to keep it so. Talking here of the common snails like Malaysian Livebearing and acute bladder (pond) snails.
Another fact is that plants do inhibit algae growth on their own, by which I mean aside from the balance aspect. Allelopathy is not something we all understand fully, but there is evidence that some plants can release chemicals that do inhibit certain types of algae (and other plants too). Similarly, algae have allomones of their own.
If you want a summary of the setup of a natural planted tank, have a look at the series "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" stickied at the head of this section of the forum.
Byron.
What you do need is to balance the light with the available nutrients, so that light is always the limiting factor to plant growth. It is light that causes algae, when the light intensity or duration is beyond the nutrient balance for the plants. And this balance varies depending upon the plant species and numbers, fish load, fish foods, water minerals, etc.
Picking up for a moment on an earlier comment about CO2 and phosphates and algae. Phosphates in most aquaria will be more than sufficient for algae. Diana Walstad who is one of the prime advocates of soil-based natural planted tanks has written that in her tanks phosphates are between 1 and 5 mg/liter, which is more than sufficient for any algal species. She does not use CO2, yet has no algae problems. If one is adding CO2, and then discontinues it, the light must be reduced accordingly or algae will likely increase. So here again, it is the light that is causing algae.
Now to the questions in your [MMAfish35] last post. Algae is natural in any aquarium; a tank containing fish that does not have algae is most likely not "healthy" and it is not natural. The aim is to keep the algae under control. An explosion of algae is also indicative that the tank is not balanced. And in new tanks, algae has the advantage because the unstable conditions favour algae over plants; this state usually can last for 2-3 months, but not after if the tank is properly setup to balance light and nutrients.
As for critters that eat algae, this is hit and miss. The common "algae eater" fish tend to deal with common green algae and diatoms. But the true problem algae are the red and green varieties like brush, beard, etc. I've not bothered with shrimps but I understand they can help. But the easier remedy is to not let these algae get the upper hand. And specialist fish often bring very specific requirements and may have side effects that are worse than the algae. [You mention Hillstream loaches, in these tanks you must do all you can to encourage algae as this is a prime staple of their diet. Plus, their need for cool water and fast currents means most of our tropical fish cannot be included in that tank anyway.]
Snails are an advantage for algae and everything else; they contribute to a healthy environment more than many realize. They are not going to rid any tank of problem algae, but when the tank is balanced to start with, they will help to keep it so. Talking here of the common snails like Malaysian Livebearing and acute bladder (pond) snails.
Another fact is that plants do inhibit algae growth on their own, by which I mean aside from the balance aspect. Allelopathy is not something we all understand fully, but there is evidence that some plants can release chemicals that do inhibit certain types of algae (and other plants too). Similarly, algae have allomones of their own.
If you want a summary of the setup of a natural planted tank, have a look at the series "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" stickied at the head of this section of the forum.
Byron.
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Ok I understand what you are saying. Ill stick with just low light plants and the led with the ten gallon. Too much light would cause algae, because it would be more than the plants needed. Right now I have a otto algae eater and I plan on getting some snails and shrimp. I really like the way cherrys look. Ill take a look at the sticky and get started. On a side note, I bought the hillstream loach as a stringray pleco and later found out what it was. Its in my gf's tank right now with some rams. Ill make sure to grab some algae wafers to make up for the none specialized tank. Thanks for all the information.
Luke
Luke
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