How To Natrually Add Co2 To Your Tank

Written by: Team BP & Anne (expertaquarist)

If you simply recently established your planted aquarium so I'thousand certain you are thinking, "how do I get my aquatic plants to grow as fast & good for you every bit possible?"

You need a CO2 setup to make it a reality. CO2 might be lethal for us humans but it is the key to life for plants.

CO2 is the biggest benefactor of photosynthesis, which is the way of survival for institute life. You lot can grow your aquatic plants in your aquascape 5-10 times faster by supplementing CO2.

This is one benefit, but in that location are enough more that come with using CO2 in a planted aquarium. Excited to discover out? Then delight go along reading!

This article volition include:

A brief overview of why CO2 is of import for your aquatic plants
The different types of CO2 setups
An easy how-to guide on how to setup pressurized CO2
Must-read CO2 tips

high tech aquarium

Why practice you need CO2?

To sympathise the importance of CO2 in planted aquariums, we need to go through a little wearisome science talk. I know yous didn't come here for a science class, simply please read it with undivided attention for your tank'due south sake .

They demand it for the process of photosynthesis, in which they use low-cal, water, and CO2 to make sugar and oxygen. Chemical potential energy is stored in sugar molecules that assistance in their respiration and growth.

Plants with great carbon analogousness have shown faster growth rates compared to the opposite. By supplementing CO2, you tin grow your plants much faster and healthier.

Thank you to the fish respiration and organic breakdown alongside surface agitation, there is enough CO2 for a depression light/low tech aquarium, so they don't necessarily need extra; however, adding more would show meliorate results.

But for medium/loftier lighting, there is no other choice but to introduce CO2. This conundrum makes CO2 injection vital for the growth of your plants.

high tech aquatic plants

High tech plants and CO2 injection

Loftier tech, a fancy word! It doesn't hateful you lot demand giant and expensive components, rather the impact of said components has to be huge. Aquatic plants in a loftier tech tank need CO2 injection, why? I'll explain it beneath.

Healthy Growth

Plants that are accounted high tech are commonly defined as those which demand strong lighting. Going along with that definition, a high-tech tank would need lots of CO2 as it shares a directly human relationship with lighting intensity, or the plants simply won't grow properly. Ultimately, adding CO2 to your tank will event in faster and more vibrant growth of your aquatic plants.

Balanced CO2

More than lighting means the plants grow quicker, and then there is more demand for resources. Sadly, CO2 doesn't dissolve from the air into the water as speedily as plants use it up due to various factors; hence, there is no equilibrium. Therefore, this needs to be accomplished with CO2 injection and so that the residual isn't broken. Because of this, adding CO2 to your planted aquarium may also result in less algae in the aquarium.

Color Intensity

When y'all inject CO2, it will have that desirable effect on your plants' coloration.

For example, suppose you lot want a vibrant color from a carmine aquatic plant; however, it is unachievable without CO2 injection. Some depression lighting plants might be able to grow similar that, but the difference in colour intensity volition exist clear as day.

So, high tech plants need CO2 injection if you want them to look vibrant, lively, and lustrous.

Better Carpeting Development

Many aquarists love having rug plants. They await fabled inside a well-lit tank. Although, in order to reach that lush carpet, aquatic carpet plants demand a lot of CO2 to grow well.

If you have a tank with high lighting and your carpet growing effort is not going equally you wanted, the reason is about likely low CO2.

I believe these intricacies volition give you a ameliorate insight into why CO2 injectors are so crucial for a planted aquarium.

Note : Keep in mind that high CO2 concentration could crusade bug for the inhabitants. Do the proper research on your fishy friends before adding CO2 injection to your planted aquarium.

carpeting aquatic plants

CO2 injection methods

There are a couple methods by which you can add a CO2 setup to your aquarium. Nosotros volition briefly explain each setup for you (Click the names to view products)
one. Pressurized CO2
2. DIY CO2

Pressurized CO2

Pressurized CO2 is the near common way to inject CO2 in the aquascaping hobby. These setups are sustainable, and virtually chiefly, can be simple to set up. All y'all need to do is assemble the parts properly and open the valves at the correct time.

Here is the required equipment described. Below we volition have a setup guide.

Required Equipment:

Regulator - This will initially introduce CO2 during the injection process. They take a approximate that tells y'all how much pressure level is going in while adjusting that with a knob. Tanks exert CO2 rapidly, and having a regulator will slow it down to one bubble at a time. Bank check out CO2 Regulators HERE.
Diffuser - This allows CO2 to enter your planted tank effectively. A porous medium will intermission down gaseous CO2 into misty bubbling, making it piece of cake for your aquarium to absorb them. It is best to position your diffuser reverse of the outlet considering the flow from the filter volition button the bubbles throughout the h2o column for better improvidence. Check out a great selection of diffusers HERE.
Bubble Counter - It'll monitor the bubbles you are injecting through the regulator. This is external equipment that you will accept to add to your filter tubing.
Drop Checker - This specialized kit measures how much CO2 has been diffused in h2o. It is like a vessel with a solution named bromothymol blue that changes color depending on the CO2 concentration in your aquarium. Y'all desire the colour of the liquid to be GREEN which indicates the concentration is ideal.
Solenoid - Aquarists dearest solenoid. They are affordable and efficient, exactly what y'all want in your aquarium. When the lights are off, plants don't take function in photosynthesis, so there is not much of a need for CO2 at that fourth dimension.
But you tin't always be physically standing by your aquarium to turn it off manually. If you use a solenoid valve and an electric timer, you can turn off the CO2 influx at the correct time.
These components are a must to build a CO2 injector. While all of these aren't hard to find, you volition spend quite a while going to different places to get them.
Tubing - You need this to connect your regulator and diffuser. Be sure to buy tubing that is meant for CO2 because regular tubing allows CO2 to leak out. Buce Plant has CO2 tubing Hither.
Spanner - A spanner is a type of wrench used to tighten upwardly the regulator to foreclose leakage.
CO2 Tank - They come in different sizes, but I'll propose yous become for a large ane to salve money and accept more than CO2 in the long run. CO2 tanks, sodaline bottles, and paintball CO2 tanks are all options for a pressurized setup. Be sure to purchase the correct adapter to fit the regulator onto these tanks.

Be sure to purchase CO2 equipment from a trustworthy source. I recommend products from the Buce Plant CO2 collection which has fantastic equipment and devices to get you upwards to speed. Buce Establish offers unique bundles that volition include the cute regulator, bubble counter, drib checker, and solenoid.

uns dual stage regulator
Click here for UNS PRO Dual Phase CO2 Regulator

DIY

The DIY option is a expert choice for people that want to give CO2 a try earlier investing a large corporeality of money into pressurized CO2. We recommend using the Aquario Neo CO2 DIY Kit, every bit they are reliable and affordable. You can check out the set up up video on the product folio Here.

Required Equipment:

A bottle
Tubing (Vinyl or silicon)
Suction cup
Diffuser
Scissors
Check valve
Saccharide
Water
Yeast
Airstone

Although the DIY way is smashing for beginners with nano rimless aquariums, you still want the best possible growth and wellness of your aquatic plants. Information technology may be best to somewhen open your wallet a little.

Click here for Aquario NEO CO2 DIY Kit

Pressurized CO2 setup – the piece of cake footstep guide

Although the thought of injecting CO2 in your aquarium might audio very daunting, the process is fairly simple. We have even included an easy How To Setup Video for Buce Plant's UNS Pro Dual Stage CO2 Regulator:

Pressurized CO2 Setup Stride Guide

After you've gathered all the equipment, this is the chief event. Once you lot know how to do it, you'll have your setup running in seconds. Follow these steps appropriately:

You lot start off past connecting all the components together. Follow this arrangement to become it washed easily-Tighten the regulator with a spanner and attach it to the CO2 tank. Place the diffuser inside the tank, and make sure it is placed properly. Connect the diffuser and bubble counter with a CO2 resistant tubing. Adhere a solenoid valve to the regulator if the solenoid is split up from the regulator
When all the parts are continued, yous move to the next phase. Kickoff, slightly open up the needle valve that is on your regulator. This will brand certain no harm happens to your solenoid when the principal valve of the bottle is released.
Now you tin can switch on the main valve of the bottle to release CO2. If the bottle is full, the approximate would bespeak 800-1000 psi.
To release CO2 from your regulator, slowly plow the needle valve and look at the bubble counter to suit the rate.
Adjust the needle valve so yous tin see one-2 bubbles per 2d. For larger aquariums, you would need more. The needle valves can exist delicate, so be patient when fine tuning.
Monitor the driblet checker for a few hours. Check what color is showing, dark blue means high pH/low CO2 while yellowish indicates low pH/high CO2. Adjust the CO2 needle valve until the liquid turns light-green.You got to keep in mind that the drop checker indicates the CO2 level that was nowadays 1 hour agone. This is because it takes 1 hour to respond to the CO2 level.
Setup the electric timer so the solenoid can shut off the CO2 regulator. Information technology is recommended to set the timer to turn on 1 hour before lights plough on and plow off 1 hr before the lights turn off.

aquario neo co2 diffuser

Balancing Your CO2

Keep in mind that while CO2 is an important component of establish growth, overdosing CO2 will non create better results. Be careful! Over injecting CO2 can cause death to your planted tank inhabitants due to the lack of oxygen. For long-term benefits, a constant concentration of CO2 should be maintained.

The injection rate of CO2 depends on diverse factors similar flow rate, surface volume, number of plants, etc. Drib checkers volition help inform y'all if the tank is deficient or has too much dissolved CO2. Its display of colour is safer than calculating pH and KH or using tests because there is less margin of error. Make sure to always keep an eye on your driblet checker to prevent nether or over dosing.

betta planted tank

Must-Read Tips

Save your CO2 by setting the timer to go off i 60 minutes before the lights become out. By and then, there should exist enough CO2 remaining for the last hour of the photoperiod.
Start the CO2 infusion 1 hr before the lights continue. This will ensure an adequate concentration of CO2 is present when the photoperiod begins because the get-go of the photoperiod is the most important.
Every tank is different, then you volition have to test your bubble counter and schedule a few times to go the green color on your driblet checker.
Experiment with the CO2 levels earlier you introduce fish in the tank. This way, you avoid any fatality while you are finding your ideal setup.
Make certain to become a nighttime green color. Don't confuse information technology with a yellow-greenish tint.

Make Your aquatic plants happy

At present that you know the benefit of using CO2 in a planted aquarium, go give CO2 injection a try! Regardless of whether your planted aquarium is high tech or low tech, your aquatic plants will benefit from CO2 injection in the aquarium. Feel free to check out Buce Constitute's all-encompassing selection of CO2 accessories. Feel free to striking them upwards on Instagram or Facebook with any questions you may have! Have fun and get decorate your aquarium with vivid and stunning aquatic plants.

Tell us - Was this article helpful? Please comment your thoughts beneath!

If you accept any questions regarding this article, please DM u.s. on Instagram, Facebook, or email u.s.a. directly at support@buceplant.com so we tin can assist you lot -@buceplant