# anubias and co2



## shaefer (May 9, 2007)

I am starting up 100 gal mbuna cichlid tank with anubias and java fern. The light fixture I have is pretty powerful and im wondering if co2 will be useful. I'm sure I will have algae growth quickly unless I reduce the light or add co2. I have heard that co2 doesn't improve the growth of these plants and yet others say it can. Is there anybody out there who has experience with this situation and can offer some adivice? Thanks.


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

CO2 will help ANY plant. Check out plantedtank.net. They just simply aren't fast growers.

Light plant stocking plus high lights and no co2 is asking for a disaster.

What is tank size and what do you have for lights>?


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## shaefer (May 9, 2007)

My tank measures 48 x 18 deep x 24 tall. There are 2 54watt bulbs 12000k daylight.


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

That is by no means a ton of light for a tank that deep.


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## shaefer (May 9, 2007)

OK thanks. Its just when I have it on it looks too bright. So you think that amount will be fine for the plants?


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

Do you have substrate yet? Is there water in the tank? Those factors make lights look brighter too.

It should be fine. THat is just over 1 watt per gallon, and with a tank that deep, it is less than say a 12 inch deep tank.


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## shaefer (May 9, 2007)

Oh yeah fish and everything is in... im still getting the plants though. 
I'm just wondering if it would make that much difference if I added co2?
And if I did does that mean I should added more light?


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

I had issues with algae with a slightly smaller tank and a slightly brighter light. You may want to start with a SHORT photo period and dial it up until you start to see algae growth. The algae grew INTO the leaves, then killed parts of them. My anubias looked terrible.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

As a general rule, CO2 should be added for anything over 2.5 wpg ... under that level the consensus is that there isn't enough light for the photosynthesis to use the added CO2. If you do add CO2, I would consider african ferns, _Bolbitis heudelotti _as they are better able to use the CO2 compared to the anubias and java fern.


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## shaefer (May 9, 2007)

Thanks that clears some things up but not all my plants will be on the bottom. 
I have a rock wall covering the entire back of the tank that I would like to put plants on. 
Since there is less water for the light to go through there might be enough light where co2 would be beneficial towards the top half of the tank?


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

You may want to consider dosing Flourish Excel. There are writeups all over the web on it's use if you do a google search.


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## Britnick (Apr 18, 2008)

If you are keeping Vallis in your tank I would avoid Flourish Excel. It appears to cause Vallis all sorts of problems.


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

It certainly does, I can attest to that. I didn't know better and killed probably 2/3 of my vals by dosing excel for about 1.5 weeks. I stopped and they appear to be growing back with a vengeance though.


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## shaefer (May 9, 2007)

Thanks for all your input. No im just sticking with the ferns and anubias. 
But for excel to be effective it seems like you have to add a lot which I think would get expensive in the long run. 
I already have a regulator for a co2 system i picked up somewhere but it seems like once i purchase the tank, the long term costs will be relatively low.
Also if co2 isn't going to add a huge amount of growth would i be better off using a diy yeast method and just focusing it on the areas that are planted?


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## macclellan (Nov 30, 2006)

dwarfpike said:


> As a general rule, CO2 should be added for anything over 2.5 wpg ... under that level the consensus is that there isn't enough light for the photosynthesis to use the added CO2. If you do add CO2, I would consider african ferns, _Bolbitis heudelotti _as they are better able to use the CO2 compared to the anubias and java fern.


CO2 helps on just about any aquarium over 1-1.5WPG. Bolbitis is an excellent suggestion in general, as it is such a beautiful plant, but not for an African cichlid tank, since Bolbitis only does its best in softer water.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

*macclellan* - really? This is why I love forums, people that have actually kept the stuff/fish/plants. Most references I've read state it does better in harder water w/ CO2. Which I always thought odd since it's a west/central african plant.


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## macclellan (Nov 30, 2006)

Yeah, it's a river plant, not a ARL. Both APC and Tropica say as much.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... c=Bolbitis
http://www.tropica.com/default.asp


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