CO2, Planted Tank Basics

How to Add CO2 to Your Planted Aquarium

Are you new to planted aquariums? You likely are wondering how to get your aquatic plants to grow healthy and thrive in your planted aquarium. 

The solution: CO2.

CO2 is vital for the process of photosynthesis. In fact, adding CO2 to your planted tank will enable you to grow your aquatic plants 5 to 10 times faster! In addition, there are plenty of other aspects that come with adding CO2 to your planted aquarium. Read on for more info on CO2.

Overview of CO2

Why do you need CO2 in your planted aquarium?

To start, we should cover the importance of CO2.

  • • Arguably, CO2 is the most vital element in the planted aquarium. You must have CO2 in order to have respiration and growth for your aquatic plants which is part of the process of photosynthesis. Without CO2, plants begin to suffer. Your aquatic plants use CO2 along with water and energy from light to produce oxygen and sugar to grow. Plants get CO2 from substrate, in the wild. In an aquarium, however, CO2 is limited, which is why supplementing CO2 will help to significantly help your plants grow.
  • • How much CO2 should I add to my tank? How much CO2 you need to inject will largely depend on the amount of light you are supplying and the type of plants you have chosen for your aquarium. For the most successful planted aquarium, we almost always recommend supplementing your planted tank with CO2. (However, in low light aquariums, CO2 isn’t always needed since plants are less prone to grow under low light. You may not need to inject CO2 since there is enough CO2 coming from surface agitation, organic breakdown of dead plant matter, or fish respiration. You can still add some CO2 though, since it will still positively impact the growth and health of your planted tank.)
  • • For medium to high lighting, you NEED to introduce CO2. For medium to higher levels of lighting in your tank, your aquatic plants will need CO2 in order for plants to grow properly. You need CO2 to bring about faster, more vibrant growth.

What is a high tech plant?

The high tech plants in your aquarium are a aquatic plant species that particularly need higher levels of CO2.

  • • Healthy growth. As mentioned already, plants demand CO2 injection into their environment in order to thrive, particularly in tanks that have mid to high levels of light. Adding CO2 is going to boost growth of your plants.
  • • Balanced CO2. When there is more lighting in your tank, your plants will need more resources to accommodate. Unfortunately, CO2 doesn’t dissolve from the air into the aquarium water as quick as plants. CO2 injection helps to keep this balance – plus it helps to reduce algae in your aquarium.
  • • Color intensity. You can get much better coloration from your plants when you inject CO2. Although some low lighting plants will still have some color, high tech plants will definitely need CO2 supplementing their environment if you want luscious and lively colors in your planted tank.
  • • Improved carpet growth. If you have carpet plants in your aquarium, you will want to achieve lush, spread out growth by injecting CO2. Pay attention, however, to the fish and invertebrates in your aquarium and how much CO2 concentration is too much for them.

When in doubt about CO2 injection, be sure to contact our aquarium experts and we’ll be happy to help you!

Methods of CO2 Injection

Now that we’ve covered the importance of CO2, high tech plants, and lighting levels, let’s talk about the different methods of CO2 injection that you’ll need to know.

Pressurized CO2

Let’s start with pressurized CO2. This is the most typical way to inject CO2 into an aquarium setup.

A pressurized CO2 setup is sustainable and is pretty easy to set up. To set up a pressurized CO2 system, all you need is to assemble the parts and open the valves. All you need to do is assemble the parts properly and open the valves at the right time.

What You Need for Your Pressurized CO2 Setup:

  • • Regulator – First, you need a regulator to introduce CO2 during the injection process. Regulators feature a gauge that informs you of the amount of pressure that is going in.
  • • Diffuser – You need diffusers to allow CO2 to enter your planted tank to break down gaseous CO2 and making it easier for your aquarium’s environment to absorb them.  
  • • Bubble Counter – The bubble counter checks the bubbles you are injecting through the regulator. You will need to add the bubble counter to your filter tubing.
  • • Drop Checker – The drop checker is a specialized kit that measures the amount of CO2 that is diffused in water.
  • • Solenoid – The solenoid valve and electric timer, gives you the ability to turn off the CO2 influx at the correct time without you having to monitor your aquarium manually.
  • • Tubing – To connect your regulator and diffuser, you’ll need tubing that is meant specifically for CO2 (regular tubing will not work since it will allow CO2 to leak out).
  • • Spanner – Spanners are a special kind of wrench that you can use to tighten up the regulator to keep CO2 from leaking.
  • • CO2 Tank – Finally, you will need to choose a CO2 tank. They are available in different sizes, however, choosing a larger one will help you save money in the long run and allow for more CO2. Ensure you purchase the correct adapter to fit the regulator onto these tanks.

When purchasing a pressurized CO2 system, be sure to buy from a reliable seller in order to not sacrifice on quality.

DIY CO2

Are you a DIYer? If you want to just CO2 a try without investing lots of money into a pressurized CO2, this might just be the option for you! Here is the required equipment you’ll need for an effective DIY CO2 setup:

  • • A bottle
  • • Vinyl or silicon tubing
  • • Suction cup
  • • Diffuser
  • • Scissors
  • • Check valve
  • • Sugar
  • • Water
  • • Airstone

Make Sure to Balance Your CO2!

While CO2 is vital to plant growth, please be careful to not overdose CO2. Overdosing will not create better results for your tank! It can also cause your fish and invertebrates to die due to the lack of oxygen. Be sure monitor and maintain your CO2 regularly.

Use drop checkers to inform you of whether your tank if CO2 deficient or has way too much dissolved CO2 in the water. Be sure to always watch your drop checker to prevent too much or too little CO2.

Final Notes on CO2

  • • Set your timer: You can save your CO2 by setting the timer to go off 1 hour before the lights go out. At this point, there will be plenty of CO2 for the last hour of the photoperiod.
  • • Start the CO2 infusion: Be sure to do this 1 hour before the lights come back on. Doing this will ensure that there is plenty of CO2 concentration when the photoperiod starts.
  • • Test your counter: You will have to test your bubble counter and schedule multiple times in order to get the green color on your drop checker.
  • • Experiment with the CO2 levels before you add fish to the tank!: This will prevent any unfortunate death of your fish. One you have achieved your ideal CO2 setup, then it should be safe to add your fish to the aquarium.
  • • Achieve a dark green color: When adding CO2 to your tank, you will want to get a dark green color, not a yellow-green tint.

Make Your Aquatic Plants Happy with CO2

Now that you have some more knowledge of CO2 and the benefits it provides, you are ready to give it a try in your own planted aquarium.

Regardless of whether your plants are high tech or are fine with low lighting, CO2 will benefit either of them. In addition, CO2 needs a proper balance in order to keep your plants, fish, and invertebrates healthy and happy.

Please check out SevenPorts’ CO2 products to get started with introducing CO2 to your new planted aquarium. Contact our team today with any questions you may have.