Many factors play a part in developing a thriving aquarium, and CO2 is one of the most important elements in a planted aquarium. Without CO2, plants would not be as vibrant and healthy. Along with proper lighting and nutrients to promote proper photosynthesis, CO2 is an essential part of maintaining plant life. During photosynthesis, plants consume CO2 and certain macro and micro elements to produce simple sugars. Plants require carbon dioxide to produce the food they need to grow, a byproduct of this process being oxygen. When plants become unhealthy, fish can also become unhealthy, leading to a loss in plant and fish life.
When one of these elements is missing, plant growth comes to a standstill. The macro elements are Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and CO2. These are considered macro elements due to the fact that plants consume greater quantities of these elements. Micro elements would be mainly heavy metals, such as Boron, Iron, Manganese, etc. These elements are consumed on a much lower scale, making them micro nutrients.
There are three different types of CO2 supplementation. These are manual, semi-automatic, and automatic CO2 systems. SevenPorts offers many different options for adding CO2 to your tank regimen. You can add CO2 to a planted aquarium in many ways. We offer kits ranging from novice to advanced setups. We also offer various devices, such as a CO2 bubble counter or CO2 inline bubble counter, that can quantify how much CO2 is being emitted into your aquarium, as well as cartridges, regulators, airline tubing, and glass diffusers. In addition to carbon dioxide supplementation systems, certain plants can be added to tanks to naturally boost carbon dioxide levels. Some of these are Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Microsorum, Bolbitis, and various mosses.
Aquarium maintenance may seem overwhelming, but don’t be discouraged! Starting off small with a few plants to see how they adapt to their conditions and how you need to care for them will help gain knowledge and see what works for your own aquarium design. With these simple and easy to use systems, you can get the most out of your planted aquarium. By using one of our many options, you will be able to boost plant growth with simple to use products and devices, and regularly maintain your CO2 systems to grow vibrant and healthy plants.