# Thoughts On Liquid Co2



## Wasserpest

If they are referring to carbon source like Seachem Excel then yes/no, it is an easy method and doesn't have a high startup cost, but on the long run it can get expensive, you need to dose it daily for best results, and CO2 is still a bit better.

If they are indeed talking about liquid CO2, well that can't be dosed easily since it is only liquid under high pressure. Basically what we do with pressurized CO2 tanks, regulator, needle valve and high startup cost.


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## tuffgong

I dose my 55g, 35g, and 10g daily with Metricide 14. I think I paid around $17 for a gallon bottle and I have barely put a dent in it after using it for about 2 months.

IME liquid carbon and liquid ferts are very viable options as long as you know where to get them from at good prices.

Did you go to Aquarium Depot?


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## gringostar9

Right now I am using Florine Axis, 6 drops a day. I also use Excel once a week, during a water change. I have a 55 gallon tank with the plants only on the right 1/2 of it. My tank has been set up for 2 weeks, and i have aprox 3 wpg. This is my 1st real effort, In the past i just threw plants in and they would die 2 weeks later and id get new ones. I don't have the money to get a co2 system, but i can afford the 7 bucks a bottle that will last aprox 3 months. My tank is looking great right now, with some new micro sward grassing growing in, and the amazon sward is sprouting new stalks. The tank is not completely cycled yet, but it will be in the next week or so. Everything seems to be going well and i want to keep it that way. So will those 2 products suffice for a while until i can save up the cash, and is there any thing else i should look into getting. I also add Flourish Iron twice a week. Im doing all of this by the recommendation of the guy at my local fish store.

PS. Wasserpest your tanks are beautiful... 
http://www.brightwellaquatics.com/products/florinaxis.php


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## captain_bu

3 wpg of what type of light? Excel or metricide works fairly well if the light level is kept moderate. 3 wpg sounds too high for Excel unless it is T8 or T12 lighting.

New plants usually do well due to having an ample supply of stored nutrients. If you do not supply balanced nutrients (macros and micros) and carbon for the lighting level you have the plants will eventually run out of stored nutrients and start to stunt. Weak plants are more susceptible to algae.

So, unless your 3 wpg of light is coming from T8 or T12 bulbs I think you need to get serious about a comprehensive dosing regime (including carbon). I am not familiar with Florine Axis but am guessing that your tank will do much better if you invest in dry ferts and dose EI style. $20 or so should get you at least a years supply of dry ferts. There is a "Dosing Regimes" sticky at the top of the Fertilizers and Water Parameters forum, suggest you read through it if you haven't already.

People who work at the LFS are usually nice but rarely a good source of info about how to keep a planted tank. You will find much better advice here. Lots of helpful people and if you learn to use the search feature you can find lots of great info in the archives.


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## gringostar9

This is the light im using - 
http://www.aquariumguys.com/aqualightfresh.html
I went out and got Excel, and Flourish. I have Iron that i add twice a week. I'm headed back to the store today to get root tabs for the Amazon swards. What else should i get?
I will read that forum now. I'm new to the lingo so what does EI mean?


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## captain_bu

A 65 watt PC bulb over a 55 gallon tank is not 3 wpg, it is only a little over one. 

I use Excel as a carbon source in one of my tanks. It is a 50 gallon long with 130 watts of PC light over it. So, you should be okay with Excel as a carbon source. I use EI dosing on this tank at half strength.

Flourish is mainly micronutrients. If you read up on EI dosing (Estimative Index) and decide to try it you can use Flourish instead of CSM+B.

Swords are heavy root feeders so root tabs under them is a good idea. If you have stem plants in the tank too they may do better if you also dose nutrients into the water column. Plants (including swords) will take nutrients from wherever they can get them but by using either root tabs or a nutrient rich substrate (like ADA aquasoil, mineralized topsoil) in addition to water column dosing the plants will have multiple sources to draw from.


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## gringostar9

Ok Great... Thanks for the info.. The light is only over 1/2 of the tank where i keep my plants. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/yourtanks/yt_4646e.jpg My LFS has a good amount of products available so im going to look and see what they have. Should i pick up Potassium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus, to add as my Macros, and keep using the Flourish as my micro? The Axis is basically the same thing as Excel, a bioavailable carbon source. I add 6 drops a day (bottle recommended) and i use Excel every 3 days for additional carbon. Im sure my substrate right now is giving the plants plenty of nutrients, i have them in a little over 2 inches of this 
http://www.aquariumguys.com/eco-complate-plant-substrate-20lb.html


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## captain_bu

If the Axis is like Excel then yes pick up Potassium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus. Since you are adding substrate ferts the liquids will be a good backup. Seachem and Fertz are both good brands, follow the directions on the bottle.

I would add Excel every day. It has an active life of only 24 hrs. once in the tank. Beside helping plants grow by adding some carbon it helps to kill or prevent certain types of algae. You could also alternate with the Axis for now until the Axis is used up. Without knowing what is in Axis I can't comment on whether it is also an algaecide in addition to a carbon source. I can vouch that Excel is a good product.


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## gringostar9

I grabbed a bottle of each today and read the instructions, seems straight forward. I also grabbed Flourish Tabs for my swards. Do those disintegrate or do i have to find them and pull them out after 3 months? With that light fixture only over 1 side of the tank what kind of WPG do you think i'm looking at? there is also a standard 15w light on that side as well. 
Here is my dosing idea. Excel and Axis every morning.
NPK every Sunday after my water change then again Tuesday and Friday.
Dose Flourish and Iron Sunday and Wednesday. 
How is that for a plan?


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## Hoppy

The tank is 20 inches high, so the lights are probably 18-20 inches above the substrate. The PC fixture is likely giving you low light, and the T8 fixture is adding enough to possibly raise that to low medium intensity. But for "watts per gallon" you have 65+15 = 80 watts over 55 gallons or 1.45 watts per gallon, which means exactly nothing.


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## gringostar9

you still calculate for the whole tank even though the light is directly over 1/2 of the tank? And is this enough for all the plants i have on that side?


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## Hoppy

It is best not to worry about watts per gallon. Instead, look at the charts on: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html

The plants should grow, but slowly, with low medium light.


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## gringostar9

Ok... Got ya. Thanks for all the Info, this site had been a huge help.


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