# Pogostemon helferi without co2?



## beetea (Jan 27, 2012)

I do not use CO2 (but dose small amounts of excel) and have had great growth. I consider my tank to be moderate light, especially where I've placed the pogostemon helferi. The parts that get the most shade force the the plant to have long, thin leaves, but otherwise, it still grows pretty quickly.

Many of its leaves melted when I first put the plant in there, but after a while it just took off. Like other stem plants, pruning encourages new growth.

It's in the lower right, in the foreground of my tank:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/l...w-tech-tank-show-tell-low-43.html#post1744094

EDIT: Just FYI... I dose about 1/5th of the recommended dosage for Excel.


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## low_techy (Mar 4, 2012)

*Good question!*

Hey snail, good question and one I'm interested to find out too. I'm currently in the process of doing the same thing (PH in a non-carbon enriched tank) and will report back on the findings. I'm about a week in so far and the specimens I have haven't died, but obviously it's early days. :hihi:

Link to my journal below:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals/167798-juwel-rio-240-non-carbon-enriched.html

I'm really keen for folks to share their knowledge with non-carbon enriched tanks so people have a solid experience base on which to decide which route they want to take. I know Tom Barr has some excellent posts on here regarding tanks without CO2 supplementation so PH might be eluded to in one of those possibly. If you do get some let us know how you get on. 

Good luck :icon_wink


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## ItsDubC (Feb 5, 2008)

I had a 10gal NPT w/ a few downoi, and they grew fine. Not terribly fast growth being an NPT, but they fared pretty well w/ no CO2 injection, no water movement, and being partly shaded by floaters.


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## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

Thanks, some great input. I think I will give it a go. 

There are lots of sources saying it grows fine without co2 but they all seem to be from people selling the plant, and I don't really trust sellers. There are also people saying that you must add co2 to grow it. It does seem that it melts easily, rather like crypt, it just doesn't come back so well. I saw it suggested to put half in the tank and keep the other half emersed because it's much easier to grow out of the water, that way you get more chances if it fails the first time in the tank. I think that's what I'll do.



beetea said:


> I do not use CO2 (but dose small amounts of excel) and have had great growth.
> EDIT: Just FYI... I dose about 1/5th of the recommended dosage for Excel.


Interesting, I had read it hates excel, but your reduced dosage probably makes it work cuz it looks happy in your tank.




ItsDubC said:


> I had a 10gal NPT w/ a few downoi, and they grew fine. Not terribly fast growth being an NPT, but they fared pretty well w/ no CO2 injection, no water movement, and being partly shaded by floaters.


 Good to know, I don't mind slow growing as long as it doesn't die . I was also wondering about water movement.


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## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

low_techy said:


> Hey snail, good question and one I'm interested to find out too. I'm currently in the process of doing the same thing (PH in a non-carbon enriched tank) and will report back on the findings. I'm about a week in so far and the specimens I have haven't died, but obviously it's early days. :hihi:
> 
> Link to my journal below:
> 
> ...


I've put your tank build on my watch list so I can see how those plants do for you. I'm planing on dwarf sag too. Vals do well for me with decent light and no co2 as long as you feed the roots well. They seem to go crazy in soil substrates but root tabs work too.


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