CO2 in planted tank?

Question

How do I put CO2 in a fish tank? Is too much CO2 bad for fish. I have christmas moss, java moss, and moss balls. My java moss is dark green and I want it to be bright green. Will normal gravel work or do I have to change that vto get bright green plants. My java moss also doesn't grow very fast, but I heard it is suppose to.

Answer 1

About 30 ppm (parts per million) of CO2 is dangerous to fish hypercapnic (too much CO2 in the blood).  Really, for mosses, there isn't a need to inject CO2, but if you wish to, I would read this article, especially the part about DIY CO2: http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/...  Java Moss is dark green, and there's very little you can do to make it light green.  Too much light has a tendency to wash out the moss, almost bleaching it.  Java Moss doesn't use the substrate, so don't worry about the gravel.  Java Moss and most other Mosses are VERY slow growers in most all cases, so that isn't a cause for concern.  If you're desperate to get some carbon for the plants, consider Flourish Excel.

Really, I would guess your biggest issue is too little light or improper spectrum, as the Phoenix Moss should at least be showing signs of growth.  Good circulation is best provided with good filtration.

EDIT:  Clearly, the above answer is very uninformed regarding aquatic mosses, as they are VERY well known to not have roots and rely entirely upon the water column for nutrients, NOT the substrate-- putting in a planted substrate would be of no use to your plants.

Answer 2

For mosses you do not necessarily need to have CO2. They are hardy easy to care for plants that are not picky with things like that. Java moss is supposed to be dark green when healthy. Normal gravel works for most plants, but I don't recommend sticking any type of moss in the gravel. Moss balls are the same thing as java moss, just in balls. Try attaching your moss to a piece of driftwood or something by using fishing line or string to tie it on with. Depending on how you care for your plants will determine how fast they will grow. I only suggest to you to use a product called seachem flourish excel, as directed on the bottle, and your plants should thrive. IF however in the future you want to supplement with CO2, for tank smaller than 50 gallons I suggest buying 1 or 2 (depending on size of tank) hagen natural plant systems with a bubble ladder. For anything over this I suggest getting a pressurized CO2 system. You might want to invest in a CO2 tester when using higher outputs of CO2. Too much CO2 can suffocate your fish, so too much CO2 is bad. You also have to remember that CO2 will alter the pH in your tank, and large fluctuations can cause harm to your fish. But all in all I would just use the product I recommended and your plants should do well.

Answer 3

if you aren't useing a special substrate you need to add a couple of firtilizers to the tank one is iron and co2

you can buy them at your local pet store or at www.drsfostersmith.com

follow the directions on the bottle

also if you just put thease into the tank it takes a little time for them to adjust