Not for plants, but for the entire tank or rather the biological systems and process that occur in our tanks.
I have been dealing with cyanobacteria for some time now even after multiple Erythro treatments, copious amounts of manual removal and pretty much everything else short if calling an Arapaho rainmaker in to chant my bacteria problems away.
Through many messages with another hobbiest I started thinking about the adverse effects longer exposure to high levels of co2 concentration could cause with the bio activity or as I have been thinking, the immune system of a planted tank. This was after she commented on how in the slides of bacteria she was looking through she found it odd that there was practically no presence of the gram- bacteria that inhabit our tanks and are responsible for pretty much keeping it healthy. Before anyone says 'well that's because you have Ben dosing antibiotics in the tank (erythromycin)'. These forms (pretty much all the gram- bacteria) are extremely resistant to erythro and that's why it's not a problem to use it in our tanks.
Since the gram+/- bacteria that live in an aquatic system all need to be present in certain numbers to break down (for simplicity sake) ammonia into more useful/efficient complexes. In my mind it would stand to reason that if something (too much co2) disrupted the populations of these bacteria enough the tank could get sick (have a very stubborn and resilient cyanobacteria infection).
I have always tried to put as much co2 into my tanks as the fauna could handle. This tank I'm having this cyano problem in has no fauna to limit my co2 injection. I'm certain though that no fish could live in this tank because if the co2 levels. Now this may be part me having lots of co2 in the tank part bad drop checker design but in this tank I still have a pretty yellow drop checker in the morning when I come to work. That is 13 hours after the gas is turned off the night before. I also have decent surface agitation in this and all my tanks (co2 or not) as I have seen/read/exoeriebced the benefits of good o2 exchange. Since this idea came to light I have the gas turning off two hours earlier (6pm) now and of course there is no scientific data here but to me there is less cyano in the tank. Before if I went 5 days with out sucking as much as I could out if the tank with my gravel vacuums siphon hose iTunes cyano was thick and very prominent. Now (after lessening co2 injection by 2 hours) I would say that the cyano has lessened by 20%-30%.
I have lots of great pics taken through a microscope of the bacterias in my tank and if anyone wants to see them I'll post them up.
So I thought I would let you guys ponder this and let me know what your thoughts are.
I have been dealing with cyanobacteria for some time now even after multiple Erythro treatments, copious amounts of manual removal and pretty much everything else short if calling an Arapaho rainmaker in to chant my bacteria problems away.
Through many messages with another hobbiest I started thinking about the adverse effects longer exposure to high levels of co2 concentration could cause with the bio activity or as I have been thinking, the immune system of a planted tank. This was after she commented on how in the slides of bacteria she was looking through she found it odd that there was practically no presence of the gram- bacteria that inhabit our tanks and are responsible for pretty much keeping it healthy. Before anyone says 'well that's because you have Ben dosing antibiotics in the tank (erythromycin)'. These forms (pretty much all the gram- bacteria) are extremely resistant to erythro and that's why it's not a problem to use it in our tanks.
Since the gram+/- bacteria that live in an aquatic system all need to be present in certain numbers to break down (for simplicity sake) ammonia into more useful/efficient complexes. In my mind it would stand to reason that if something (too much co2) disrupted the populations of these bacteria enough the tank could get sick (have a very stubborn and resilient cyanobacteria infection).
I have always tried to put as much co2 into my tanks as the fauna could handle. This tank I'm having this cyano problem in has no fauna to limit my co2 injection. I'm certain though that no fish could live in this tank because if the co2 levels. Now this may be part me having lots of co2 in the tank part bad drop checker design but in this tank I still have a pretty yellow drop checker in the morning when I come to work. That is 13 hours after the gas is turned off the night before. I also have decent surface agitation in this and all my tanks (co2 or not) as I have seen/read/exoeriebced the benefits of good o2 exchange. Since this idea came to light I have the gas turning off two hours earlier (6pm) now and of course there is no scientific data here but to me there is less cyano in the tank. Before if I went 5 days with out sucking as much as I could out if the tank with my gravel vacuums siphon hose iTunes cyano was thick and very prominent. Now (after lessening co2 injection by 2 hours) I would say that the cyano has lessened by 20%-30%.
I have lots of great pics taken through a microscope of the bacterias in my tank and if anyone wants to see them I'll post them up.
So I thought I would let you guys ponder this and let me know what your thoughts are.