Co2 Grown Plants Into Non Co2 Tank

Die back? Minimal to none. I do it all the time (1 co2 tank, 5 non co2). Haven't had any co2 vs non co2 issues.

Depending on the plant and what it was doing in your co2 tank, you will have more issues with changing light, substrate, etc, then you will lack of carbon. That may manifest itself in different leaf shape, color, size. There are exceptions of course, and specifically not talking crypts here, as they tend to die back by just sneezing on them, lol!

The stems in this picture of my fairly new 3gal betta bowl setup (no co2) are from my co2 tank. Light is pretty strong for this size "tank" and full spectrum. They've been in there long enough to grow from half way up the water column to the surface.



Here's another bowl, that's been up for well over a year, where I just throw stems in from my co2 tank and let them float. I see more differences in leaf growth in here than I do in my other tanks. I'm attributing most of that to the very cheap, and weak, led desk lamp being used.

 

I moved Luwidgea repens from my high tech tank to my zero tech shrimp bowl, and the growth is stunt but healthy. The bowl receives afternoon sunlight from the window. At the peak of sunlight, CO2 is estimated to be 0.1 ppm as reflected by pH rise from 7.4 to 8.8 in kH4 water. Low light Anubias and Java fern did worst and wouldn’t even survive. My situation is not the norm as I moved plants from high tech to extreme high light, CO2 limited situation.

It’s not my personal experience, but I’ve read that aquarists experienced bba outbreak after running out of CO2 for a few days. But I’ve never seen bba in my shrimp bowl after transfer of plants from high tech to zero tech, but my shrimp bowl is a special situation.

 

Interesting...

How did you get to that 0.1ppm number? The equation I see as being the "latest" gives a slightly different answer.

Not that those equations/charts are a good depictions of co2 concentrations as they have to assume many things which aren't necessarily true in real aquariums.

And that's crazy that you are seeing a 1.4 increase in pH! I may have to place one of my bowls out into the sun and see what happens.

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The 1.4 rise of pH is not crazy, as it has been observed in natural and eutrophic lakes in high noon due to CO2 depletion from photosynthesis.

The 0.1 ppm is a rough estimate due to interference from other non carbonic acid and imprecision of measuring kH and pH. but it is indicative of CO2 limitation.

 

Hmm...

I am curious how you got to that number? If you don't want to divulge that info, that's ok. I was just curious as it did not coincide with what I was getting.

And crazy is a relative term I guess, lol!

I kind of find this facinating and was actually serious about putting one of my tanks (bowls really) out in the sun. Probably put 3 of them out there. See what happens with different kh, substrate, plant mixes. Atleast those are the parameters I can adjust the easiest.

Can you tell me what substrate you have in that tank that gets the 1.4ph rise? I'm assuming 4kh, atleast 4Gh and heavily planted?

Thanks
Paul

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I used rotalabutterfly calculator to figure out the CO2 concentration.

https://www.rotalabutterfly.com/co2-ph-calculator.php

Entering pH 8.8 and kH4, I got 0.2 ppm CO2, or pH 9 for 0.1 ppm. The value is at best accurate to + 0.1 ppm due to imprecision of reading pH and kH. I haven't checked for gH but likely in the 8 ranch from past readings

I use organic garden soil covered with gravel in my shrimp bowls, and planted with floaters and dwarf hair grass or Sag. I hanged them by my west facing window that receive several hours afternoon sunlight. Diurnal temp and pH fluctuation is huge due to direct sunlight.