Limitation in plant species in Non-CO2 tanks

I think light is more important to plants than CO2, although at high light levels carbon injection and dosing are necessities.

Tom can grow just about any plant at any lighting or CO2 level.

Bill

 

Tom,

This is the first post I've made in this forum but have spent quite some time reading it. First thank you for this resource.

Now my question if I was to dose non limiting ferts, and non limiting light in order to try to grow these plants in my low tech aquarium wouldn't I encourage algae growth by having Co2 the limiting factor. I'm starting off with hard to kill plants but wanted to know for future reference.

I will admit I am a complete novice at this as I am just starting my first tank period. It will be a 75 gallon low tech with the fert mix you suggested in your low tech post.

After reading your low tech post I was curious if I could leave my ferts and lights at low tech levels and add some small amounts of excel for carbon and as a form of algecide. I was thinking maybe half the recommended dosage. I like the idea of maximum growth with minimal water changes. Maybe I'm completely off base. Any comments on that? I would test this myself but haven't even recieved my plants yet.

Not to be a pest but I have one more question that I have been unable to clearly find an answer to. It seems elementary so maybe that why it doesn't get discussed. When cycling a heavy planted low tech tank are many water changes needed during the cycling process? I noticed in hi tech planted tanks many people do frequent and large water changes during cycling but not much has been said about cycling a low tech.

Sorry for the length of the post, and thank you again for the resource.

Crazymidwesterner

 

I think I can answer one question and comment on another: water changes are not needed to cycle a heavily planted tank. The plants consume the ammonia as fast as it shows up in a heavily planted tank, so you don't have to worry about cycling the tank at all. But, if you use ADA aquasoil as a substrate it pays to do some water changes in the beginning because that substrate releases a lot of ammonia into the water initially.

The comment is: we very rarely will have a non-light limited tank. In fact it is likely that all of our tanks are light limited. Sunlight is far more intense than our best lights. Our goal it to make sure it is always the light that is the limiting factor in plant growth, not a nutrient. However, having the same conditions in the tank day after day is more important than having CO2 be non-limiting, as far as algae is concerned. Algae are more likely to start growing as a result of changes in tank conditions than as a result of a constant tank condition. That is how I interpret what I have been reading here for several months now.

 

Thank You

Okay so stability via minimal water changes in my low tech is the way to go. That's what I was getting from what I was reading but a little reassurance helps alot. I can't wait until my plants come in!!! This is exciting.

VaughnH

That's also what I was deducing from the forum. Light should always be our limiting factor. Most nutrients don't cause algae however too much light or the above, instability, does. Fantastic. Thank you both.