Aquascape : Balancing Aquarium-CO2 levels, Aquarium lights and Aquarium-plants nutrients.

Higher intensity of aquarium lights makes fish tank plants need more nutrients & CO2 to grow faster. On the contrary, if low intensity of aquarium lights is combined with high CO2 levels, plants can't have good photosynthesis, leaving unused CO2 and producing less Oxygen. This is a very dangerous situation for bacteria, fish and other organisms. To keep Aquarium lights & CO2 in balance, first, you must know your freshwater aquarium plants' lighting-need.

Low-light plants type such as Anubias, Bolbitis, Cryptocoryne and Microsorium are quite easy to handle. They don't need much light and CO2.

High-light plants type such as Rotala, Cabomba, Red Ludwigia and some Echinodorus can only grow well in high intensity light and high CO2 level. If you mixed both types, put High-light plants type directly under the aquarium lights and Low-light plants type in a shaded area.

Now, how to dose nutrients? After you know the lighting needs for your fish tank plants, you should also consider the plants' density in your planted aquarium.

Basically, high-light plants have a higher growth-rate, they need more nutrients & CO2. On the contrary, low-light plants have a slower growth-rate and need a moderate dose of nutrients & CO2. Of course, more density of freshwater aquarium plants needs more nutrients to thrive and grow lush.

How to know the exact dose for your planted aquarium? Only by trial, an aquarist will understand the planted aquarium ecology and find the right nutrient balance which surely will change from time to time. At first, you can try the prescribed dosage at the bottle's label, then adjust it until you find the right balance.

In aquascape, healthy plants' growth must be nourished without harming fishes or disrupting natural processes. Avoid regular fertilizers!, choose plant nutrients that are safe and deliver vital trace elements (such as Boron, Cobalt, Manganese, Zinc, Rubidium, etc) and minerals (such as Potassium, Iron, etc), the aids in CO2 processing or buffering.

Please read our articles about aquarium lights and fish supplies before choosing your aquarium devices such as an aquarium CO2 system. See you in our next articles.