Carbon in the Aquarium

Carbon is one of the most important elements demanded by your aquatic plants for growth. The no.1 reason for failing to grow aquatic plants is down to lack of carbon.

Many aquatic plants are cultivated emersed by producers. As there is much more co2 in the air than in your aquarium, you can see why it's vital that we provide carbon for your plants to grow and stay healthy. It is especially important if you have medium to high lighting, as with more light becomes a higher demand for nutrients and co2 to fuel the plants growth.

Carbon can be provided by: injecting pressurized Co2 into your water, using a yeast based system, a DIY yeast based system or by Liquid carbon.

Here were going to focus on the latter...Liquid Carbon.

If you cannot afford the initial expense of the Co2 injection kits/regulators/solenoids, liquid carbon is an excellent way of providing Carbon in the aquarium . It's particularly great for smaller aquariums, say smaller than 100L as it can work out to be a cost effective method of supplementing Carbon.

You will have to be prepared to provide a daily dose, however this only takes a matter of seconds and most liquid carbons only require you to dose 1ml per 50L of aquarium water per day. Furthermore, if you miss a day or too (if your away from home for the weekend for example) it's not going to cause any problems, just carry on with your daily dosing when you get back.

So, if your struggling to grow and maintain good health of your aquarium plants, give liquid carbon a go. Nine times out of ten, lack of carbon is the problem that can easily be resolved without burning a hole in your pocket.

At Aquarium Gardens we supply TNC Carbon, at very competitive prices compared to other brands on the market.

Plant of the Week : Java Mos

Looking for an easy grow, low tech plant? Read on... 

The Java Moss, is one of the the most common aquatic moss kept in the aquarium. It it grown by attaching itself onto aquarium hard scape such as wood, rocks, coconut and can even be attached to piece of mess/net to form a carpet or wall of moss.

It grows under many water conditions, light intensity's and high or low tech tanks. Like many plants growth is faster under high light, however Java Moss will grow well under lower lighting, just a little slower. In high light tanks you will find yourself trimming regularly, but if you keep on top of it this plant will look stunning in your aquarium.

When you first introduce Java moss to your aquarium, simply attached strands to hardscape using a piece of cotton. Over time the Java Moss will attach itself.

The plant can be propagated by cutting off overgrown strands and re-attaching to other pieces of hardscape.

Another great thing about Java moss is its ability to grow above the aquarium. If you have pieces of hardscape such as wood that escape the water then Java Moss will in time works its way up out the the water.

One last thing to note is be sure to keep you water clean and free of debris as this can collect and build up within the Java Moss itself, making it look unsightly.

Other than that, give it a go and enjoy this wonderful plant!

Java Moss in cup

Java Moss on Net

Java Moss Attached too...

Java Moss growing on wood:

Java Moss portion loose in cup:

 Java Moss attached to stick:

Short Term Deal - Hemianthus Callitrichoides on wood

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The piece you will receive is around 15cm in length and it will be covered with an established carpet of Hermainthus Callitrichoides.

Under the right conditions this plants will grow quickly and form a carpet along the bottom of your tank. It is often used to create beautiful aquascapes. High light and Co2 is highly recommended for this plant to grow well.

Please note: Driftwood will vary in size & shape, but you will always receive a good size piece. The picture is an EXAMPLE of what you might receive. Each piece will vary but the size is roughly what you see in the picture.

Plant Info:

Name : Hemianthus Callitrichoides

Preferred Ph : 6-8

Temp range : 18-30C

Size : Small carpeting plant

Tank location : Foreground/Carpet

Lighting : High

Aquarium suitability : Demanding fast growing plant. Needs high light and Co2 to grow well. Will grow along the bottom of your substrate, on wood & rocks.

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