CO2 supplementation for tropical fishtank

[garcia]

How big a difference does CO2 supplementation make to a heavily planted tropical fishtank? Can I scrape by without it or is it crucial to lush growth? Thanks.

[sft42]

Firstly, the most common cause of plant death in beginners' tanks is inappropriate lighting. This is much more common than inadequate fertilization, since fish wastes are in some cases enough to supply nutrients to the roots; lighting is an important limiting factor before fertilization and CO2 considerations. All depends on exactly how heavily planted the tanks are and also how important the plants are to you.....If they are there as a secondary attraction to the fish and you're not overly fussy then you can get away without it....but if you want to make the plants their best or are going for a dutch aquarium with fewer fish then it, along with fertilization, is a big help....for more info on cheap CO2 systems and how they work try these links:

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/co2-ferm.html

http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-co2.html

http://www.wcf.com/co2iron/

http://www.hallman.org/plant/booth1.html

Hope that info helps!