In the previous article we have discussed the importance of CO2 fertilization.  We also have discussed the methods on how to dissolve the CO2 in the water.  But where can we get CO2 if the commercial CO2 are not locally available?  There are 3 other ways on how to fertilize the aquarium with CO2.  Though it cannot really replace the effectiveness of the commercial pressurized CO2 tanks, still it is better than nothing at all.

Liquid CO2 Fertilization

Liquid CO2 is not entirely pure CO2 in liqiud form.  It is a chemical that can provide carbon source for plants in the water.  Best example of this Seachem Excel Flourish. Seachem Excel may not be readily available in local fish stores.  It’ll take you as far as ebay or even importing it from other countries.  Seachem and other liquid CO2 is quite effective in nano tanks, however it proves to be costly when applied in huge tanks.  Some aquatic plants doesn’t respond well on liquid CO2.  So make sure you do your research if you are going to apply this method. In general application, this prevents other algae as well.

CO2 Tablet

Manufacturers like Azoo came up with hassle free in terms of dosing and applying carbon source in the water.  They came up with CO2 tablets.  The tablet dissolves in the water and along with it the carbon source.  However, the effectivity of this in real application is still questionable.  I have used this method in 3 months and have not seen noticeable improvements in plant growths.  Aside from this, it is more costly than liquid CO2.

Do it yourself CO2

This method is the best replacement for a commercial CO2 tanks.  All you need to do is to mix baking soda and yeast with sugar.   The logic behind this is that, the yeast will eat sugar and since yeast is an organism, it produces CO2.  You have to mix them in a bottle that can withstand pressure like coke bottles and gatorade bottles.  The problem with this is that, it can last for an average of 7-10 days only then you have to do the mix again.  This method proves to be the cheapest but with the rising prices of sugar in the market nowadays, in the long run, the pressurized CO2 tanks will still be cheaper.