[MonopolyBag]

I want to get more into growing aquarium plants. I want to set up a system, having a number of 10 gallon aquariums (I have about 20 plus) set up, probably more like 6-8 10 gallon aquariums, all hooked up on the same system, each aquarium growing a few different plants. I want to hook up CO2 of course, I was wondering if I could put CO2 directly into the sump and have that work for all of the aquariums? And if I did this, cover each top? Or leave open? I know when covering dust becomes and issue with lighting, but would keep CO2 in better I think.

And would the plants do better if I designated one 10 gallon for a few fish? Or just simply dosed tanks and fertilized?

Any thoughts.

I was going to have them all run into one sump, get heated there, then back up into tanks.

Plants I wanted to do would be Java ferns, java moss, riccia, Christmas moss, A number of other variations of Java Fern, a number of different sword species, maybe some crypts, and a few other odd balls. But basically stick with easy to grow plants. I also wanted to do some duck weed, butterfly fern, and fairy fern (I think its called, another floating plant) And maybe some sort of grasses.

 

[Chris Noto]

MB, if you are distributing water from the sump to your tanks in parallel, that is, directly from the sump to each tank and back, then adding CO2 at the sump should work fine.

On the other hand, if you are distributing water serially, that is, from the sump to Tank 1, from Tank 1 to Tank 2... to Tank 10 back to the sump, then you will have a significantly higher level of CO2 at Tank 1 than at Tank 10, and your plant growth will vary, perhaps significantly, between tanks.

 

[MonopolyBag]

Makes perfectly good sense. Any other suggestions? I feel that maybe the CO2 will not be enough? Or may be to much and too hard to control?

 

[SnyperP]

Will all of your tank be plant grow outs? If not, how many will be designated for this use? If it is a small portion, maybe 5-6, a splitter with individual CO2 diffusers in that tank would work. I'm just worried that the water will be cycled out of the tank too fast for it to be effective. Usually, we see a high turn over in planted tanks, but this water is confined to one tank. We normally see constantly CO2 bubbles swirling in the tank. Will this water that had CO2 stay in the tank long enough for the plants to utilize it before it's rushed off to the next tank?

It might be simplier to setup an small array of grow out tanks on it's own deticated system.

 

[MonopolyBag]

I am going to do grow out plants, a system designated to it, then fish on separate system. I like the idea of splitting the airline tubing. top like 8 tanks. Think this would work, that idea didnt even cross my mind. lol thanks!