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My planted tank maintains a CO2 level of 30+ ppm (using KH/pH method of calculation). The standard in the hobby nowadays seems to be 30 ppm, because some research suggests that 30ppm is all that the plants are able to use.
My question, then, is why do plants pearl/stream far more heavily after a water change for a few hours, even in a tank with 30+ ppm CO2? My tapwater is saturated with CO2. If 30 ppm is the maximum usable by plants, why do they seem to produce more O2 (implying more growth) at levels that exceed 30 ppm, even temporarily?
My question, then, is why do plants pearl/stream far more heavily after a water change for a few hours, even in a tank with 30+ ppm CO2? My tapwater is saturated with CO2. If 30 ppm is the maximum usable by plants, why do they seem to produce more O2 (implying more growth) at levels that exceed 30 ppm, even temporarily?
