is co2 a must for planted aquariums?

No, like you do not need turbo for a car. But some prefer it.

hinoone66 said:

do i have to have co2 set up to grow plants in my aquarium

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My answer is no.

Your answer may be different after some reading:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=26458

Hi hinoone66,
CO2 is not a necessity for all plant types, but if I wanted to grow certain plant types that required higher light levels then CO2 became a necessity. I started with DIY CO2 (sugar and yeast) but after several months I went with the tank and regulator.

Welcome to APC!

Injected C02 is not needed if you keep the wattage low (1.5-2wpg), however the plants will benifit from the addition of a carbon source such as Seachem Excel.

hinoone66 said:

do i have to have co2 set up to grow plants in my aquarium

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CO2 injection is not needed. Not only that, if you inject CO2 but do not dose other nutrients, you are creating problems down the road. See:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?p=426094#poststop