How was CO2 delivered to aquariums before small cylinders become available?
Amano: I tried a variety of things. I tried even fermenting a kippered herring in a bottle, which produced CO2. I cultured bacteria to produce CO2. I added dry ice to a tank, too. Nothing worked well. While experimenting with this and that, I happened to look at soda that I ordered at a pub. So I got a few bottles of them from the pub, took them home, and poured them into my aquarium at home. Lo and behold, aquatic plants started pearling big time. Aqua Journal: Ah, the aquatic plants must have started photosynthesizing. Amano: I was quite moved. You know, the value of adding CO2to an aquarium was being questioned at that time. There was no evidence until just then. After that, the room got full of empty soda bottles in no time (laugh.) I did the same to 180 cm aquarium. I added four to five bottles a day. It got too costly, and I gave it up as well. Then I came up with a CO2 generator. Aqua Journal: CO2 generator? What kind of thing was it? Amano: If you add dilute hydrochloric acid o
