Got a high-powered LED? Then there's a good chance you're not using all the light it's putting out.
At normal atmospheric CO2 levels, your plants can only process so much light before photosynthesis flatlines.
Anything above that ceiling isn't wasted exactly, it's just sat there doing nothing, while your electric meter keeps spinning.
Buy any LED and add a TNB Enhancer CO2 Canister for just £17.49, 50% off.
The science, kept simple.
At standard atmospheric CO2 (around 400ppm), photosynthesis tends to saturate at roughly 1,000 µmol/m²/s of light (PPFD). Push more light than that onto your canopy without extra CO2, and your plants physically can't use it. You've paid for the wattage, but you're not getting the growth back.
Here's what that looks like on some of our own fixtures, spread across their recommended footprint:
Add CO2 into the mix and that ceiling shifts up. Your plants can suddenly make use of the light they were previously ignoring, which means the wattage you're already paying for finally earns its keep.
Getting the best from your TNB canister
A few things to get right, and you'll get a lot more from every canister:
- Turn your extraction down. Full-speed extraction pulls your CO2 straight out of the tent before your plants get a look at it. Drop it to the minimum needed to control heat and humidity.
- Position it just above the canopy. CO2 is heavier than air, so it naturally sinks. Hang your canister just above the top of your plants and it'll settle down through the canopy, exactly where you want it.
- Activate it an hour after lights-on. This is when your plants are working hardest and using the most CO2.
- Give it a shake once a day. Keeps production ticking over and gets you the full 2-3 weeks per canister.
An added bonus: more heat, less bother
Higher CO2 doesn't just lift your light ceiling, it also raises the temperature your plants can comfortably handle. That gives you more breathing room with a hot-running LED, and a bit more slack if your tent runs warm in summer.
Fast release vs slow release, and why it matters here
Not all natural CO2 works the same way, and it's worth knowing the difference.
TNB Enhancer canisters are fast-release. Once activated with water, they start producing CO2 within the hour and deliver a proper working level for 2-3 weeks, timed to when your lights are on and your plants are actually using it.
Exhale-style bags are slow-release. They produce CO2 continuously, low and steady, around the clock for months at a time. Great for a gentle, hands-off top-up, but not designed to push levels high enough to unlock the extra PPFD a high-powered LED is putting out.
Buy any LED. Add a TNB Enhancer Canister for £17.49. Stop paying for light your plants can't use.