Co2. When did we start diffusing it into our tanks?

So something Ive been wondering for a while.
I've been keeping fish and growing (basic) aquatic plants for quite a while now but its only been in the last 3 years that Ive heard about adding co2 into a aquarium. Infact most people I know who have kept fish could not imagine a keeping a aquarium without a airpump to get the co2 out! I have quite a few(older) books on the subject and only one of the books on aquarium plants I have discusses various ways of diffusing co2 (including keeping steel tanks of it)but stated that it was quite impractical and that the most practical way was just by keeping fish in the planted aquarium. Now almost every company catalog has a co2 kit of one type or another on offer. So When did it all start? Who came up with the idea and when did we all catch on?
As everybody including myself is doing it

 

hmm interesting question. I am not sure but I think when we got exposed to the amano stile tanks that is when it started. @Sean J what do you think?

 

I read a story once, I'm not sure if it's true or not, but if untrue it's a good origin myth anyway. Takashi Amano walks into a bar, and he sees bottles of carbonated water... (link)

 

Thanks for the link @PsyXe Now I know who actually thought it was practical As @dash said. Despite other authers(of my books anyway) saying it was impractical.
Ok so @butcherman has given me 6 years. I think most people on this forum most dedicated to fish keeping have gone DIY in the beggining.

 

It all starts with a good DIY, but DIY is messy, stinky and a pain. So one moves on to Pressurised. Yes, it's more expensive initially, but the pain free nature of it is magnificent.

It all started many years ago. A Japanese man who found a love for planted aquariums. Soda Water was the first Co2 "injection". Later pressurised became the norm.

Once you have used Co2 for plant growth, you will never go back.

I have been using pressurised Co2 for about 7 - 8 years... Even for low tech tanks, or what people deem to be low tech, I would still use Co2. Plants need Co2 in order to survive. So why would you not supply them with it? Even if it is at very low levels, they do better with Co2 than without.

 

Does adding co2 not make it "high tech" by the general defenition? What makes your tanks low tech then?

 

In my opinion, a low tech tank is a slow growing tank. Plants like anubias, Java ferns, mosses, crypts etc are all classed as easy, or low tech plants. So tanks that are dominated by these plants are therefore "low tech".

Adding co2 to keep the plants alive and thriving should not be deemed low tech at all. That's just my opinion. You can add diy co2 or pressurized. It makes no difference. Pressurized is just way easier.