Am I On The Right Track?

[ebrcknrdg]

You'll get the Laterite or the Tetra Complete Substrate at most online retailers, too. But look around - the prices can vary quite a bit.

Well im now all muddled up. Have read on another thread that you dont need rich substrate like laterite if you havent got high wattage lighting and that root tables and liquid ferts will be sufficient, especially for the types of plants im looking to have. These will inclide anacharis, amazon swrds, hygrophillia and hopefully java fern.

Starting to think i shouldnt have bothered with the co2 at all as it looks as though when it comes to plants you either have be 100% commited with the right substrate, co2 and lighting or you should just not bother.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Well im now all muddled up. Have read on another thread that you dont need rich substrate like laterite if you havent got high wattage lighting and that root tables and liquid ferts will be sufficient, especially for the types of plants im looking to have. These will inclide anacharis, amazon swrds, hygrophillia and hopefully java fern.

Starting to think i shouldnt have bothered with the co2 at all as it looks as though when it comes to plants you either have be 100% commited with the right substrate, co2 and lighting or you should just not bother.

Fortunately, this is not true. It is when you commit to 2WPG that you have to go the full high tech route.

With your tank, assuming you don`t have high light levels, you do not need a fancy substrate. I have three high tech tanks, one with basic inert sand and a little laterite, and the others are ADA Aqua Soil.

Injecting CO2 will benefit your plants, and a couple this with some water column fertilisation or root tabs, and I don`t see why you shouldn`t have a successful planted tank. If you look at the journal section on the planted forum, you will see tanks such as below (thanks lljdma06), which do not even have CO2:

Dave.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Well im now all muddled up. Have read on another thread that you dont need rich substrate like laterite if you havent got high wattage lighting and that root tables and liquid ferts will be sufficient, especially for the types of plants im looking to have. These will inclide anacharis, amazon swrds, hygrophillia and hopefully java fern.

Starting to think i shouldnt have bothered with the co2 at all as it looks as though when it comes to plants you either have be 100% commited with the right substrate, co2 and lighting or you should just not bother.

Fortunately, this is not true. It is when you commit to 2WPG that you have to go the full high tech route.

With your tank, assuming you don`t have high light levels, you do not need a fancy substrate. I have three high tech tanks, one with basic inert sand and a little laterite, and the others are ADA Aqua Soil.

Injecting CO2 will benefit your plants, and a couple this with some water column fertilisation or root tabs, and I don`t see why you shouldn`t have a successful planted tank. If you look at the journal section on the planted forum, you will see tanks such as below (thanks lljdma06), which do not even have CO2:

Dave.

Thats made things a whole lot clearer thanx Dave. I shall just puchase root tabs and liquid ferts then and see how i go. Just got to find some ammonia now. Am going to my local city tomorrow to look in the large Boots and the aquatic shop there . Heres hoping

 

[vinylman]

Try ringing somewhere like B&Q or Homebase to see if they stock Ammonia. Bear in mind it has to be the kind that doesn't foam up when you shake it.