Amano Article In Tfk Magazine

Jen

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I got a subscription to Tropical Fish Hobbyist for christmas this year, and this issue has another article by Amano called "Light Demanding Plants in the Nature Aquariums"

Here is the article. I did it pretty much word for word, which took me far longer than expected. lol. It was good though, as I do pick things up better if I read them and write it out again later. I found a few of his statemnts to be different from my own practice, but all in all, it's very similar to what most of us here are doing anyway. It's a good read, so enjoy!



"Although there are many types of aquatic plants athat are used for an aquatic plant layout, they can all be divided in 2 general categories, light-demanding and shade-loving plants, based on their environmental requirements. This month, we will examine the best way to grow beautiful light-demanding plants.
Light-demanding plants are those that grow healthy in a bright environment, such as stem plants and Riccia. To grow them well, first of all we must prepare a suitable environment for these plants. This is not any kind of specialized environment outside the parameters of the standard Nature Aquarium set up – if you have the substrate, filtration, lighting and CO2 that I have discussed in recent issues, you should have no problems.

Lighting
The adequate brightness of lighting depends on the size of an aquarium. Let me explain this using 2 theoretical aquariums that are standard sizes in Japan. The first is a L60 x D30 x H36cm holding about 60 liters (or 24 x 12 x 14 inch tank with 17 gallons). The second tank is L90 x D45 x H45cm holding 180 liters (or 36 x 18 x 18inches and 50 gallons.
Four 20-watt standard fluorescent bulbs are adequately bright enough for a 60 cm tank. In recent times, 2 36-watt compact fluorescent bulbs are another option that is also available. For a 90 cm tank, either 6 32-watt standard or a 150-watt metal halide bulb is used.
In the case of a metal halide lamp, since strong light comes from a single point source, the light intensity over the four corners is different. To improve this situation, 2 36-watt compact fluorescent bulbs are occasionally used to tether. This combination provides optimum brightness for the entire tank.
These examples use the lighting fixtures available readily in Japan. Although the situation may be different in other countries, I believe that the above information can be used as a reference for creating a bright environment for aquatic plants
If the light is not sufficient, developmental problems may occur depending on the type of plant. Riccia, hair grass and Echindorous tenellus barely grow if the lighting is insufficient. The internodes of stem plants become elongated and terminal buds and stems become thin. In the case of red plants, the red colour dulls and, depending on the type of plant, the leaves may turn green. The runners of Glosso start to grow upwards instead of sideways. If these symptoms show up, it is quite possible that the light is not sufficient.

CO2
After ensuring the light will be bright enough for the tank, the next thing to confirm is CO2 injection. Light-demanding plants grow healthy and beautiful through vigorous photosynthesis. To encourage them to do so actively, strong light alone will not be sufficient. An appropriate level of CO2 must also be supplied.
We must keep in mind that the amount of CO2 to add to the tank is not always based on the volume of there tank, but instead on the volume of plants. Since light-demanding plants grow relatively fast, the CO2 level are quickly depleted if kept at the same injection level as when the layout was first created.
If the injection amount becomes insufficient, plants stop producing O2 bubbles, the pH swings toward alkaline, and growth becomes poor. To prevent this, the CO2 injection volume needs to be increased and attention paid to the photosynthesis level of the plants and the pH. When the CO2 injection volume climbs too high, the pH may become to acidic.
The CO2 volume is adequate if the pH is slightly alkaline (between 7.2 and 7.6) just before the light comes on, and becomes more neutral or slightly acidic (between 6.6 and 6.8 ) four to five hours after the lights come on. Care must be given not to let the CO2 volume to become excessive, since it not only decreases the pH, but it can cause the fish and filter bacteria to become asphyxiated. And aquarium should be sufficiently aerated while the lights are off and plants stop using CO2, and release it instead.

Fertilizers
When lighting and CO2 are adequate, light-demanding plants grow well with the addition of liquid fertilizers. Fast-growing plants absorb nutrients actively and therefore require a relativity large amount of nutrients the nutritional status inside an aquarium varies depending on the nutrients places in the substrate and the number of fish it houses.
If sufficient nutrient rich substrate materials are used, the nutrients leaching into tank should be enough at the beginning. If the nutrients become depleted as time passes, or the plants grow quickly, addition of liquid fertilizers is beneficial.
Which type of fertilizer you use depends on the condition of your tank and plants. Since nitrogen and phosphorus are supplied from left over food and waste in tanks where fish are kept, any addition of a fertilizer containing these elements causes and overabundance of these nutrients and may trigger algae to proliferate. For this reason, a fertilizer containing mainly potassium and trace elements (especially iron) is more commonly used. However, some plants such as Riccia and Glosso may deplete nitrogen and phosphorus supplies in some cases, since they grow rapidly and take up a large amount of nutrients. If the colour of their leaves turns generally lighter, it is a warning sign. Adding a broad-spectrum fertilizer that contains both nitrogen and phosphorus will improve this condition.

Trimming
As long as the above conditions are met, it is not difficult to grow light demanding plants. On the contrary, it is their fast growing and prolific growth that will become an issue. Their volume increases over a short period of time, and if not contained they fill up the open space of a layout and end up destroying the composition. If leaves grow overly dense, the condition of the lower parts of the plants where the light does not reach becomes poor, and the leaves will eventually die and melt away. Riccia floats up, and stem plants dislodge from the substrate.
To avoid these problems and maintain a layout over a long period of time, it becomes necessary to trim plants and re-pants the cuttings. Glosso and Riccia that are used in the foreground are trimmed in the same matter as stems. The key point is to leave a thin layer of these plants horizontally across the substrate. Trimming scissors with curved blades makes it easy to cut in a parallel with the substrate.
While trimming Glosso or Riccia, you may find the lower parts of the plants are melting away. If it’s Glosso, you can replant the healthy parts of the plants. For Riccia, you can tie them to a small plant.
After trimming and replanting, fast growing light-demanding plants will quickly grow back to their originally luxuriant form."
 
Any chance you can scan it ?
 
I don't have a scanner. It's only 2 pages long, and with the pictures in it, there isn't a lot of typing, so more than likely (as I hate sumarizing) I will just type the whole thing out. I have a few things to get to before I will have a chance, but I will try to do it tonight.
 
I keep meaning to subscribe to TFH but never get around to dedicating the funds to it. Shame because it's a nice magazine/ Amano has an article in there every issue btw. :D
 
Amano has an article in there every issue btw. :D
If only we had quality planted articles in UK fishkeeping mags. :/

Practical Fishkeeping is the UK's bestseller and is running a planted article series at the moment.

Unfortunately the author appears to be stuck in the last century and insists that nitrates and phosphates are the planted tanks sworn enemy. No wonder that in the UK the hobby is so far behind the US and other countries. He hasn't even mentioned decent fluorescent lighting, he uses Mercury Vapour - how relevant is that to most of us?!!

At least I, and other hobbyists are doing our bit here on TFF to spread the word.

Rant over!
 
At least I, and other hobbyists are doing our bit here on TFF to spread the word.

Rant over!

If you're up for a business venture, it sounds like there's a market for it over in the UK.... start a new aqua-magazine...
 
I keep meaning to subscribe to TFH but never get around to dedicating the funds to it. Shame because it's a nice magazine/ Amano has an article in there every issue btw. :D

Great mag, just got that issue. Pseud, they just had a Christmas special (2 for 1) that we split w/ a friend...$28 (USD) for two entire year's subscriptions (wife got me one subscription, and our local LFS paid us $14 for the other).

v/r, N-A
 
about that aqua magazine, you could do an online one...

I think you're allowed to link to other websites

I may be up to contributing to a task such as this. I have a bunch of webspace not being used.
 
Amano has an article in there every issue btw. :D
If only we had quality planted articles in UK fishkeeping mags. :/

Practical Fishkeeping is the UK's bestseller and is running a planted article series at the moment.

Unfortunately the author appears to be stuck in the last century and insists that nitrates and phosphates are the planted tanks sworn enemy. No wonder that in the UK the hobby is so far behind the US and other countries. He hasn't even mentioned decent fluorescent lighting, he uses Mercury Vapour - how relevant is that to most of us?!!

At least I, and other hobbyists are doing our bit here on TFF to spread the word.

Rant over!

yep i keep reading those dam things and jeff is really throwing me off track. because of those articles i'm trying an experiment.

i've just put rowaphos back in my juwel tanks but am still going to dose nitrate to 10ppm, i think phosphate has been causing my algae problems what with the plec, angel and other poo machines mine aren't typical planted tanks when it comes to the bioload. i've come to the conclusion that adding phosphate through ei and having lots of rotting matter on the substrate (under the plants etc..) has overloaded the phosphate level and thrown the balance.

i'll keep you all posted with the results. things are looking better so far 5 days in..
 

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