Thinking about putting some crypts in my community tank. Which of the above is best? Iād like them to get tall but not go nuts. I understand they are easy to grow. I have sand in this tank. Do they need soil too?
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Yikes! I have several different snails in my tank. Hmmm...I am new to planted tanks but I have some Vallisneria-(jungle Vals) in my planted tank. I planted it in gravel and it had some melt issues but was doing pretty good until my golden mystery snail went on a rampage There is still some left growing, I have not added any chemicals or soil.
Hmmm - mine definitely went on the decline when I reduced the GH in the nano from 12 to 6 degrees. So much so that I have now tossed them. I also increased the surface plants and always thought it was the reduced light that heralded their demise. I do still have some healthy ones in the community tank (0dGH) but these get root tabs, which they never used to, and are not nearly as rampant as when it was a hard water tank.Vallisneria will do better in harder rather than softer water as it needs the calcium. It grows naturally in the rift lakes, so that should tell us something.
Hmmm - mine definitely went on the decline when I reduced the GH in the nano from 12 to 6 degrees. So much so that I have now tossed them. I also increased the surface plants and always thought it was the reduced light that heralded their demise. I do still have some healthy ones in the community tank (0dGH) but these get root tabs, which they never used to, and are not nearly as rampant as when it was a hard water tank.
And yes - they do need plenty of light.
Edit: Now that you menion it I do recall the leaves sometimes looked like they were covered in limescale - which suggests they were indeed taking calcium out of the water. Not in sufficient quanities to reduce the hardness though.
Mystery snails will eat all your plants, mystery snails or apple snails and planted tanks dont mix.My snail got at my jungle val again today. Only 3 left out of 5 and not much is left of them. Had a lot of melt issues too. I have some now floating on top. Will try and band them together again. The snail climbs them and breaks them off or goes after the roots.
Thank you for the information, nerites sound like the way to go. My bother-in-law has a 10 gallon tank with plastic plants sounds like I will be moving them. I also just bought a cork screw val today as a replacement. When I researched snails the mystery snail was rated highly for cleaning tanks. they didn't mention about liking to eat plants. I'm still learning about planted tanks. Never had to worry with plasticMystery snails will eat all your plants, mystery snails or apple snails and planted tanks dont mix.
If you want snails with your plants nerites are the best algae eaters as theyll eat even hair and blackbush algae,wont eat your plants while they clean them, stay small and wont multiply in your tank as they need brackish water to breed. If no nerites get some ramshorns, they come in pink brown and blue and wont eat your plants but multiply and if you mix different colors of snails theyll all breed brownish. Having said that most Vals get really tall but are pretty sturdy and fast growers and send out runners, cork screw Val stays a bit shorter and in my opinion is cooler looking As for Crypts, they grow like weeds for me in all sorts of conditions. Plants get their nutrients from two sources the substrate through roots and through the water column , crypts are mostly root feeders so the more rich the substrate the better the better they will grow as long as their light requirements are met which they do fine in low light, 2watts or less / gallon, though new theory suggests Lumens are more important than watts. Having said that the more watts/lumens the more nutrients the plants will utilize. Its a fine balance. Also crypts generally do better in neutral to hard water as in soft water they tend to melt but ive grown them in both. Hope this helps
Sounds great, as far as Nerites, i have a preference for Olive Nerites, they seem to be a little more hardy than some of the more expensive nerites, like zebras tiger nerites.Thank you for the information, nerites sound like the way to go. My bother-in-law has a 10 gallon tank with plastic plants sounds like I will be moving them. I also just bought a cork screw val today as a replacement. When I researched snails the mystery snail was rated highly for cleaning tanks. they didn't mention about liking to eat plants. I'm still learning about planted tanks. Never had to worry with plastic