Free Plants, But No Experience

[kribensis12]

I was offerd some plants for free today by my Biology teacher ( he teachers freshman Bio , but i stopped by to say hi after school). Well, i took them. I have no idea what they are, and how to take care of them. I have had plants before, but they ALWAYS die. Theese ones were in a 2.5 gallon tank, no fish, with a flourescent bulb, and no fertilizers, and they have been flourshing and multiplying. So, cant be that hard to take care of them, right? Here are some pic's, identification would be nice, and tip's on care would be WONDERFUL!

( Theese are floating around in my 30g for now)

( Planted theese in my 30g fry tank)

( Some weird moss, just tied it to some wood!)

 

[nosoup4you]

Methinks it's Anacharis, Vallisneria, and some type of moss lol.

 

[kribensis12]

Are they something easily killed?

 

[nosoup4you]

Anacharis and Vallis are fairly easy...dunno on the moss.

 

[kribensis12]

I just dont want them to die. I think they look nice in my tanks

 

[aaronnorth]

The first plant (Elodea densa) is virtually impossible to be killed.

the main problem i think you have is the low plant mass. Algae could easily strike and the plants may not do well. aim for at least 75% substrate coverage. Then dose a fertiliser weekly.

 

[kribensis12]

What do you mean, low plant mass? I didnt know if i should treat with Fertilizer, as i didnt want Algae to be all over the place. The tank the plants plants are in has algae. I scrub it ever water change to get rid of it( idk y there is so much algae, i feed the fry BBS, no flakes or anything)

 

[nosoup4you]

He means that you should cram that sucker full 'o' plants...the plants will take up the nutrients that the algae need to thrive.

 

[kribensis12]

I cant affford plants. So does that mean that all the ones in this tank will die?

 

[Truck]

no, you will be fighting algae. even bunched plants, like vallis, or fast growers, will help keep algae at bay

 

[kribensis12]

Will Fert's make the algae grow fast?

 

[Truck]

yes theyll feed the algae

 

[nosoup4you]

Will Fert's make the algae grow fast?

Unless it is well planted as Aaron suggests...as I said before, the plants will take up the nutrients making them unavailable to the algae.

 

[kribensis12]

So, dont use Fertilizers?

 

[Truck]

well if you did use ferts you will feed the algae and it will reproduce, but if you dose, easy carbo and TPN+ you will kill the algae (most anyway, its an algaecide) and do your plants some good at the same time.