Got The Difficult Bit Done, But Dont Know The Easy!

[Rorie]

Some of you may know already, but I have a high tech set up – ADA substrate, CO2, ferts etc etc.

Well, I am seeing loads of really cheap plants on ebay, and I am thinking I could plant my small 90L tank. But, on a much simpler level, and I need help!

I have a sand substrate, 2x18W lights (Its an Aquastyle 620T) no CO2. So, if I plant this it will have to be low light (?) plants? Do I need to add anything to my substrate? I guess I still need to add ferts?

Thanks

 

[KittyKat]

Any undemanding plants would be fine as well as some "medium demand" plants from Tropica's lists. I grow mine without CO[sub]2[/sub] and basically no fertilisation, in bog standart gravel/sand. This hi-tech stuff (and by that I mean bright lighting, CO[sub]2[/sub] and any fertilisation over fish crap and water changes) is relatively new, whereas planted aquariums are not.

Most tap water already contains trace minerals, etc, and nitrate, so that is where those come from (alongside the fish crap). CO[sub]2[/sub] is present in the air, so that will go into the water, with good surface movement, to replace what the plants use up.

You can add anything you like, or nothing at all.. it is completely up to you. There aren't any "rules" or anything like that Do keep in mind that increase of fertilisers will eventually demand increase in CO[sub]2[/sub] and lighting, of course.

 

[Rorie]

Agreed! But, if i have a sand substrate, i want to keep it low in volume to save ammonia building up.... but will the plants be able to root?

I see a lot of plant pellet type things that i can add to the substrate....are these needed?

Is there any need for me to put in a base substrate under my gravel (if i change from sand back to gravel).

 

[KittyKat]

But, if i have a sand substrate, i want to keep it low in volume to save ammonia building up.... but will the plants be able to root?

As long as they don't get pulled up, plants will root in anything. On the other hand, I used to have a 2-4 inch sand bed without problems: it just needs to be stirred occasionally, and I keept MTS in it too.

I see a lot of plant pellet type things that i can add to the substrate....are these needed?

No, but I use a 0-0-20 ones, which provides minerals and so on for the plants, when I can remember. Some plants like swords, Crypts and P. helferi benefit from them quite a lot, I find. They don't seem to effect stem plants very much though.

Is there any need for me to put in a base substrate under my gravel (if i change from sand back to gravel).

I have never used a base layer under anything.

 

[Rorie]

Thanes great, thanks. Thought that may be the case, but double checking is good!

Thanks!