New To Plants

[Dunkal]

Hi, I have a juwel 125 litre tank and plant substrate and sand. I bought 3 plants today, Amazon sword, Bacapa caroloniana and Hygrohila corymbosa in plant pots. I removed the plants from the pots and removed some of the cotton wool and put them in the substrate. I have High-Lite light unit including tubes 80cm, 2 x 28 watt hi lighting. What else should I need to mainatain the growth and health of the plants. I havent had any luck i the past as they all seem to die.

 

[aly_starh]

Do you use any ferts or Co2? if not, it could be a possibility, as you have high lighting...

 

[Truck]

The reason you're having no luck is because the tank you have has way too much light over it, I own one too!
You can do either one of two things to avoid needing pressurised CO2, you can limit light to 4 or 5 hours a day, or you can place a reflector upside down on one of the two tubes, which is a bit of a waste of energy really.

I would get your hands on some Easy life easy carbo and some Tropica plant nutrition+ which is available from Fluid sensor online, Easy carbo is a form of liquid carbon and I would dose 5ml's a day, same with the TPN+ which contains Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and traces which, the first 3 being the main 3 (macro's) and the traces (micro's).

 

[Dunkal]

The reason you're having no luck is because the tank you have has way too much light over it, I own one too!
You can do either one of two things to avoid needing pressurised CO2, you can limit light to 4 or 5 hours a day, or you can place a reflector upside down on one of the two tubes, which is a bit of a waste of energy really.

I would get your hands on some Easy life easy carbo and some Tropica plant nutrition+ which is available from Fluid sensor online, Easy carbo is a form of liquid carbon and I would dose 5ml's a day, same with the TPN+ which contains Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and traces which, the first 3 being the main 3 (macro's) and the traces (micro's).

So the best thing to use is Easy life easy carbo and some Tropica plant nutrition+ 5 ml per day?
How much light should I use if I use these 2 products?
Thanks

 

[Truck]

Both products 5ml's a day.
If you use both tubes, then 4 hours a day and no more to start with.
If you block the light from one tube then start at 6 hours.

 

[Dunkal]

I might take out one of the bulbs and put on the lights for 6 hrs a day then?

How do these products work and how they help maintain the plants? I have Vallisneria and it seems to grow even with lights on 10 hrs p/day?

 

[Truck]

The unit only works if both bulbs are inserted.

Easy carbo is a substitute for CO2, The more light you have the faster plants can photosynthesize, which is why they need more CO2, in our aquariums there is a limited amount of CO2 (circa 6PPM) and Ideal levels are 30ppm, to achieve these levels you need some form of pressurised CO2, which normally involves modifying a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. This can be expensive which is why I recommend using Easy life easy carbo which is just as good, but is a lot easier to use.

The same applies with nutrients, the faster a plant photosynthesizes, the more nutrients it needs, which is why dosing is necessary, if you don't dose nutrients, your plants will wither away and become deficient which will eventually lead in death, plants use nutrients to make cell proteins etc.
You don't have to buy TPN+ specifically, you could dose dry salts instead, which are used to make TPN+, it just requires a little more work, and working out.

The scenario here is, the more light you have, the more CO2 and nutrients are required.

The Vallis will only grow for so long before becoming deficient and then dying.

 

[Dunkal]

[Thanks for the info. How will I cover one of the bulbs and what with? Reflector? How do they work and easily fitted?

 

[Truck]

You could use a piece of foil shaped into a small curve that rests on the brace bar, it will just block and reflect some of the light.

Personally I would just limit your light to 4 hours and use both tubes.

 

[Dunkal]

[I am going to buy Easy life easy carbo and some Tropica plant nutrition+ and leave lights on about 4-5 hrs p/day. Can I increase the amount of light after a few weeks?

 

[Truck]

Possibly, you're best off leaving them on for 4 hours for the next few weeks, just to let things settle in. I presume the tank is fully cycled?

 

[Ben M]

hi, i've been thinking, would having loads of floating plant help block out the light, so you could have the light on longer?

just a thought.

cheers

 

[Truck]

hi, i've been thinking, would having loads of floating plant help block out the light, so you could have the light on longer?

just a thought.

cheers

Yes, A good thought that one

Amazon frogbit would be the most effective.

I would still start off at 4 hours though, and then build up over a few weeks.

 

[Dunkal]

I would like to use the lighting for longer so I can see the fish. The fish tank is fully cycled and had it for 2 years with tiger barbs

 

[Truck]

ok, what I would do:

Buy the products I recommended, and dose at the amounts I recommended.
And buy some Amazon frogbit of a member on here, to block out some of the light, It will grow very fast so you can sell on your surplus to fund the ferts.

Run the lighting for 4 hours for the first 2 weeks, then increase by an hour each week until you're up to 8 hours a day.