Newbie Plants

[FoundMoney]

I posted a more complex and drawn out question in the newbie section without much response. I'll try to be more succinct here.

I set up a new tank for the first time a couple of weeks ago. No fish in the tank yet. I bought some plants for it, an anacharis, an amazon sword and an anubius (don't know the specific type). It's a 30 gallon with low, flourescent lighting - two 25 watt bulbs. I put a layer of laterite at the bottom of the gravel.

The anubius seems about dead. I was cleaning algae from the tank and all of the leaves came off. There was a fair amount of algae growth on the leaves and I was trying to get some of it off when the leaves just came out. It was still in the pot with the cotton batting planted in the gravel. I looked at the bottom and the roots still looked alive so I took it out of the pot and planted it back in the gravel with the batting. I don't know if it's going to make it. Is there something else I should do with it?

The sword plant doesn't look all that great either. The leaves are a bit ragged, especially the more mature ones. It seems to be growing new leaves but they are all red. It also has algae growing on it.

The anacharis seems to be growing like crazy. It's got all kinds of new sprouts on the mature stems. I've actually never seen a plant grow so fast.

The tank seems to be growing a large amount of algae. I cleaned a lot of it off the glass and did a water change. It's mostly bright green algae but there were some brown spots and some bluish green algae, especially on the plants. Should I be concerned with the algae? I imagine that eventually I can buy fish that will eat it. I'm looking to create a South American type of environment. Are there any good South American species that eat algae and are hardy enough for a new tank? I was thinking of a bristlenose catfish, if I can find one.

 

[Yenko]

Experiment, see what plants like your tank and stick with them. I tried messing around with all sorts of plants untill I discovered that Java Fern and Moss love my tanks. Don't bother with changing your water chemistry to suit that one plant you must have; just grow what you can and be happy with it. Java Fern aren't my favorites either; but I stick with them because they are much nicer than a half-dead member of another species.

Otocinclus are good alage eaters, but require a mature tank. I'm not sure exactly what they mean by that, but read about them before you buy any. Amano shrimp are more difficult to take care of, but are great alage eaters.

Blue-green alage can be killed by adding Erithromyacin Phosphate, but only do this as a last resort; it destroys benificial bacteria as well. While you are treating your tank (Follow the dosage instructions on whatever product you buy), remove your filter and run it in a bucket of tank water. Wait 3 days after the bluegreen is dead and then do a 50% water change and put the filter back on.

 

[FoundMoney]

Thanks for the advice, Yenko. I don't have any must have plants. My only real criteria is trying to have plants native to South America. Since Anubius is African, I won't be all that disappointed if it doesn't pull through.

I'm not keen on putting medication in the tank but as you say, I'll do it as a last resort. What is the danger of having a little blue-green algae in the tank?

 

[Silly me]

It sound more like a high nitrate or phosphates value in you tank.

the plants you have in your tank are all low light plant and should do well.. but being low light its also slow growing and allows lots of nutrience to used by algae, I would suggest you add some fast growing plant to the tank you minimize amount of avalible nutrience to starve the algae..?

 

[FoundMoney]

Yes, I thought adding more plants would help. Can you suggest some low light plants that are also fast growing? I've actaully already ordered some hornwort and dwarf sag. I think the hornwort will be good against algae from what I've read.

 

[kenneth_kpe]

hornwort is a good fast growing instantly out of control plant but u should get a nitrate test kits to check just to be sure sometimes water changes can do big wonders u know

 

[Silly me]

watersprite.. grows like weeds

best is still to get a nitrate and phosphates test kit to see whats wrong..

 

[vidiots]

Well you have anacharis, which is fast growing, hornwort is faster, but even harder to keep in one place that anacharis. Water Sprite grows a little slower than anacharis, but has one nice feature and that is ROOTs to keep it in place. Of the three I think I like the water sprite the best. The bottom of my 55gal is nearly completely covered with water sprite.

 

[FoundMoney]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll look into some watersprite. Actually, after a good cleaning and adding the hornwort, algae growth really seems to have slowed. Incidently, I have been doing 15% water changes at least once per week.

You're right about buying the test kit for nitrates and phosphates but my LFS told me not to be too concerned about it right now and shyed away from selling me additional kits. The guy I've been dealing with told me to hold off on buying test kits and just to have them check the water for me. Right now he's just concerned with getting the nitrites down so we can add some fish. Algae is a secondary concern, at this point.

 

[reiverix]

Fill your tank with fast growing stem plants. Anacharis, hornwort and water sprite are all good. The key is to get the plants to outcompete the algae. Good fish to help you out are otos and SAEs. I hear bristlenose are good too but I've never kept one. A bunch of amano shrimp can help.

Setting up a newly planted tank often causes algae outbreaks so it's really a case of getting things in balance. But you must know your water parameters, mainly pH, NO3, PO4, KH to get on the right track otherwise you will be plagued for ages.

 

[Aulonochromis]

Aren't you supposed to remove them from the pot? I have heard the rockwool contains alot of nutrients and will cause algae outbreaks.

 

[reiverix]

I do. If I don't know exactly what's going in my tank then it just doesn't go in.