Plant Life

[SJ2K]

Personly id change the gravel to either sand or a specific planting substrate. How large are the individual gravel pieces?

 

[Wrams]

Personly id change the gravel to either sand or a specific planting substrate. How large are the individual gravel pieces?

Ummm, a couple of mil, its the tiny gravel so not like my father used to have when i was young the standard size gravel. If i replace it with sand what sand do i use and how would i take the gravel out of a tank thats running with fish in it?

 

[SJ2K]

Ok well if the gravels quite fine then you can probably plant it np In which case, leave it as it is and get yourself some root tabs to feed plant roots

 

[Wrams]

Ok, thank you for all your help...I'm now off to the shops to get this stuff now. Only problem is my wife is coming with me so will be alot longer than usual.

 

[Wrams]

I went to the LFS and bought some live plants and black sand...However when i put the black sand in i didn't like it so covered it in my old gravel which i washed with my old tank water. I wanted the Java moss but no-where had any..So now i'll have to wait.

 

[OldMan47]

What plants did you bring home? Some cannot be safely planted in the substrate. Among those that have rhisomes that need to be kept above the substrate are two common low light plants. They are anubias and java fern. For those you tie the crown of the plant to a piece of driftwood or something similar with some fishing line. The roots will grow down to meet the gravel and you won't end up with a dead plant. This mistake could be another reason you heard people talking about losing plants in 4 weeks.

 

[Wrams]

What plants did you bring home? Some cannot be safely planted in the substrate. Among those that have rhisomes that need to be kept above the substrate are two common low light plants. They are anubias and java fern. For those you tie the crown of the plant to a piece of driftwood or something similar with some fishing line. The roots will grow down to meet the gravel and you won't end up with a dead plant. This mistake could be another reason you heard people talking about losing plants in 4 weeks.

Thats the 2 plants and the Java Moss that was out of stock. The 4-6 weeks where like you said marsh plants...I went to pets at home and looked and also asked the guy there. Today i went to an aquarium shop. The guy told me he'll have the plants in question on thursday this week. But thanks for telling me or i would of planted them like the rest. I also bought some root tablets and fertilizer but they sold out of the daily fertilizers so that i will pick up on thursday aswell..I do have the weekly one so atleast there getting there nutriants. Do i plant the Java Moss the same way as Java Ferns?

Also the plants i bought home where: Crypts and Valisneria and Horwort, the Horwort was very small as it was there last 1, the leaves where nice and green thought but like i said very small.

Also would Bogwood be ok to tie the plants to?

 

[OldMan47]

Bogwood would be fine to tie java fern or anubias to. Hornwort does not need to be planted but you can stick an end of it in the gravel if you want to. The valisneria is not really low light but it might survive in your light, it will make use of the root tablets. Crytocoryne is mostly a water column feeder but can use nutrients from the roots. Don't go crazy with fertilizers. Some of the best long term growth that I have seen in low light situations is just making use of the fertilizer that the fish provide with their wastes. I dose mine occasionally with trace elements only but the main fertilizer in my low light tanks comes from the fish.

 

[Wrams]

Bogwood would be fine to tie java fern or anubias to. Hornwort does not need to be planted but you can stick an end of it in the gravel if you want to. The valisneria is not really low light but it might survive in your light, it will make use of the root tablets. Crytocoryne is mostly a water column feeder but can use nutrients from the roots. Don't go crazy with fertilizers. Some of the best long term growth that I have seen in low light situations is just making use of the fertilizer that the fish provide with their wastes. I dose mine occasionally with trace elements only but the main fertilizer in my low light tanks comes from the fish.

How often would you put your fertilizer in your low light tanks? I have the weekly 1 which says 2 5ml capfuls for every 35gl, i put 4 capfuls in ealier but if they survive on fish waste then even better. Would you suggest 2 capfuls a week and fish waste? Also i've just gone out to check on my tank and the cloudyness is really bad now, the water is almost like full fat milk. I have an external filter Fluval 105 which covers tanks from 60L-125L but it doesn't seem to be clearing it and its been like this for a few days. I did a 25% WC today and that didn't do anything to the water clarity.

 

[OldMan47]

I would cut back to no more than 1 a week rather than the 2.5. That way if the plants don't use it all, you won't poison your fish. If the cloudiness goes away and the plants are growing well, you might have found a good balance. If the cloudiness does not clear, I would stop dosing entirely for a week or two and see if that helps. I have never had enough ferts in my tank to cause any cloudiness.

 

[Wrams]

I would cut back to no more than 1 a week rather than the 2.5. That way if the plants don't use it all, you won't poison your fish. If the cloudiness goes away and the plants are growing well, you might have found a good balance. If the cloudiness does not clear, I would stop dosing entirely for a week or two and see if that helps. I have never had enough ferts in my tank to cause any cloudiness.

Its the first time i've put plants into my tank and used fertilizers which was today.