Plant Selection - What Would You Do ?

[justin85]

Hi all,

I am in the process of setting up a 60L planted tank and would like to get your advice on what plants you would pick in the selected area's in the photo below.

The tank will be high tech setup with custom made LED lights (by Ps3Steveo) pressurised Co2 and ferts (depending on the plant list I choose)

look forward to your replys and feedback

 

[justin85]

Here's one idea I was thinking of doing.

Sections:

1: Hemianthus callitrichoides

2: Lilaeopsis mauritiana

3: Heteranthera zosterifolia

4: Nesaea crassicaulis

 

[Chad]

I personally like the choices and think the layout idea is a good one. I've been trying to find some Heteranthera zosterifolia here locally but can't get my hands on it. This is one of my favorite plants to look at and also a great one for micro fish as they love to hide in it. I just got some Nesaea for my little tank and it's such a nice plant, nice and tall.

So, for me I really like the plant selection.

The only thought I have is that your rock work might get lost a bit. They are such nice rocks that I would hate to see them become too subtle.

 

[justin85]

I personally like the choices and think the layout idea is a good one. I've been trying to find some Heteranthera zosterifolia here locally but can't get my hands on it. This is one of my favorite plants to look at and also a great one for micro fish as they love to hide in it. I just got some Nesaea for my little tank and it's such a nice plant, nice and tall.

So, for me I really like the plant selection.

The only thought I have is that your rock work might get lost a bit. They are such nice rocks that I would hate to see them become too subtle.

Thanks for your reply, the Heteranthera zosterifolia option isn't a cheap one but looks stunning and is relatively easy plant to grow which for the background plants is what I want really so I can focus on the carpet plant. I have got a bag of them rocks, there really nice but small and wanted to use them so kinda just put them out there even tho like you said, will probably disappear once the carpet grows around them. I might have a go at raising them up a little higher some how to try and keep them in sight.

 

[Chad]

It's worth the cost for that plant in my opinion.

If you have enough of the rocks perhaps just stacking them would get enough of them above the low growth plants to make them show up more.

Over all I really like it.

Will the tank have C02?

 

[justin85]

Yes, will run pressurised Co2 plus ferts (Ada bright k and Ada green 1 + 2) the LEDs should give me about 3wpg so hopefully the plants grow very well. I will have a go at stacking the rock a little higher tomorrow and see how it looks.
Originally I wanted this scape to be all dragon rock as iv got loads of the stuff, but after a whole day I couldn't put a scape together I liked, just couldn't get the right balence. I had that redmoor root come with a 240l tank I purchased so thought I might as well try it and it worked out ok (so far) lol

 

[Chad]

I like dragon rock a lot but I think what you have in there goes well with the wood you have chosen better than dragon rock would have.

When it comes to aquascasping I feel like Michelangelo did. He said the sculptures were already in rock and all he did was find the one that was in there and let it out. I think it's like that sometimes. Two rocks just "know" how they should fit together, or a plant, or in the case of my reef a coral, just knows where it wants to be to look best. Your dragon rock just knew it didn't belong in there.

 

[justin85]

That's a very good way of liking at it especially if your trying to make it look natural.

Thought I would add to this to get some feedback is the substrate has been used in another tank then dried which means it will have lost most of its nutrients, I am thinking about buying some ADA powders to put under the substrate to try and give it a boost ( Clear super, Turmaline Bc, Bactor 100, Penac-P, Penac-W) any thoughts if this will help ?

 

[Chad]

I will have to defer that to someone else. I haven't used the ADA powders so I don't feel comfortable commenting on them. I will say that if you use nutrient poor substrate you do want something to boost it but if the ADA powders are the best choice I can't say. I tend to like a nutrient rich substrate to start a tank and then supplement later with fertilizers.

 

[SO19Firearms]

( Clear super, Turmaline Bc, Bactor 100, Penac-P, Penac-W) any thoughts if this will help ?

Alot of money to grow green weeds.....Osmocote would be cheaper

 

[justin85]

Me to, but I am on a budget for this tank. Ideally I would go for a full ada substrate with the powders power sand and substrate but that would set me back over £100+ which I just can't afford at the moment. I am considering buying a small bag just to top it up, but I don't want to cut corners as well, I want to get the best out of the tank/scape and plants as I can.

 

[justin85]

( Clear super, Turmaline Bc, Bactor 100, Penac-P, Penac-W) any thoughts if this will help ?

Alot of money to grow green weeds.....Osmocote would be cheaper

Iv actually got a place I can get the powder for next to nothing. Wouldn't pay full price for them ! At least not for a 60l project anyways.

 

[SO19Firearms]

If it's next to nothing it's about the right price.
I'm sure when Tom Barr asked Amano why he sold these things he replied with something like - The marketing department said we should....

 

[Chad]

But the question isn't price so much as does it work? If it doesn't work what's wrong with it?

 

[SO19Firearms]

But the question isn't price so much as does it work? If it doesn't work what's wrong with it?

I've not tested them, but I can presume that on the whole they work. Bacteria in the substrate will do various tasks, but the same bacteria may appear over time anyway. We sell these types of products (substantially cheaper) for high value crop production, but I'd still ask myself if they're needed to grow plants in a box.
You don't see many using hormone rooting powder on cuttings, it's not needed as they'll feed in the water column...you could sell it tho and say it stimulates root production. The same way as you could sell phosphorous solubilising bacteria and say it may help with problems like calcium phosphate or Iron phosphate if you mix your macro's and traces....well yes it might, but does it matter if you're dosing again tomorrow?

There's an aquarium plant food chelated with fulvic acid which in itself is quite clever and even a good idea, untill you see the price and ask yourself is it worth it?

N+P+K+Trace+Carbon <---that will grow stuff.