Plants for my 55

[Tempestuousfury]

I put in two amazon swords and two other types (still have to figure out the name).
What else should I put in there? I want fast growth and reproduction under somewhat low (shop-light type light) but long light.

My swords have holes and brown leaves. Should I prune them or will they heal?

 

[Lateral Line]

The holes and tatters in your swords will not repair, if they are unsightly, I'd trim them off. Swords are pretty tough, and will shoot again even if there is just the crown left.

Many Crypts and certainly Anubias sp. will work in lower light, however, you should be aware that light is the driving force behind photosynthesis which plants use to feed themselves basically - thus in lower lighting regimes - most plants will only grow slowly.

If by "long light" you mean the lights will be on more than 12 hours or so - then you may be causing more problems. The vast majority of plants need dark periods to respire and exchange waste metabolites - by denying them this, you will again impact growth.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

10-12 hrs. a day. But that's just the tank light...
And what should I have as a subtrate? I didn't but sand underneath the gravel...

 

[knutty]

you can see my sig for the plants in my 55. i think amazon sword is a great starter plant. you can prune them over and voer and new leaves always sprout. i have had tremendous luck with moneywort and anacharis. having anacharis around will keep the fish that eat plants away from the rest and it grows so fast that it keeps up with the nibblers. anubias can be great too, but seems to catch a little more algae on its leaves. i keep my lights on for 12-13 horus a day, but they are 110 watt power compacts. keep a watchfull eye, when u bring in the plants, u bring in the snails and algae. i do not introduce any extra CO2 but i think i am almost in need of it.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I should try the anacharis and anubias, and I'm sure Petsmart carries the moneywort. I just have to figure out how many watts the bulb is...

Of course, I always wash the plants and remove any snails and/or eggs that I find when I feel the leaves.

For pruning amazons, how much do I prune off in case of holes and browning?

I trimmed some of the other plants I have w/ my nails, yet they have nylon-like threads growing out from where I pruned it. Is this growth or decay?

 

[Lateral Line]

It is always better to prune plants, (any plants not just aquarium plants), with a sharp knife/scissors. Crushing stems etc. with blunt tools/fingernails simply causes damage which will rot.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I thought so. I probably got it mixed up w/ one of the books I read. It said that it was better to pick a fish off the group using your nails rather than squishing him b/c his tail would grow back.

Where exactly do I prune it? (Where the brown ends? The hole leaf? The stem?)

 

[knutty]

i prine mine down as far as i can get on the stem. it will peel out of the crown like a celery stalk. if you can do that without damaging the rest of the crown i say go for that. the sloer i get, the better results i get.

 

[Lateral Line]

Yeah, low.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Ok. I just wanted to make sure that pruning it low wouldn't be detrimental for the plants.

Where exactly is the "crown?" What does it look like?

 

[knutty]

that crown area is at the base of the sword where the stem flattens out and turns into a bushy mess of roots and stalks. u will see it.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Ok. I know what you're saying. That far down, huh? Wow! (the closest emoticon to "astonished"? Is there a "disapproving" one?)