Questions On Planted Tanks

[Fowlersrs]

Firstly sorry in advance if it seems im invading this forum with posts but ive simply got so much to ask lol, anyway here goes.

* Supercoley mentioned in my other post a different brand of nutrients to be dosing under the name of Ei, what are these, where can I get them and does anyone have any articles, guides on the routines mentioned?

*Is it true you shouldnt add any nutrients until a good 3 weeks has passed and your plants have established themselves, im using root tabs so surely this will be the kick start they need, but when does dosing begin?

*Secondly, are plants in any way like corals of the marine world where they can physically sting each other, therefore potentially limiting my planting too close too each other and having to research very carefully? or is this not an issue, I dont think it is but id like to check, I would think more of an issue is a taller, stronger plant outgrowing the one next to it and starving it of light?

* Is it possible to make riccia grow on verticle walls? I would like to carpet the back wall of my nano with it as its much more appealing than a black background!!

*last but not least, I want to add a couple of bottom dwellers to really get the bioligical side of the tank kick started, can anyone recommend some of the hardier smaller species which seem to be a firm favourite in planted tanks? clown loaches for me get too big so I would like something that preferably doesnt get as big but still has the appeal of this very fish as I do like them.

im sure there are more q's to come but il keep them to this thread now, sorry.

 

[aaronnorth]

Estimative Index (EI)

You dont have to stick to the dosing regime given on that link, it can be changed to suit your needs.

Most pople who are really into plants dont do fishless cycles, they usually fill the tank with 75% or more substrate coverage and fast growing stems so that they can use the ammonia produced by the fish and then go lightly on the dosing as they do not need as much. But anyhow 3weeks is too long.

There is "allelopathy" where different plants release cetain chemicals which can cause problems for other plants and algae, however i am not a firm beleiver of this.

I suppose a riccia wall could be made, it is only like other mosses.

Corydoras specie are the ideal bottom dwellers in a planted tank. I think almost all Cory species that are coommonly sold are hardy but just check in the Corydoras section.

 

[Fowlersrs]

Thanks aaron your help has been very informative.. just one more..

My water at present has quite a cloudy white look too it, is this due to an excess in calcium perhaps? would this have been caused by the tropic marin re min ive been using with my RO water perhaps?

any ideas, and if so, how do I bring it down, change some water with pure ro with no re min in it?

 

[SuperColey1]

On the Riccia wall thing I would say that due to Riccia's love of light and very fast growing nature that it would end up being incredibly thick toward the top and then nearly dead at the bottom.

The cloudy water on a newly setup tank could be any number of things from the substrate settling down, to bacterial bloom etc.

AC

 

[Fowlersrs]

up pops another one, yesterday I was planting my first 4 plants that came in little pots with foam wrapped around the roots and a clay ring in the bottom presumably to help weigh them down. now I took the foam and plant out and just planted foam and all in the substrate discarding the pot and the clay ring....

is this the right way or should I of just put the plant in and discarded the foam aswell? the foam wont prevent the roots from growing will it?

thanks

as for the cloudy water coley, is a bacterial bloom a bad thing?

 

[aaronnorth]

Bacterial Blooms

Remove the foam from the plants.