Re-Planting My Aquarium Project

[Twinklecaz]

Hi,

When I first started my tank last year, it was planted with mainly Amazon Swords and also a couple of other Crypts and some Cambomba.

Late last year/earlier this year, despite dosing TPN+ and East Carbo every day, one by one all my plants started to look awful until eventually pretty much all the leaves looked like this:



Deciding the grass was greener on the other side (ha) I decided to ditch all of my live plants and get silk ones. They looked lovely..........for about 10 days. Now I am so sick of how dirty they get, I'm getting black algae problems and I also miss the natural look and health of a planted tank.

SO, I've decided to re plant and as I'm off work this week think this is probably a good time. I basically need help with 2 things:

1. I need to work out what I did wrong before to avoid it happening again and:

2. Although I liked the Amazon Swords, once they grew up I don't think they suited my tank. I think they were too big if that makes sense? My tank is only 60L so I'd like tips on plants that will help me create a nice planted look but also so it has depth without looking.......like it doesn't fit? I'd also quite like to carpet it and I like the idea of it looking like grass if anyone has any tips on that too?


Finally, I do have a few plants in my 20L Betta tank that I actually bought in an emergency but this one seems to be doing very well and I like the look of it (the leafy one). Can anyone tell me what it is?





Important details:

Tank size: 60 L
PH: 7.4 (ish)
KH: 3
GH: 7
Lighting: 8 hours a day, 1 Sun-glow 15w T8 bulb
Stocking: 2 Platys, 7 Green Neons, 6 Sparkling Gourami and 6/7 Pygmy Corys
Will be dosing with TPN+, Easy Carbo and anything else people advise me to use lol.


Long post I know sorry but would really appreciate some help.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Well as you have quite low lighting I'd suggest a Riccia carpet using some plastic mesh, plants wise you will need anything that doesn't require a lot of light, such as Crypts, most of the Echinodorus family, Anubias and a few others you could get away with like Bacopa, Vallis and Microsorum. Also most mosses are good for your lighting levels, depending on how well planted you want it, depends on whether your going to need to dose CO2 and ferts, but from the sound of it your going for a carpet so I'm guessing you want it pretty full so a little fert and CO2 wont hurt if you have good flow. What filter are you using?

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hi, thanks. I have the Fluval U2 internal.

 

[Duz]

I tried to get a carpet in my tank, then I released that although it's possible the shops don't always have those types of plants in. I am still looking for a carpet type plant (e.g. williow moss) but in the mean time I am using some old small plants from before I decided to change my aquarium. So long as you use small plants, cut them up and spread them out so there a few cm apart and it might help. Thats what I'm doing and although it isn't an amazing look like proper aquascaped carpets, it still gives the same sort of vibe, until you actually find the right type of plant

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah our range round here is rubbish and the quality isn't that good. When I decide what I'm getting I'll most probably order online.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Or look in the plants section for sale also, the U2 should do it for flow, just make sure you use the middle outlet not the top or bottom one and that should give plenty of current to get the flow good.

 

[StandbySetting]

If you want a carpet I'd recommend Java moss, it takes some time to grow in but it works well and looks good when it's grown in, here's one I grew, it took about 6 weeks to fill in properly:

If you want depth I'd recommend Microsorum pteropus, it's quite a rigid and easy plant to grow, as well as Anubias and Crypts.

I'd start off at 6 hours of light a day, see how things go, the fish alone should provide adequate nutrients, and the air that dissolves into the water should provide ample CO2, the algae you pictured is generally a result of poor flow, if possible could you get a small powerhead to boost circulation? Or an external filter would be good, one with a high flow rate and spray bar, and then you have the added benefit of less equipment in the tank.

I'd recommend an online retailer such as aqua essentials for plants, you can't go wrong with their aqua essentials range, half the price of Tropica plants, but the quality is just as good, they may be a little pricey compared to your average plants, but the specimens you receive are much better than your average stuff.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks, that's very helpful. When you say the fish alone should give enough nutrients do you just mean at first? I like the look of that carpet so I may go for that. How would I attach a powerhead? My tank's in my bedroom so I can't have anything noisy.

Does anyone know what the leafy plant is?

 

[StandbySetting]

The fish will provide nutrients all the time, they provide most of the nitrogen in the form of ammonia during osmoregulation and from excretion, phosphorous and some potassium will also come from the feces, as will traces, plus your water will include some of the trace metals that plants require.

Power heads normally adhere with suction cups or magnets, for a tank that size I'd recommend a Koralia nano, only if you encounter any algae problems though.

As for the plant I'm not sure.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks for your help everyone. In the end I got:

Bacopa Amplexicaulis
Vallisneria Spiralis
Echinodorus Rosea (love this one, like Amazon Sword but more compact)
Lysimachia Nummularia 'aurea'
Cryptocoryne Amicorum
Microsorm Pteropus already attached to a peice of bogwood (thanks for the tip on this StandbySetting).

What do we all think? They all seem ok so far.

Oh and also I have a fair bit of Cabomba coming from Ebay!