Substrate

[OohFeeshy]

No idea, the water is fairly hard though. Conversely the last time I had swords they didn't no enormously well, but it was so long ago and in my old tank that I can't put water conditions/ferts/lack of down as a cause. I've never used any form of ferts and I've been fine with crypts, lillies, hygro, moss, anubias.

 

[steve...c]

i only use gravel and my plants are doing great!

What plants do you use?

Only problem with using ecocomplete under the gravel is when you come to cleaning the gravel, putting ur gravel vac into the gravel may try suck the eco complete through.

i only have 3 plants at the mo (some sort of echinodorus, cabomba and athernanthera reineckii) but they are growing at a rapid rate, ive also orderd some online which are to come this week for a tenner from java-plants ive copyied and pasted the list:

5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Pygmy Chain Sword
5 x Cabomba Aquatica
5 x Vallis Corkscrew sml
5 x Sagittaria Subulta

I'm curious steve, do you know your KH and GH values (or if not then whether your local water is generally hard or soft?)

Same question goes out to you too Oohfeeshy, if you see this. I have swords that do great with root feeding but I've got a crypt that hangs on but does not flourish, I've always chalked it up to my soft, acid water but maybe I should trying the poor guy a root tab...

~~waterdrop~~

hi waterdrop, i dont know what my KH is at the mo, but i do have a test kit for it and will do one in the morning for you.

 

[waterdrop]

No idea, the water is fairly hard though. Conversely the last time I had swords they didn't no enormously well, but it was so long ago and in my old tank that I can't put water conditions/ferts/lack of down as a cause. I've never used any form of ferts and I've been fine with crypts, lillies, hygro, moss, anubias.

Just tends to confirm my suspicion that crypts like a little more GH. WD