To Laterite Or Not?

[Underwurlde]

Hello,

I have decided that natural plants are the way to go to get the best out of my little fish tank (and now you're all thinking: no sh*t Sherlock)....

So I have added 3 plants to my tank, an Amazon Sword, Red Rubin & a Cabomba.

Now, being an arse-about-face newbie who has been put on this planet to ask stupid & inane questions of this forum, my stupid & inane question is this:

I have just placed in plants in my tank still in the pots they came in. I have no CO2 (married with sprogs you see, utterly skint). I'm guessing that plopping them into the gravel at the bottom of my tank is not good enough and that I need something other than gravel in my tank... Any thoughts on adding Laterite (sp?) or is simply adding fertilizers OK (and if so which type of fertilizer & how often..)

Sorry about this...


Andy

 

[Kentfish]

Hello,

I have decided that natural plants are the way to go to get the best out of my little fish tank (and now you're all thinking: no sh*t Sherlock)....

So I have added 3 plants to my tank, an Amazon Sword, Red Rubin & a Cabomba.

Now, being an arse-about-face newbie who has been put on this planet to ask stupid & inane questions of this forum, my stupid & inane question is this:

I have just placed in plants in my tank still in the pots they came in. I have no CO2 (married with sprogs you see, utterly skint). I'm guessing that plopping them into the gravel at the bottom of my tank is not good enough and that I need something other than gravel in my tank... Any thoughts on adding Laterite (sp?) or is simply adding fertilizers OK (and if so which type of fertilizer & how often..)

Sorry about this...


Andy

Hi Andy,

It's not a stupid or inane question, it's a bloody good one!

I started out like that too and kept plants in the pots with no CO2 or substrate. The hardier ones survived but did not grow much and were blackened with Algae. The plants you mention will do the same I'm afraid and the Red Rubin will almost certainly die quite quickly.

I tried many fertilizers and found eSHa Cryptoplus and eSHa Pro-phyll to be the best by far. They can be difficult to track down but is out there and worth the search. If used alone they will make a difference but not as much as you'd hope I'm afraid.

A year or so ago I finally took the plunge and got a CO2 set, the difference was astonishing. Growth was lush , green and rampant! Encouraged by this, I did a complete strip down and put in some decent substrate. I now have a very healthy tank with beautifully green and red plants and have had to introduce a pruning schedule (which of course gives me more plants via cuttings).

Plants will not grow properly inside pots, much the same as if you planted them that way in the garden. Equally, they will not grow if planted in stones alone (although a natural substrate will build up over the years, but this will take tooooo long!). My advice would be to take 'em out and start with a substrate replacement, then fit a Co2 kit.

The substrate and CO2 products I used were:

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=247

with replacement cannisters lasting around 3 months.

And:

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=424

You may find cheaper set ups, or prefer to stick with just the fertilizers (or possibly just CO2 and fertilizer) but it worked for me. Remember, you can offset costs against the huge numbers of new plants you'll be buying to keep the tank looking good without it......

Good luck,

K.

 

[Underwurlde]

Thanks for a great reply!

Now, picture me falling off my chair at the price of that Red Sea Floral Base substrate (I'd need a bag and a half for my 15gal setup at a cost of £50).

NOW picture me peeling myself off my cealing after seeing the cost of CO2! ... One-Hundred-And-Fifty-Nine-Bloody-Quid-She'll-String-Me-Up-By-My-Tatties

AyYayYai!

So, any thoughts about that Laterite stuff (seeming as I got an £8 bag of the stuff today whilst in a FishyNewbyTrance at the LFS)?

Many, many thanks again,

Andy

 

[Kentfish]

Thanks for a great reply!

Now, picture me falling off my chair at the price of that Red Sea Floral Base substrate (I'd need a bag and a half for my 15gal setup at a cost of £50).

NOW picture me peeling myself off my cealing after seeing the cost of CO2! ... One-Hundred-And-Fifty-Nine-Bloody-Quid-She'll-String-Me-Up-By-My-Tatties

AyYayYai!

So, any thoughts about that Laterite stuff (seeming as I got an £8 bag of the stuff today whilst in a FishyNewbyTrance at the LFS)?

Many, many thanks again,

Andy

Ok, ok, ok here's the plan:

Since you've bought the laterite - use the damn stuff. It will be better than nothing and will help. Supplement this with the fertilizer I mentioned. There will be a slight but visible improvement in your plants. Take them out of the pots and they will root better in laterite too - good forward planning beacause next:

In approx 3 months, tell the missus that CO2 would complete it and to prove it, buy a cheap kit (around £25) to produce CO2 via carbonates and mushroom type bubble dispenser - your lfs will know, or try this:

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=256

Then, about 6 months after this, explain to her (and yourself!) that the CO2 system you have has made a difference but it is not reliable and the refills are more expensive in the long run. Then buy a cheaper CO2 kit, like this one:

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=649

Problem solved mate!

K.

 

[Underwurlde]

LOL!

Newbi's aye? Can't live with 'em, can't shoot them!

I take it you're not a fan of Laterite then?

Thanks again mate for HUGE amount of patience!

Andy

 

[Kentfish]

LOL!

Newbi's aye? Can't live with 'em, can't shoot them!

I take it you're not a fan of Laterite then?

Thanks again mate for HUGE amount of patience!

Andy

Haud yer wheesht mon!

Oim very glad to help me ol' mucker!

Laterite is ok but there are better things - it will help you though. Don't forget fertilizer.

Let me know how you get on

K

 

[mark.w.jones]

CO2 is definitely for the pros out there who love a perfect looking planted tank. Just go for a bunch of bomb proof plants for beginners. There are good examples in my sig. Otherwise go here:

http/www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php

And look up plants that are highly tolerant of crap conditions. Then order them from Greenline Aquatic Plants. Stuff like Java Moss, Java Fern, Anubias sp., Thai onion Planst are good. Then when youre feeling a bit more flush and have more time on your hands you can go down the laterite, CO2, macro nutrients, fertilizers galore route