Too many plants?

[Eleonora]

Hi there,

I have a 25L with 2 gouramis and 2 bronze corys. They share the tank with about 3 different plants. Now the plants seem to absolutely love the tank water, because they've probably grown double the size in 3 months. The problem is how do I know if the plants are causing problems for the fish?

I know the female gouramis loves them cause she can pretty much stay hidden from the male when his chasing her. But I have noticed that sometimes the female looks as if she is tangled in the leaves. I have also noticed that the gouramis have not nested for the last month or 2.

I'd say that a third of the tank is free from plant life.

I know the snails love the tank too. I think I've had about 20 egg sacks hatch in the last 2 weeks.

Any comments/experiences?

 

[Olive]

Well this is just my experience, but I don't think that the plants will ever hurt your fish. The plants are so beneficial to your tank and your fish.

 

[Doggfather]

i don't think they are hurt either...probably just playing around

 

[x-router]

Gouramis love plants, espically big furns and the like. You will see them skimming the plants for tit bits and hiding and playing in them.

Plants are really good for your tank and as someone who def has an over planted tank I can say that it's never done any harm at all but totaly the oposit and the more the better as long as your fish have swimming room.

I believe it is possible to create a closed system using plants. By using a much larger than needed external filter and a good mix of plants I have managed to keep my Ni etc levels at <0.3mg. I have had no 'testable' reason to change my water for 3 months now although I still do for fear of bad bacteria buildup and I'm sure fish like 'fresh' water.

I'm thinking tho that with a ultraviolet filter I could in fact create that closed system.

 

[Silly me]

I have tanks with so much plant that I cant see the back of the tanks, no matter what angle you try, and I must say the fish in those tanks colors is twice as bright as the fish in the less stocked ones.

Changing water every week also remove build up of salts, metal and other dissolved elements from the water, unless you fill the evaporated water with distilled water

UV will only kill most needed bacteria?

 

[x-router]

UV will only kill most needed bacteria?

Well thats what I woundered. I'm only guessing but isn't that bacteria that we need in the filters and gravel, the water itself doesn't carry anything bacteria wise that we need?

I'm using a 403 filter which is loaded with standard filters and also loaded with this:

It claims to remove metals etc.

 

[Silly me]

you'll notice the PH drops a lot when you start removing metal from the water.. like a RO system

to remove all the metal from the water is also not completely a good thing, most plant and fish needs the metals for maintaining good health, its just that to much of anything is a bad thing

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

UV will only kill most needed bacteria?

Well thats what I woundered. I'm only guessing but isn't that bacteria that we need in the filters and gravel, the water itself doesn't carry anything bacteria wise that we need?

A UV won't hurt your good bacteria at all. It had better not anyway as I've just installed one ten minutes ago!

 

[Silly me]

how does the UV light select what bacteria to kill??

 

[x-router]

UV won't hurt your good bacteria at all. It had better not anyway as I've just installed one ten minutes ago!

I'd be interested to see how you get on with that as it a def on my list of things to try.

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

UV won't hurt your good bacteria at all. It had better not anyway as I've just installed one ten minutes ago!

I'd be interested to see how you get on with that as it a def on my list of things to try.

I'll keep you posted; it'll be difficult to tell for a while because I've only just set things up so no fish in there yet.

 

[x-router]

how does the UV light select what bacteria to kill??

It doesn't. My take on it is that the good bacteria live in your filter media and in your gravel they don't actually float around in your water as such so the UV filter will only get that floaty stuff in the water which you shouldn't need.

Again this is all just guess work.

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

how does the UV light select what bacteria to kill??

x-router is correct in saying that the goodies live on the filter media/gravel etc, not in the water. The unit I've got is a Vecton from TMC; the blurb on their site says:

The Vecton units will not destroy nitrifying bacteria used in filtration as this type of bacteria adheres to the filtration media. The Vecton unit only affects organisms that are living in the water pumped through the unit.

Their site is at

UV steriisers

I know that "they would say that wouldn't they" but they're a reputable manufacturer after all.

 

[Olive]

there is also a thread in the marine section over UV sterilizers that I posted several weeks ago. I wish I could be all cool and say that it is here, all underlined and it'll take you right to it, but I don't know how to do that. If you have time, just cruise the marine chit chat section and you'll eventually find it. It was quite interesting reading.

 

[x-router]

Like this I think

UV link