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 Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:04 pm GMT Reply
I think you must figure out, sadly, you may find this out from trial & error as I had, that certain plants thrive in freshwater tanks according to its water quality. For instance, I bought anarcharis, wisteria, micro sword and anabias. The only plants that thrived or survived was the anubias. So I bought on my next order from Live Aquaria, assorted anubias. Also I find, that you need a good book like Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants by Peter Hiscock (my favorite author). Once you understand the way in which certain plants grow, and always remember, the plants MUST be compatible with the fish, you begin to understand the enormous complexity of an ecosystem. The only fertilizer I use is Flourish Tablets (has all the minerals the plants require). You must test for iron, phosphate and carbon dioxide (personally, after much research, I decided against getting a CO2 system). Also, you should keep a log, I use a calander booklet, each day I notate the temperature on each side of the tank, once a week I test all water conditions (ph, nitrite, nitrate, hardness, alkalinity, ammonia; once every 2 weeks I test iron, carbon dioxide, phosphate, and oxygen levels). Always observe the tank (fish & plants), each will give you any telltale signs if something is the matter, for instance, if fish are at the surface, check for oxygen levels or if leafs are turning yellow, test for iron levels. Th ecool thing about fish I find is that when the fish poop the poop itself is good fertilizer for the plants (of course, the fish do not know this so it is pure chance the fish poop over the plants, but sometimes they do, and this is good news). Also you will need a plant fluorescent light. Also, if you do use aquarium salt, many plants are sensitive to this. I figure the plants in the tank I have, by the end of 2008, via runners, will spread up and over the tank gravel. And one last thing, I find fishkeeping is an astonishing hobby, it's a contained life that is solely dependent upon its owner - there is not a natural river flow to wash the wastes away, to feed the fish and plants with rain water, fallen leafs, algae, there is no sun to give off natural photosynthesis, et cetera (I thnk you get the drift) - and as an owner, a relationship begins between the fish and its owner, it's a wonderful experience; my best advice is to read about plant life, once you are sure of the set up you are after, go for it. I buy all my plant life and fish from Live Aquaria. Don't forget some Olive Nerite Snails, these little guys will clean the leafs of brown algae which helps the pores breate. If you have any comments or questions please do not hesitate to ask. I hope what I typed helped.
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