What is the secret to plants?

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


tritioncoh1
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:22 pm

What is the secret to plants?

by tritioncoh1

I have been in the hobbie for a few years now and I have never really mastered the art of plants. I was wondering if their were any books, equipment, ideas, or tips any one might have on growing plants?


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main ... fa_aboutpa
Several .pdf articles on planted tank FAQ's.

Just some basic pointers----

Lighting:
2-4 watts per gallon is the general rule. a 15 gallon tank with a 15 watt bulb has 1 watt per gallon of water. Pretty simple. I have plants that grow in 1wpg but they grow very slowly and aren't as healthy as they have the potential to be.

Substrate:
Eco-complete and Flourite make good choices. Flourite is my favorite (probably unfair bias as I have yet to try eco-complete). Flourite is made by Seachem (who also makes a product called ''Flourish'' - a fertilizer that works great). It's an iron rich substrate which now comes in several forms. There's the original which looks hideous, black, and now sand versions of black and other (basically crushed into fine particles). Iron is very important for plants.

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide):
This is pretty well explained in the FAQ article, but I just wanted to note I have healthy plants in all my tanks, none of which are receiving doses of CO2. It can be crucial to some plants particularly foreground plants that are low-to-the-ground, require a lot of light, and some mosses.

Fertilizer:
Ferts should not contain phosphate or nitrates as these act as algae growers, but instead iron and several other trace elements. Seachem Flourish is great.

Goodluck.


jweb1369
 
Posts: 547
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:55 am

by jweb1369

Is there such a thing as too bright of a light? Or too high intensity? The reason I ask is because I recently bought this bulb and one of my plants leaves are turning brown really fast, looks like it is getting scorched.


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

Some low-light plants like java fern maybe...but anything that requires mid-high light..well. It's pretty hard to reproduce the sun if you get my drift.


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

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.

What is the secret to plants?

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