plants
10 posts
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
How many watts per gallon do you currently have? How many hours a day are you leaving the lights on? What kind of fertilizers are you using?
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vauno - Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:29 pm
hi, him new to this so just got gravel, but not sure if gravel to big or to small, i wanted to use sand but could not get it clear.
i have two lights that came with he tank cant see the wattage, they are 40" long
they are on for 12hours
i have two lights that came with he tank cant see the wattage, they are 40" long
they are on for 12hours
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peterkarig - Posts: 111
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:06 am
Lights that come with tanks are usually only suited for growing the low light varieties, but this is not bad at all.
Some of the best looking plants IMO are the low light varieties such as anubis (nana = small type) (bartari = large type) and there are other anubis varieties as well. Java moss and java fern are also good choices.
Amazon sword is a popular type that requires a bit more light, but it's worth trying. It'll get very large.
Anubis can grow in any gravel or sand, and looks great growing on wood or rocks, as the roots will grow down like jungle tree roots.
Java moss will grow on wood best, but will also just grow as a free floating mass.
Java fern must be grown on wood or it will die.
Amazon sword must have it's roots in the substraight.
Some of the best looking plants IMO are the low light varieties such as anubis (nana = small type) (bartari = large type) and there are other anubis varieties as well. Java moss and java fern are also good choices.
Amazon sword is a popular type that requires a bit more light, but it's worth trying. It'll get very large.
Anubis can grow in any gravel or sand, and looks great growing on wood or rocks, as the roots will grow down like jungle tree roots.
Java moss will grow on wood best, but will also just grow as a free floating mass.
Java fern must be grown on wood or it will die.
Amazon sword must have it's roots in the substraight.
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peterkarig - Posts: 111
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:06 am
Yea, try the plants I mentioned. They're all popular, and there's considerably less problems with algae, water perameters, light replacement costs, etc with the low-light planted tanks.
Amazon sword should be planted toward the back as it can get 3 feet tall sometimes. Usually it stays within the depth of a 12-18 inch deep tank, but it grows fast and can be pruned if it gets too big.
My favorite has always been the anubias.( I just checked the spelling) I plant the smaller variety closer to the front and the larger usually on wood near the back.
Check out www.plantgeek.com for pics of these plants. Look under plantscapes for good pics.
Amazon sword should be planted toward the back as it can get 3 feet tall sometimes. Usually it stays within the depth of a 12-18 inch deep tank, but it grows fast and can be pruned if it gets too big.
My favorite has always been the anubias.( I just checked the spelling) I plant the smaller variety closer to the front and the larger usually on wood near the back.
Check out www.plantgeek.com for pics of these plants. Look under plantscapes for good pics.
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
I've also found cryptocoryn wendtii to be easy to grow, and there are several different color varieties to choose from.
PK--You stated that java fern must be grown on wood to survive. Can't it also be attached to rock?
PK--You stated that java fern must be grown on wood to survive. Can't it also be attached to rock?
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
I'm pretty sure java fern is fine as long as the rhizome (bulb type thing on the base of the roots) has full access to the water column (not buried) and the roots are attatched to something - rock or wood. Most people bury them at first (as I did) and wonder why they wilt and slowly die.
That said I've never had good success keeping them - probably because of an abundance of phosphates in my tap water. /shrug
That said I've never had good success keeping them - probably because of an abundance of phosphates in my tap water. /shrug