What Criterion would need to met to qualify as a Heavily Planted Tank

imw said:

When I get some to replace my recent losses

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Yup.
To be honest, plant care is a whole different ball game and, when you get it right, the results can be described as most pleasing.
When I was cycling my first tank, spending time on the plants gave me something aquarium-related to do.

Slaphppy7 said:

Ember tetras, nerites, shrimp....and loads of MTS

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I ll be acquiring some LFWCMMs soon as I’ve been offered my pick of a 240L tanks occupants as the owners are moving 280 miles away and don’t want the added hassle of fish on top of a dog, a cat, 3 kids and 2 cars being relocated.
Ember Tetras may be amongst its occupants as well.

imw said:

Do not have any fish - see my thread "lost some Penguin Tetras"

ATB

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You said "some"...
Anyway you will get some new, isn't it ?

ClownLurch said:

I ll be acquiring some LFWCMMs soon as I’ve been offered my pick of a 240L tanks occupants as the owners are moving 280 miles away and don’t want the added hassle of fish on top of a dog, a cat, 3 kids and 2 cars being relocated.
Ember Tetras may be amongst its occupants as well.

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They're great little characins, very hardy, mine have bred successfully, a time or two...they stay small, what size tank will you have them in?

Avel1896 said:

You said "some"...
Anyway you will get some new, isn't it ?

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Must admit I am nervous about doing so, but yes in time.

ATB

imw said:

Must admit I am nervous about doing so, but yes in time.

ATB

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Check carefully water tank.
Waterchange it out regularly.
If you use tapwater, let it stand 72 hours in blackness before using it

I almost forgot : quarantine fishes before adding them in main tank.

Avel1896 said:

Check carefully water tank.
Waterchange it out regularly.
If you use tapwater, let it stand 72 hours in blackness before using it

I almost forgot : quarantine fishes before adding them in main tank.

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Avel1896 said:

The only things I can test for I have and will continue to test for- but I can not test for anything that has leached out the wood that was the issue.

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My worry is if the problem (I will use the word toxin) was absorbed by my sand substrate or settled into the filter.

Am currently running activated carbon and will change it on a regular basis - will "think" about fish in a few weeks.

ATB

Heavily planted.

Lots of examples in this thread for "heavily planted." When the plants you @imw have (photos in post #4) show growth, which they will when they have settled and adjusted to your tank conditions, it will qualify as adequately planted, and like someone else said, "heavily" is not really the operative word, so I am saying this is much the same here. There are fast growing plants in the tank. Floating plants are ideal as they are usually the fastest growing of all of them, and do a tremendous job.

I wouldn't worry about the wood toxin, I think you have done what was needed for that. I know it is not easy to "vacuum" into the sand substrate, but do what you can. The Python gadget connected to the faucet I find is a slower draining mechanism that the manual models, and I can actually dig down into the sand in my tanks if needed with the Python without sucking out all the sand. Takes a bit of practice.

Byron said:

Lots of examples in this thread for "heavily planted." When the plants you @imw have (photos in post #4) show growth, which they will when they have settled and adjusted to your tank conditions, it will qualify as adequately planted, and like someone else said, "heavily" is not really the operative word, so I am saying this is much the same here. There are fast growing plants in the tank. Floating plants are ideal as they are usually the fastest growing of all of them, and do a tremendous job.

I wouldn't worry about the wood toxin, I think you have done what was needed for that. I know it is not easy to "vacuum" into the sand substrate, but do what you can. The Python gadget connected to the faucet I find is a slower draining mechanism that the manual models, and I can actually dig down into the sand in my tanks if needed with the Python without sucking out all the sand. Takes a bit of practice.

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Thank you Byron..

ATB

imw said:

Am currently running activated carbon and will change it on a regular basis - will "think" about fish in a few weeks.

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Activated carbon is useful only in case of medicine/drug residues. Has to be removed after 15 days.

Water tests to do regularly :
- pH
- GH (hardness)
- KH (alkalinity)
- NH3 (ammonia) if pH > 7
- NH4 (ammonium) if pH < 7
- NO2 nitrites
- NO3 (nitrates).
Keep in mind, for fish well-being, that hardwater fishes like Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Swordtails, African cichlids are NOT compatibles with most schooling/shoaling fishes, Anabantoidei (labyrinth fishes), Catfishes, Loaches... whatever LPS/LFS say : they talk twaddles.

75% to 100% planted …or Dutch lol can also sometimes be referred as heavily planted if amongst it there’s plants that sends out root runners..so deep rooted plants that can’t be uprooted easily without ..hmmm how should I say it..lol busting the whole bottom up lol so a person can also mean that when they say their tank is heavily planted bc they know to harvest plants like that..you have to uproot everything once it’s fully established amongst a lot of other plants too so it’s makes it even more difficult to not disturb other plants. So to harvest means to completely dig it all up and start over and with heavily rooted systems it’s jam pack in there heavily. It’s not like cutting stem plants. Plants like that sometimes needs special planting spots to steer away from other plants that it will kill when it hog up the light and food. Heavily describes heavily rooted plants that needs to be kept in check pruning regular etc. also not just amount of plant.

Carbon will remove most organic chemicals from the water, and whatever it was that came out of the wood is likely to be organic. Since carbon is not very expensive, it's worth a try.

Slaphppy7 said:

They're great little characins, very hardy, mine have bred successfully, a time or two...they stay small, what size tank will you have them in?

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120L/30USG.
I don’t think I’ll take the Embers. I’ve had LFWCMMs.

Heavily Planted